Drinking and smoking pot, but in your room by yourself?

[MyLordMySavior]

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ!

I would like your advice. My friend and I got into a heated argument on this. It began with her asking me if drinking was a sin. I told her that getting drunk was a sin and that being drunk is not viewed positively in the Bible. I told her I wasn't sure of the verses and couldn't tell her exactly, but I tried my best to qoute. She surprisingly disagreed with my view on me. We usually agree on everything together. She asked me how was it a sin. Basically, I told her that we should be living examples of Christ, and Christ did not get drunk. Instead, the Sadducees and Jewish Leaders accused Jesus of being a drunkard! I said that the Bible states that we should be sober-minded and smoking weed and drinking alcohol will prevent that. I told her since Jesus would not get drunk, and since we should be living like Christ, I told her we shouldn't either.

I also stated that Jesus did drink, He drank wine, but did not get drunk off of it. So, drinking alcohol isn't bad, scientifically, a little can be quite good! But drinking a lot and getting drunk is very harmful. She said well what if I am in my room smoking or getting drunk and no one new. Like, what if I was with my family and wanted to get a little drunk. I told her the Word says our body is a temple of God and that it should be used to glorify Him, and getting drunk and getting high which keeps you from being sober-minded does not glorify Him. And if what we do is not glorifying God, then we shouldn't do it. She said well what I ate didn't glorify God. That was a weird analogy, so I wasn't sure how to reply. She asking, "Is watching Family Guy bad then?" And I said, That's hard.(Because I watch Family Guy) I said that the Bible says we shouldn't lay our eyes on anything evil. I felt guilty then.

So she wanted to know if I thought it was a sin to get drunk or smoke weed, so I said yes, that I think getting drunk and smoking weed is a sin. Well, we started raising our voices, I know it was bad to start yelling. And well, as she was defending it, I said, "Imagine yourself in front of God right now and He tells you that you shouldn't get drunk or smoke weed and you are yelling at Him saying, but it's okay if I'm doing it in my room where no one sees me!" Probably pushed her buttons so we started yelling. So I yelled, "Why are you defending it!?" And she said because she can, and asked well what about my sisters who got drunk at the house, was that a sin?" And I said, "In my opinion, yes I think that was bad." She got angry and I said, "I'm not saying drinking is bad, I myself will probably drink and drink wine when I am older, but I will not get drunk because it is wrong." She then said, "It wouldn't be bad if you did it like once a month." And I said, "That's like me saying it is okay to watch pornography once a month."(If anyone watches pornography, I am sorry, no offense.)

I said a sin is a sin in God's eyes. She argued it doesn't say anywhere in the bible specifically that it is bad to smoke marijuana. I said it doesn't specifically say anywhere in the Bible that you shouldn't rape a child, but we know it is a sin and wrong. She argued saying does it say anywhere in the Bible about rape. I remembered and said, "Yes, it states if a man rapes a woman then he must marry her, it says that in the Old Testament about rape." That was the end of that part. Overall, we got into a yelling match. I stated this isn't coming from me, but I am just stating what I read from the Bible. She yelled that God didn't say it, and I said that God did because scripture states that God breathed the words on the page; therefore, God in fact said all the stuff about getting drunk and not being sober minded.

So, at the end of it all, I lost control and we were yelling at the end of it. I yelled, "You asked the question! I am giving you the answer!" She was telling me to shut up, and stop getting so emotional about it. I was mad, so I went to get my Bible and told her that I was going to show her the passages in the Bible. She said she didn't care and stormed out of the room yelling leave me alone.

She went downstairs, and now I am up in my room writing this question.


So... what do you think about this? Would you consider getting drunk or high in your room all alone bad? What about anything else that we talked about.


I know I shouldn't have lost my cool. I just get emotional when it comes to what God says, and I know that it is wrong because I shouldn't yell. It just like, If someone is disagreeing with me and what the Bible says, then I feel like they are disagreeing with God, and I get real emotional about stuff like that. Like it says, I gentle answer turns away wrath, but an unkind answer will stir up more anger. I failed that. I get caught up in my emotions and know I shouldn't. I just want to make sure I was giving her the Truth, and using the Bible as my evidence. I also want to make sure I am not giving false answers, hopefully I wasn't. I will be better about approaching topics like these next time, and keeping the conversation calm and collected. Thanks for any replies!

