Alcohol - Gettin' drunk

[MoralityZealot]

Is it wrong to drink alcohol AS LONG AS you don't become drunk?

Is it wrong to smoke marijuana AS LONG AS you don't become drunk/high?

Is it wrong to smoke normal cigarettes?

Please answer these questions in STRICT order. (I will not reply to those that don't). I have been thinking very thoroughly about my faith, and i am undecided on these issues, i just want some assistance from you guys. Thanks!

 

[Mystman]

(I would define "wrong" as something that hurts others. The definition of wrong is quite important in deciding what's wrong.)

Smoking cigarettes isn't necesarrily wrong, it's stupid. An extremely expensive addiction that ruins your health.. where can I sign up? It can be defined as "evil" when doing it in the presence of non-smokers (only caring about your own satisfaction, and disregarding them).

Smoking marijuana once in a while can't be classed as wrong. (as long as you ignore the government that doesn't allow you to smoke, and a moral system that tells you to follow the government). Depending on the amount of use, it can fall in the same stupid/evil catagories as smoking.

Smoking marijuana but not getting high is.. pointless?

Drinking while not getting drunk isn't wrong. Getting drunkcan quite soon fall under the catagory of stupid. But then again, there are plenty of people who enjoy it. As long as they enjoy themselves and don't annoy others, it's fine.

 

[MoralityZealot]

Thanks for your help. But Aren't you non-christian? So thanks you sound smart but I was hoping to look for a christian perspective because those are the doctrines that i am looking into. Thanks anyway.

 

[Mystman]

Thanks for your help. But Aren't you non-christian? So thanks you sound smart but I was hoping to look for a christian perspective because those are the doctrines that i am looking into. Thanks anyway.

In that case: wrong forum.

 

[kopilo]

Is it wrong to drink alcohol AS LONG AS you don't become drunk?

If someone finds consuming this poisen (because that what alcohol is), to be morally right, then where am I to complain. (Unless it starts effecting people who do not choose to consume alcohol). Hence if they choose to drink it till alcohol poisening, then that is their choice.

Is it wrong to smoke marijuana AS LONG AS you don't become drunk/high?

Is it wrong to smoke normal cigarettes?

I'm answering these together, because I have the same answer for both.

It depends on time and place, if you are smoking either a cigarett or marijuana in a place with a high chance of effecting non smokers (such as in public), then it is wrong because it over-rides non smoker's choice to not smoke.
If someone is only harming themselves (or don't believe it is harmful), then that is upto them.

I'm sure there is a passage in the bible which requires christians to take care of themselves as well, but I'm not sure if these topics would fall under it.

BTW I believe if someone part takes in these activities that their medical attention falls second to those who do not choose to (of course depending on the sickness/injuries which need attention).

 

[justanobserver]

I believe (this being based on years of looking into this for my edification) that what is "sin" or wrong to one unless it is very explicitly spelled out in the scripture as sin, is subject to the convictions of each individual person. You say your wanting a christian opinion but I am gonna give you mine anyways.

I myself am a backslidden recovering alcoholic, if and when I decide to trust God once again and re-convert back (its just my view), I know that I can never ever touch alcohol again, if I were to, I would be sinning. This I feel. But I know pastors and many other "good" christians that can have a beer or a glass of wine at dinner and do I think they are sinning? Nope. not at all. Its in moderation and the person can handle the drink without giving in to excessiveness.

As far as smoking/pot - I have my own personal views but I know those who are christians, truly believe and desire to live and love God and they smoke cigaretts and I have my serious doubts they are hell bound. The church organization I walked out of in '82 sais differently. (a little thing called "Holiness Standard" that was forced on us folks. Long hair and dresses only on women, cut hair on men, no make up, jewely, no tv, no alcoholc, no "devil" music, etc etc etc. yep. its what they believe. And I use to endorce/embrace this same stuff until i walked out. Now I see things a tad differently).

The Pot question for me is subjective to my personal views (or "convictions" as the christians would say). I smoked enough herb in my life to make me wonder how I ever returned to reasonable normalcy. Again, I would have to say iuts subjective to the person and their walk with God.

The only verse that I was ever aware of in the New Testament is the one in 1 Cor 3:16,17 about your bodyu being a temple of the living God and to defile it, etc etc.... The only other ones I can think that some can use as their argument agianst drinking and smoking tobacco/pot would be the verses that eptain mainly to holiness or one's walk - "let not your good be evil spoken of" or "avoid all appearance of evil", etc.

Not saying I subscribe to the interpretations that others would on these verses but I know they can be and have been used to disuade others from drink/smoke as a christian.

But all this is just my take on the topic and my personal views/opinions based on years of looking into it myself. I say its to the individual and his/her personal walk with God whether it would be sin or not. Some cant listen to certain genres of music without the temptation of the past, some cant wear certain clothes/dress certain ways, some have other personal retrictions on their lives based on their faith and walk that wouldnt bother or aply to someone else.

 

[NPH]

Is it wrong to drink alcohol AS LONG AS you don't become drunk?

Your Jesus provided wine for wedding guests. Since you believe he was without sin then I guess it can't be wrong.

Is it wrong to smoke marijuana AS LONG AS you don't become drunk/high?

As already mentioned, pointless and fairly stupid but knock yourself out so long as you hurt no one else. Your bible says nothing about it so I imagine it's up to your discretion.

Is it wrong to smoke normal cigarettes?

Again, stupid (and I even smoke) but not wrong so long as you avoid smoking around others so as not to harm them.

