Would you consider swapping your lamb for an animal-free spread this Easter? 

The animal rights activist group PETA has launched a campaign to get Christians around the globe to go vegan in the lead up to the most holy week in the Christian calendar.

PETA called for Christians to ditch animal products at the beginning of Lent but in recent days they've regenerated interest in the movement as we draw ever-closer to Holy Week.

Just yesterday, news sites across Australia were reporting that PETA's Australian branch had placed an ad in The Catholic Weekly newspaper. The advertisement, which also appears in banner form on the newspaper's website, features a picture of a pig in an abattoir-bound truck with the caption, "Why has thou forsaken me? For Christ's sake, Go vegan." Taking Christ's name in vain is unlikely to help them score any points with the Christian community, but do PETA's aims have biblical support?

Claire Fryer, the organisation's Australian campaign co-ordinator, said that Jesus asked his followers to show mercy and argued that the animals farmed and killed for human consumption require this kind of compassion. Not all Christians will agree with Fryer's interpretation here but the animal rights group goes even further to draw connections between Christianity and veganism. In a blog post on their website, PETA list 11 Bible verses that they claim prove 'eating animals is not God's preference' for his people. These include Proverbs 12:10, "The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel," and Psalm 36:6, "Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals."

PETA is known for its highly controversial campaigns and activism, and this recent effort to convert Christians to a vegan lifestyle is no different. Although the ad is significantly tamer than their other promotions, this will likely shock some Christians. But the question remains as to whether it will shock them into taking up PETA's vegan challenge in time for Easter or at all.