i've been a Christian all my life, and the more i see of the world, the more i am convinced of my beliefs. the only reason we ate meat in the first place was because of sin. i don't think God had planned for us to have to kill and eat his creatures. i come from a branch of Christianity (seventh day adventism) where vegetarianism and veganism are fairly common for health reasons. God called our bodies "temples" and it is a sin to defile them with things that will hurt them. altough i bear that in mind, personally animal rights was my biggest push towards being a vegetarian.
of course, being a Christian, i completely defend the love of God, and i agree with epski, that really doesn't make sense to me. my motivation to do good isn't because i feel "watched" it's because i happen to know someone who sees a much bigger picture than me, and they have given me advice on how to get the most out of life. of course i'd listen.
personally, and i really don't mean to sound abrasive about this, but i really have a soapbox about people who think Christians are mind controlled. i don't have a herd mentality about it at all, in fact, it forces an individualism that few other things do. the world is full of nonconformists, and the more shocking and blatantly defiant you are, the more careful people are not to offend you. but i've found that people will walk all over someone who is adhering to what God said, probably because He instructs us not to lash back. i am certainly not bitter or reigned in because of my faith, and i genuinely wish that everyone could expierence the kind of happiness it has brought me. when you have God, you're never completely alone. but as with everything, i know that, as right as i think that i am, there are people that feel that they are equally as right. i respect their desicions completely, though i don't understand it. if i wanted everyone to be in agreement with this, i would find a Christian chat room.