 

[Lilly Owl]

Well, she knows your position now.
I'd think if someone is doing those things they are shutting themselves away from the world and numbing themselves to the world. So the issue isn't really that they're doing that and debating the scriptural matters related to it. But rather, what is going on in that persons life that this is what they see as the most viable solution.

Treating the symptoms doesn't get to the root cause of the disease. Inquire further. And calmly.

 

[Girder of Loins]

Smoking weed is a sin. Why? Because its against the law. BUT, if you live in a state that allows it, go ahead. Marijuana has a lot of bad stigma around it, but it isn't all that bad, actually. And getting drunk isn't a sin, although having an addiction to it is. And being drunk isn't recommended as it opens you up to other sins. This is why Paul tells us not get drunk.

 

[Radagast]

Getting drunk is certainly a sin (Ephesians 5:18, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Peter 4:3, etc.), although drinking isn't (because Jesus drank alcohol).

Smoking "weed" is in my opinion also a sin because of its illegality and its damaging mental effects.

Things don't stop being a sin if you do them on your own.

 

[Radagast]

..

 

[BFine]

Now that you know what's in her "heart" -- pray for her and
gently encourage her to seek God first instead of relying on
"her feelings".

Don't argue and don't debate with someone who is "for" doing
what they want to do-- i.e., "I want to get drunk, I want to get
high" etc.
When you hear a Christian making arguments for getting high, getting drunk, having premarital sex etc. it's a sure sign that person needs prayer because he or she has embraced worldly philosophies/ideals.

 

[EazyMack]

For someone to feel the need to get drunk or high points to deeper issues that are in need of God's healing.

 

[CounselorForChrist]

For someone to feel the need to get drunk or high points to deeper issues that are in need of God's healing.

Thats what I say. I realize people tend to have things they do to relax and escape the trials of every day life. But to me drinking and doing weed are avoiding life to much so you don't have to deal with it. Its how my ex was, she did weed many times a day, so everything for her was a blur so she didn't have to deal with life.

You could say her addiction was her idol instead of turning to God. It doens't mean you can't escape in a good book or something. But don't make that your main route of escape!

 

[dysert]

Getting drunk is certainly a sin (Ephesians 5:18, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Peter 4:3, etc.), although drinking isn't (because Jesus drank alcohol).

This is the best response. Something is a sin if the Bible says it is. And the Bible says getting drunk is a sin. I would say it's also a sin to get high on anything, whether it's weed, huffing, or whatever. The point is that we're to remain in control of our faculties and not use any substance to lose control. And it doesn't matter if you do it in the privacy of your room or not. A sin is a sin regardless of whether it affects anyone else.

Arguing about it isn't going to change their mind. Just like with homosexuals. They're invested in that lifestyle, so quoting Scripture makes no difference except perhaps to make them mad. And we all sin, which is why someone living a sinful lifestyle can parry your admonition by citing something sinful that you do. The answer, imo, is that they/we have to be changed from the inside-out. And only God can do that. So let someone know what the Bible says, and let the Spirit take it from there.

 

[hedrick]

To me 1 Cor 6:12 and 6:19 are the controlling passages. Christianity isn't a matter of laws, but we do have an obligation to avoid things that are harmful. I consider things like alcohol use on the edge. I don't think there's a clear law about it, nor do I think there needs to be. The question isn't whether it's a sin, but whether it's helpful (1 Cor 6:12).

Anything that is harmful to your body is a bad idea for Christians. I'm not going to make a specific recommendation on marijuana, because I haven't looked at current research. But I am suspicious.

Getting drunk is a bad idea, because you are no longer responsible. Thus it tends to lead to irresponsible actions. Getting drunk alone sounds like a bad sign to me. I'm not worried about it being sin. I'm worried about it being a sign of a person who is lonely and maybe needs help. But it depends upon how often and in what circumstances.

