---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eating animals is not our God-given…"
description: "\"Eating animals is not our God-given right, but being kind to them is.\" — Tsem Tulku"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2f/tsem-tulku-24966_animal_eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-righ_937950.png"
---

#  Eating animals is not our God-given right, but being kind…

![“Eating animals is not our God-given right, but being kind to them is.” quote by Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2f/tsem-tulku-24966_animal_eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-righ_937950.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2f/tsem-tulku-24966_animal_eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-righ_937950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2f/tsem-tulku-24966_animal_eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-righ_937950.png)

> “Eating animals is not our God-given right, but being kind to them is.”

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

We lack a divine right to eat animals, but we should treat them kindly.

**In simple terms:** No God‑given right to eat animals; be kind.

Key Takeaway

Practice compassion toward animals.

Themes

ethics animal rights kindness

Mood

compassionate thoughtful ethical

Type

ethical personal

When to use this quote

- dietary choices
- animal welfare activism
- food industry

Key Concepts

moral philosophy environmental stewardship

Questions to Reflect On

- What actions show kindness to animals?
- How do you reconcile dietary habits with this view?

A Different Perspective

Cultural traditions may conflict.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Eating animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-animals/)

## Related quotes

> [Almost always when I told someone I was writing a book about "eating animals", they assumed, even without knowing anything about my views, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/almost-always-when-i-told-someone-i-was-writing-a-book-about-eating/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Have you ever known an alcoholic, a cigarette smoker, or a heroin user to be rational when it came to alcohol, cigarettes, or heroin?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-yourofsky/have-you-ever-known-an-alcoholic-a-cigarette-smoker-or-a-heroin-user/)

[Gary Yourofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-yourofsky/)

> [“The justifications for eating animals and for not eating them are often identical: we are not them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnathan-safran-foer/the-justifications-for-eating-animals-and-for-not-eating-them-are/)

[Johnathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnathan-safran-foer/)

> [“I thought I could wait to tell you until everything was figured out,” she says. “I didn’t think you’d have any contact with actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-a-cole/i-thought-i-could-wait-to-tell-you-until-everything-was-figured-out/)

[Olivia A. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-a-cole/)

> [Finally he said that if men drink the blood of God yet they do not understand the seriousness of what they do. He said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/finally-he-said-that-if-men-drink-the-blood-of-god-yet-they-do-not/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“Love the animals: God gave them the rudiments of thought and an untroubled joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/love-the-animals-god-gave-them-the-rudiments-of-thought-and-an/)

[Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/)

> [For if animals are God's creatures, we have no absolute rights over them, only the duty to look after them as God would look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/for-if-animals-are-god-s-creatures-we-have-no-absolute-rights-over/)

[Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/)

> [“Day six: Then God says, “Let’s make people—like us, but human, with flesh and blood, skin and bone. Give them the job of caretakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-halter/day-six-then-god-says-let-s-make-people-like-us-but-human-with-flesh/)

[Hugh Halter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-halter/)

> [Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-animals-god-has-given-them-the-rudiments-of-thought-and-joy/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [There're going to be animals in God's Heaven on Earth, a New Heaven and a New Earth! God's not going to have His Creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/there-re-going-to-be-animals-in-god-s-heaven-on-earth-a-new-heaven/)

[David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/)

> [Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-the-animals-god-has-given-them-the-rudiments-of-thought-and-joy/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If riding bulls was easy we would call it roping and if wrestleing was easy we would call it basketball and if country was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-riding-bulls-was-easy-we-would-call-it-roping-and-if-wrestleing/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Animals are God's creatures, not human property, nor utilities, nor resources, nor commodities, but precious beings in God's sight. ...Christians whose eyes are fixed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/animals-are-god-s-creatures-not-human-property-nor-utilities-nor/)

[Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/)

> [“There are no longer any gods whom we can invoke to help us. The great religions of the world suffer from increasing anemia, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/there-are-no-longer-any-gods-whom-we-can-invoke-to-help-us-the-great/)

[C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/)

> [“Love the animals. God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Don’t trouble it, don’t harass them, don’t deprive them of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/love-the-animals-god-has-given-them-the-rudiments-of-thought-and-joy-2/)

[Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/)

## More by Tsem Tulku

> [Not everyone can see things the way you see it, so let go. You can't see everything the way they see it either, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/not-everyone-can-see-things-the-way-you-see-it-so-let-go-you-can-t/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [If we do not create inner peace, outer peace is not possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/if-we-do-not-create-inner-peace-outer-peace-is-not-possible/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [Gymnasts, lazy people, complainers and successful people have all practiced to be what they are good at. So if you keep practicing being lazy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/gymnasts-lazy-people-complainers-and-successful-people-have-all/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [We must be open to our mistakes and grow. Growth isn't based on being perfect, but moving toward the best we can be by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/we-must-be-open-to-our-mistakes-and-grow-growth-isn-t-based-on-being/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [Don't hang on to your failures, because you can always try again. Trying gives hope. Hope gives us life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/don-t-hang-on-to-your-failures-because-you-can-always-try-again/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [Being humble doesn't mean you lose; it means you have won. Give the victory to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/being-humble-doesn-t-mean-you-lose-it-means-you-have-won-give-the/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [If being me offends you, maybe I'm not the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/if-being-me-offends-you-maybe-i-m-not-the-problem/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [If you say you don't have money to help a animal shelter, why then do you have money to buy meat?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/if-you-say-you-don-t-have-money-to-help-a-animal-shelter-why-then-do/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [The minute you say "I can't", it is another wrong affirmation to your subconscious that you choose to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/the-minute-you-say-i-can-t-it-is-another-wrong-affirmation-to-your/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [Find yourself. Be with yourself. Fail and then achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/find-yourself-be-with-yourself-fail-and-then-achieve/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [The next time you face a challenge, remember that the cost of success is far cheaper than the price of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/the-next-time-you-face-a-challenge-remember-that-the-cost-of-success/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [A persons outer action reflects their inner mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/a-persons-outer-action-reflects-their-inner-mind/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [A monk is holy and great until he starts teaching you the real Dharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/a-monk-is-holy-and-great-until-he-starts-teaching-you-the-real-dharma/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [Complaining is another way of saying to others, YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/complaining-is-another-way-of-saying-to-others-you-solve-the-problem/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

> [Don't call for a revolution, but look at yourself honestly and create an evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/don-t-call-for-a-revolution-but-look-at-yourself-honestly-and-create/)

[Tsem Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

[Explore all 23 Tsem Tulku quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/)

## More Animal quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

Mak\_786

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/)

[Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

[Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Eating animals is not our God-given right, but being kind to them is.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tsem Tulku"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-right-but-being-kind-to-them-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-right-but-being-kind-to-them-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2f/tsem-tulku-24966_animal_eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-righ_937950.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2f/tsem-tulku-24966_animal_eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-righ_937950.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2f/tsem-tulku-24966_animal_eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-righ_937950.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Eating animals is not our God-given right, but being kind to them is.” — Tsem Tulku",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tsem Tulku",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsem-tulku/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Eating animals is not our God-given...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-right-but-being-kind-to-them-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsem-tulku/eating-animals-is-not-our-god-given-right-but-being-kind-to-them-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
