I stumbled across some "ancient texts" which say the books called 'The Essene Gospel of Peace' are the actual words of Jesus.
However, there are a couple of problems I have with just the text of book 1. The first promotes a full raw vegan lifestyle. "God commanded your forefathers: 'Thou shalt not kill.' But their heart was hardened and they killed. Then Moses desired that at least they should not kill men, and he suffered them to kill beasts. And then the heart of your forefathers was hardened yet more, and they killed men and beasts likewise. But I do say to you: Kill neither men, nor beasts, nor yet the food which goes into your mouth. For if you eat living food, the same will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also. For life comes only from life, and from death comes always death. For everything which kills your foods, kills your bodies also. And everything which kills your bodies kills your souls also. And your bodies become what your foods are, even as your spirits, likewise, become what your thoughts are. Therefore, eat not anything which fire, or frost, or water has destroyed. For burned, frozen and rotted foods will burn, freeze and rot your body also. Be not like the foolish husbandman who sowed in his ground cooked, and frozen, and rotten seeds. And the autumn came, and his fields bore nothing. And great was his distress. But be like that husbandman who sowed in his field living seed, and whose field bore living ears of wheat, paying a hundredfold for the seeds which he planted. For I tell you truly, live only by the fire of life, and prepare not your foods with the fire of death, which kills your foods, your bodies and your souls also."
The second says that wheat is the most perfect food. "...from the month of Sivan, eat wheat, the most perfect among all seed-bearing herbs."
The problem I have about eating meat, is that the body was designed to eat meat. Our mouth and teeth are typical of an omnivore. If we as a people were not meant to eat meat, then our teeth would more resemble a cow, meant more for grinding plant matter and such. Secondly, the feeding of the masses was with bread and fish. If fish is considered meat and that all meat is bad, then why would Jesus bother feeding that to the masses?
The other issue, that of wheat being the most perfect food. Maybe this was the case during that time, but today, wheat is the opposite of perfect. I experience digestion and health issues from eating modern day wheat. If wheat was perfect, then why was it altered? Why do we have 'enriched flour' in store bought bread?
So, why does this book defy modern day logic? That's because the essenes were a gnostic sect. In more esoteric terms, diet is important. If you are trying to purify the body and raise your energy levels, then the gospel of peace is saying exactly that. The body chemistry that results from eating raw vegan, reduces many maladies and changes the ph of the body to prevent disease.
However, the book skews toward the raw vegan lifestyle. It ignores the nature of the human body and hopes you forget Jesus's other actions in the rest of the gospels. It also makes the statement that if you eat meat, you're more likely to kill someone. I don't know where that comes from, but in all of the food I have ever eaten, not once have I wanted to go out and injure anyone.
Even if there is validity to the text, without the esoteric aspect, the text is rather condemning of the nature of the creation of humanity. Some mystics would say that there is a dichotomy in the nature of reality, which means we need to have that option.
Reality in my understanding exists in a state of balance. Truly balanced existence would include the spectrum of dining options. To truly experience what life has to offer, means taking a sense of moderation into all things we do. That means that we have the ability to enjoy meat, but also to gain the benefits of vegetables, fruits and grains.
When it really comes down to it. All decisions are ours to take.