I would urge you not to think so much of whether drinking is a sin, and think more about your friend's mental state. According to your "about me" you're a junior in high school. There's a fair amount of research showing that people who start alcohol that young are much more likely to become alcoholics. i assume your friend is the same age. Your description of her alcohol use (regularly getting drunk alone) would be worrisome in an adult, but is doubly so for someone who is 16 or 17. I don't have time to do a web search right now, but I urge you to find out about the dangers of alcohol use for teens, and watch her for signs of problem drinking.

 

[amandatea]

The Bible tells us to take care of our body. It is not about "no one knows". God knows. And we know, when we do things in secret. It is a form of worship, also. "Okay, God, my body actually belongs to you and you asked me to take care of it."

Getting drunk kills brain cells and smoking anything is not a healthy way to ingest (is that the word I want here?) anything. I believe marijuana/hemp is a very healthful and useful plant but smoking it is not the way to use it.

 

[Avniel]

The Bible tells us to take care of our body. It is not about "no one knows". God knows. And we know, when we do things in secret. It is a form of worship, also. "Okay, God, my body actually belongs to you and you asked me to take care of it."

Getting drunk kills brain cells and smoking anything is not a healthy way to ingest (is that the word I want here?) anything. I believe marijuana/hemp is a very healthful and useful plant but smoking it is not the way to use it.

I actually agree with you the use of weed in tea helps my grandmother more so then her arthritis medicine. I don't think smoking weed is a sin depending on laws in the area and how often one smokes and also why.

I used to smoke weed I stopped because the woman I married wouldn't have dated me, and she informed the sin was not following the law...so I stopped.

But I wouldn't say weed is a sin like a glass of red wine isn't a sin.

 

[amandatea]

I actually agree with you the use of weed in tea helps my grandmother more so then her arthritis medicine. I don't think smoking weed is a sin depending on laws in the area and how often one smokes and also why.

I used to smoke weed I stopped because the woman I married wouldn't have dated me, and she informed the sin was not following the law...so I stopped.

But I wouldn't say weed is a sin like a glass of red wine isn't a sin.

I didn't really say it is a sin but it is unwise because it wrecks your lungs. Smoking anything is not good.

 

[Chaplain David]

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ!

I would like your advice. My friend and I got into a heated argument on this. It began with her asking me if drinking was a sin. I told her that getting drunk was a sin and that being drunk is not viewed positively in the Bible. I told her I wasn't sure of the verses and couldn't tell her exactly, but I tried my best to qoute. She surprisingly disagreed with my view on me. We usually agree on everything together. She asked me how was it a sin. Basically, I told her that we should be living examples of Christ, and Christ did not get drunk. Instead, the Sadducees and Jewish Leaders accused Jesus of being a drunkard! I said that the Bible states that we should be sober-minded and smoking weed and drinking alcohol will prevent that. I told her since Jesus would not get drunk, and since we should be living like Christ, I told her we shouldn't either.

I also stated that Jesus did drink, He drank wine, but did not get drunk off of it. So, drinking alcohol isn't bad, scientifically, a little can be quite good! But drinking a lot and getting drunk is very harmful. She said well what if I am in my room smoking or getting drunk and no one new. Like, what if I was with my family and wanted to get a little drunk. I told her the Word says our body is a temple of God and that it should be used to glorify Him, and getting drunk and getting high which keeps you from being sober-minded does not glorify Him. And if what we do is not glorifying God, then we shouldn't do it. She said well what I ate didn't glorify God. That was a weird analogy, so I wasn't sure how to reply. She asking, "Is watching Family Guy bad then?" And I said, That's hard.(Because I watch Family Guy) I said that the Bible says we shouldn't lay our eyes on anything evil. I felt guilty then.

So she wanted to know if I thought it was a sin to get drunk or smoke weed, so I said yes, that I think getting drunk and smoking weed is a sin. Well, we started raising our voices, I know it was bad to start yelling. And well, as she was defending it, I said, "Imagine yourself in front of God right now and He tells you that you shouldn't get drunk or smoke weed and you are yelling at Him saying, but it's okay if I'm doing it in my room where no one sees me!" Probably pushed her buttons so we started yelling. So I yelled, "Why are you defending it!?" And she said because she can, and asked well what about my sisters who got drunk at the house, was that a sin?" And I said, "In my opinion, yes I think that was bad." She got angry and I said, "I'm not saying drinking is bad, I myself will probably drink and drink wine when I am older, but I will not get drunk because it is wrong." She then said, "It wouldn't be bad if you did it like once a month." And I said, "That's like me saying it is okay to watch pornography once a month."(If anyone watches pornography, I am sorry, no offense.)