Pretty much keep these things in moderation and there's not much wrong with them (possible health issues though). In the case of alchohol, a bit of wine can even be very healthy.

 

[flicka]

Once you start adding "as long as" to your chosen vices your being too legalistic. The only "as long as" that matters is that whatever it is doesn't effect anyone but you.
This kind of thing highlights the fact that there are no hard and fast rules about your beliefs. These things are not tied to Christianity even though some would have us believe they are.

 

[quatona]

Is it wrong to drink alcohol AS LONG AS you don't become drunk?

Wrong. Hell.

Is it wrong to smoke marijuana AS LONG AS you don't become drunk/high?

Wrong. Hell.

Is it wrong to smoke normal cigarettes?

Wrong. Hell.

 

[Blackguard_]

Is it wrong to drink alcohol AS LONG AS you don't become drunk?

Drinking alcohol is not only OK as the poster who pointed out Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding said, but Jesus also told us to drink it as part of the most holy Christian ritual, Communion, as a vessel for his blood. If drinking alcohol is wrong, Jesus not only sinned but told all beleivers to sin.

Luke 7:33-35
33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
34The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
35But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Is it wrong to smoke marijuana AS LONG AS you don't become drunk/high?

If its possible to smoke marijuana without getting high its ok. I've never smoked it, and when I said this view to people who have, they said its not possible to smoke it without getting high.

Is it wrong to smoke normal cigarettes?

Yes, its wrong to smoke cigarettes when you could be smoking a pipe or cigar.

 

[knightlight72]

Your Jesus provided wine for wedding guests. Since you believe he was without sin then I guess it can't be wrong.

That's common brought up, but often forgotten that the wine of then, is different than the wine of today. The wine back then was watered down heavily. You would be considered a barbarian to drink wine straight.



As the smoking and drinking, and drugs, it speaks that we should not lead other into sin. Intoxication is clearly spoken against. What is also spoken in the bible is that we are to treat are body well. And that does mean we need to remain healthy. Smoking and drinking, and drugs such as marijuana are harmful to the body. Therefore, these are things we should not be doing.

 

[Cerberus~]

Smoking and drinking, and drugs such as marijuana are harmful to the body.

Other than smoking it, which isn't the only way you can consume marijuana, how is it harmful to the body in light of studies showing that rats infected with an incurable form of brain cancer that were treated with THC outlived the untreated mice, and a few of them even became tumor free?

http://www.alternet.org/story/9257/
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1569.html

 

[bammertheblue]

I'd like to vouch for the fact that it's possible to smoke pot and not get high. Frustrated the hell out of me the first few times I tried!

 

[ebia]

That's common brought up, but often forgotten that the wine of then, is different than the wine of today. The wine back then was watered down heavily. You would be considered a barbarian to drink wine straight.

Wine would frequently be watered to a fair degree, but not to the point of being effectively low alcohol or alcohol free because there is a limit to the amount of water you can add to wine and still have the wine make the water safe. Even watered wine is still quite alcoholic.

 

[ebia]

Other than smoking it, which isn't the only way you can consume marijuana, how is it harmful to the body in light of studies showing that rats infected with an incurable form of brain cancer that were treated with THC outlived the untreated mice, and a few of them even became tumor free?

http://www.alternet.org/story/9257/
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1569.html

There is increasing evidence that marijuana use (in whatever form) is linked to mental illness.

 

[gwenmead]

There is increasing evidence that marijuana use (in whatever form) is linked to mental illness.

Source(s)?

 

[NPH]

That's common brought up, but often forgotten that the wine of then, is different than the wine of today. The wine back then was watered down heavily. You would be considered a barbarian to drink wine straight.

No, it wasn't and no you wouldn't have been. I've been through this argument long enough with SDA's and have no desire to rehash it yet again so anyone who is curious can actually go study wine and the history of wine-making for themselves. This is simply the usual case of tortured logic to try and make your bible fit into your preconceived ideas of what's right and wrong.

And simply enough, if the wine that was made had even 1% alcohol content then it was still bloody alcohol.

 

[TheDag]

My answers will be from a christian perspective. I do realise there are christians who have different views to me so it is from my understanding only.

Is it wrong to drink alcohol AS LONG AS you don't become drunk?

Generally the answer is no. owever for some people it could be wrong. for example if you become a soldier in the salvation army you agree to certain lifestyle changes (not because they are viewed as wrong though) and one of those is not to drink alcohol. So if you have made a promise to someone or to God to not drink then it is a sin to drink alcohol.

Is it wrong to smoke marijuana AS LONG AS you don't become drunk/high?

It is illegal in the eyes of the law and as that law does not contradict God's law then yes it is wrong.

Is it wrong to smoke normal cigarettes?

The bible tells us that our bodies are a temple of God and that we should take care of them. It is now considered fact that smoking harms the body and therefore it would be wrong. moking can harm others as well and that is also wrong if you do that. I don't know if the harming your body argument I've used here can also be used for marijuana. As long as marijuana is illegal then I don't really need to know.

 

[ebia]

Source(s)?

I don't have any references - it's my wife's field not mine. I put the point in for consideration - I'm not trying to prove a point.

 

[gwenmead]

I don't have any references - it's my wife's field not mine. I put the point in for consideration - I'm not trying to prove a point.

Hm. That's kind of a bummer. I would've been interested in seeing some references. Good to get info on all sides of an issue, dontcha know...

Well, if you do happen to get any sources (perhaps from your wife?), I'd love to see them, regardless of whether or not you have a specific point to prove.