I said a sin is a sin in God's eyes. She argued it doesn't say anywhere in the bible specifically that it is bad to smoke marijuana. I said it doesn't specifically say anywhere in the Bible that you shouldn't rape a child, but we know it is a sin and wrong. She argued saying does it say anywhere in the Bible about rape. I remembered and said, "Yes, it states if a man rapes a woman then he must marry her, it says that in the Old Testament about rape." That was the end of that part. Overall, we got into a yelling match. I stated this isn't coming from me, but I am just stating what I read from the Bible. She yelled that God didn't say it, and I said that God did because scripture states that God breathed the words on the page; therefore, God in fact said all the stuff about getting drunk and not being sober minded.

So, at the end of it all, I lost control and we were yelling at the end of it. I yelled, "You asked the question! I am giving you the answer!" She was telling me to shut up, and stop getting so emotional about it. I was mad, so I went to get my Bible and told her that I was going to show her the passages in the Bible. She said she didn't care and stormed out of the room yelling leave me alone.

She went downstairs, and now I am up in my room writing this question.


So... what do you think about this? Would you consider getting drunk or high in your room all alone bad? What about anything else that we talked about.


I know I shouldn't have lost my cool. I just get emotional when it comes to what God says, and I know that it is wrong because I shouldn't yell. It just like, If someone is disagreeing with me and what the Bible says, then I feel like they are disagreeing with God, and I get real emotional about stuff like that. Like it says, I gentle answer turns away wrath, but an unkind answer will stir up more anger. I failed that. I get caught up in my emotions and know I shouldn't. I just want to make sure I was giving her the Truth, and using the Bible as my evidence. I also want to make sure I am not giving false answers, hopefully I wasn't. I will be better about approaching topics like these next time, and keeping the conversation calm and collected. Thanks for any replies!

I loose my cool sometimes to. Thankfully the Lord tells us that all we have to do when we do that is make amends to the person, admit our sin to God and repent from it. We should also try to react better of course but God understands our frailties and as long as we are striving toward not sinning He is faithful to forgive. Life is a great teacher and we can absolutely learn from our mistakes in this life.

However, based on what you wrote your friend seems to be overly invested in defending drunkenness and drug use which in my experience much of the time points to the person possibly having a problem with substance abuse.

While Scripture does not forbid drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation drunkeness is condemned. See this article. What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine?

Regarding pot use, it is mostly illegal and Scripture tells us we should follow the laws of the land. Since the use of pot almost always produces a high and impairs motor function, it could be classified in the say way as getting drunk. However, here is another article from gotquestions.org that sheds some light on it. What does the Bible say about doing drugs? I am however not talking about the legal use of medical marijuana in it's various forms.

God bless everyone.

Faithfully,

CH Sacerdote

 

[Avniel]

I didn't really say it is a sin but it is unwise because it wrecks your lungs. Smoking anything is not good.

It depends on why your smoking weed. Chronic migraine, heart issues and seizures, anxiety attacks I'm sure the negative out weigh the bad.

 

[amandatea]

It depends on why your smoking weed. Chronic migraine, heart issues and seizures, anxiety attacks I'm sure the negative out weigh the bad.

I'm not sure if maybe you're not understanding what I'm saying. Marijuana is a healthy plant. But the healthy part of it is the oil. That is in the leaves/buds. But when you smoke it, that doesn't really give you the benefit of the oil, just the high. The best way is to extract the oil and make it into some sort of lotion or put it in tea or food or something. Smoking any substance is unhealthy and one of the least efficient ways to benefit from it. It doesn't matter what you smoke. You could smoke Kale (can't imagine why one would want to, but this is just a silly example) and you wouldn't get any benefit from it that way, really. Smoking is damaging to the lungs.

 

[parsley]

Looking at your conversation (OP), it sounds like she considered you a good friend, and hoped to get the "girlfriend" answer -- the relaxed acceptance of whatever she had done or wanted to do. I would guess that there's more going on that she wanted to confide in you about.

You took the stance of answering the question correctly, but I think she needed more personal advice. Maybe she has been sneaking drinks for several years, and doesn't know how to stop herself. Or, like she mentioned other family members... she might be concerned about them.

In giving only the law-stance back, it's like a declaration that you will stand behind it no matter what -- which seems right, but means she will not feel free to confide in you, out of fear that your response might be condemnation.

Getting drunk is a bad idea, because you are no longer responsible. Thus it tends to lead to irresponsible actions. Getting drunk alone sounds like a bad sign to me. I'm not worried about it being sin. I'm worried about it being a sign of a person who is lonely and maybe needs help

It is so important that you ease back into normal conversation, and apologize for getting so heated when you treasured the friendship. These years drag you through so much gunk with friends. Some will get pregnant, some abused by family and friends, some will develop habits they can't break, some might get kicked out of the house. Decide what sort of influence you would like to have in those moments when you find out.

What if your friend was trying to confess that she'd been drinking with a friend, and they fell out the window, but in the news it was listed as a suicide? Or that she'd been drinking, and someone raped her. The right answers are not always the right thing to say.

I've had a lot of friends confide in me over unexpected things over the years, and am usually surprised that they don't know how to get themselves out of it. Let her lean on you...give her that extra oomph of support if she needs it. Maybe she doesn't... but life can be tough.

When I was in 7th grade, there was a boy who used to sneak drinks out of his locker, even before the school day started. Imagine at that age how kids might think he's daring and above-it-all. Within a year or two, we found out he was an alcoholic and had to leave school for treatment. We never heard anything about him again.

 

[Avniel]

I'm not sure if maybe you're not understanding what I'm saying. Marijuana is a healthy plant. But the healthy part of it is the oil. That is in the leaves/buds. But when you smoke it, that doesn't really give you the benefit of the oil, just the high. The best way is to extract the oil and make it into some sort of lotion or put it in tea or food or something. Smoking any substance is unhealthy and one of the least efficient ways to benefit from it. It doesn't matter what you smoke. You could smoke Kale (can't imagine why one would want to, but this is just a silly example) and you wouldn't get any benefit from it that way, really. Smoking is damaging to the lungs.

There are benefits from smoking weed I have a friend with eplispey and she never told.me but she would space off. She started smoking weed and now she can drive she doesn't have any more seizures. There are benefits in smoking weed. I know both personally and scientific research that there are benifits from smoking weed.

 

[parsley]

There's resveratrol in red wine too, but we can't just make blanket statements about every plant being natural and made by God. We have enough information on properties of plants to make wise and comprehensive decisions about intake.

Alcohol has been used in baby deliveries to relax muscles, in surgeries to dull pain and sterilize instruments. But it is common knowledge that people lose their jobs over it, their homes and spouses... beat up their kids without regret... then ask their kids for help when their liver fails them. I have seen some links between alcohol and Alzheimer's, but haven't read any studies on it.

There are bad side effects that can seriously harm a person's life, reputation, family, and friends. We don't need to prove or justify to anyone what we are doing, but we do need to respect our own futures enough to live wisely.

Weed makes a person more passive over time, which is not necessarily good for certain jobs and activities. And as said above, smoking damages the lungs. It's not that a plant is evil, but that we make flat statements and justify decisions, without taking responsibility for how we live our lives.

Your friend brought up gluttony in the OP conversation ... think about how people get tickets for midnight trilogy showings -- sitting in a movie theater for seven hours has its own form of gluttony. Or buying things because they're funny... or spending three hours at the gym ... or befriending FB people you don't know.... things that don't need to be done, but pique your interest at the time. Some are simple enjoyment of life, and some get out of hand.

 

[COG2013]

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ!

I would like your advice. My friend and I got into a heated argument on this. It began with her asking me if drinking was a sin. I told her that getting drunk was a sin and that being drunk is not viewed positively in the Bible. I told her I wasn't sure of the verses and couldn't tell her exactly, but I tried my best to qoute. She surprisingly disagreed with my view on me. We usually agree on everything together. She asked me how was it a sin. Basically, I told her that we should be living examples of Christ, and Christ did not get drunk. Instead, the Sadducees and Jewish Leaders accused Jesus of being a drunkard! I said that the Bible states that we should be sober-minded and smoking weed and drinking alcohol will prevent that. I told her since Jesus would not get drunk, and since we should be living like Christ, I told her we shouldn't either.

I also stated that Jesus did drink, He drank wine, but did not get drunk off of it. So, drinking alcohol isn't bad, scientifically, a little can be quite good! But drinking a lot and getting drunk is very harmful. She said well what if I am in my room smoking or getting drunk and no one new. Like, what if I was with my family and wanted to get a little drunk. I told her the Word says our body is a temple of God and that it should be used to glorify Him, and getting drunk and getting high which keeps you from being sober-minded does not glorify Him. And if what we do is not glorifying God, then we shouldn't do it. She said well what I ate didn't glorify God. That was a weird analogy, so I wasn't sure how to reply. She asking, "Is watching Family Guy bad then?" And I said, That's hard.(Because I watch Family Guy) I said that the Bible says we shouldn't lay our eyes on anything evil. I felt guilty then.

So she wanted to know if I thought it was a sin to get drunk or smoke weed, so I said yes, that I think getting drunk and smoking weed is a sin. Well, we started raising our voices, I know it was bad to start yelling. And well, as she was defending it, I said, "Imagine yourself in front of God right now and He tells you that you shouldn't get drunk or smoke weed and you are yelling at Him saying, but it's okay if I'm doing it in my room where no one sees me!" Probably pushed her buttons so we started yelling. So I yelled, "Why are you defending it!?" And she said because she can, and asked well what about my sisters who got drunk at the house, was that a sin?" And I said, "In my opinion, yes I think that was bad." She got angry and I said, "I'm not saying drinking is bad, I myself will probably drink and drink wine when I am older, but I will not get drunk because it is wrong." She then said, "It wouldn't be bad if you did it like once a month." And I said, "That's like me saying it is okay to watch pornography once a month."(If anyone watches pornography, I am sorry, no offense.)

I said a sin is a sin in God's eyes. She argued it doesn't say anywhere in the bible specifically that it is bad to smoke marijuana. I said it doesn't specifically say anywhere in the Bible that you shouldn't rape a child, but we know it is a sin and wrong. She argued saying does it say anywhere in the Bible about rape. I remembered and said, "Yes, it states if a man rapes a woman then he must marry her, it says that in the Old Testament about rape." That was the end of that part. Overall, we got into a yelling match. I stated this isn't coming from me, but I am just stating what I read from the Bible. She yelled that God didn't say it, and I said that God did because scripture states that God breathed the words on the page; therefore, God in fact said all the stuff about getting drunk and not being sober minded.

So, at the end of it all, I lost control and we were yelling at the end of it. I yelled, "You asked the question! I am giving you the answer!" She was telling me to shut up, and stop getting so emotional about it. I was mad, so I went to get my Bible and told her that I was going to show her the passages in the Bible. She said she didn't care and stormed out of the room yelling leave me alone.

She went downstairs, and now I am up in my room writing this question.


So... what do you think about this? Would you consider getting drunk or high in your room all alone bad? What about anything else that we talked about.


I know I shouldn't have lost my cool. I just get emotional when it comes to what God says, and I know that it is wrong because I shouldn't yell. It just like, If someone is disagreeing with me and what the Bible says, then I feel like they are disagreeing with God, and I get real emotional about stuff like that. Like it says, I gentle answer turns away wrath, but an unkind answer will stir up more anger. I failed that. I get caught up in my emotions and know I shouldn't. I just want to make sure I was giving her the Truth, and using the Bible as my evidence. I also want to make sure I am not giving false answers, hopefully I wasn't. I will be better about approaching topics like these next time, and keeping the conversation calm and collected. Thanks for any replies!

I smoked pot for 23 years of my life and quit when FAA Random Testing made quitting necessary. Several years ago, I was in a down part of my life and suffering from depression. I asked God how he felt about it if I started smoking pot again. This was his answer "As long as it does not lead or take you away from me or hurt anybody else, I don't have a problem with it." I chose not to do it, but that was His answer.