Marijuana

[Necrodrone]

In the bible it talks about "drunkenness" and "keeping the temple pure" but is smoking marijuana a sin? It's against the law which automatically makes it a sin, but if it were legal would it still be a sin according to christians?

 

[inHisgrip]

I don't know if it would be sin in that situation, however I will say it does alter your perception, which is much like drunkenness. As far as I am concerned, if it is legal, everything in moderation. Personally I do not believe in pot (having been a smoker for years), its very hard to quit.
For me it is a sin, simply because I don't use moderation, but for others it may not be as big of a deal.
All issues of sin come down to the heart and why you are doing it. If it is for fun every now and then, probably not a big deal. But if you are getting high to escape real life, then its definitely a problem.
In Him

 

[.Mikha'el.]

I disagree with the original premise. Not all illegal acts can or should be considered a "sin." A sin is an immoral act that is a defiance of the Word of God. A short story I read in high school comes to mind. "God is Not a Fish Inspector." In the story, the protagonist daughter tells him he is bound for hell for fishing without a license. The character's response is the story's title. I do not believe that fishing without a license is a "sin" because the Bible does not deal with fishing licenses. I nthe same way, the Bible does not discuss marijuana use.

However, I am uncomfortable with the use of marijuana because of the negative side effects. I support laws banning it and am ashamed of the Canadian government's efforts to decriminalize it.

 

[JCBeliever]

Marijuana makes people unmotivated and stupid. It takes away a desire to do anything else besides lay around all day and smoke dope. It hurts them physically, moreso mentally, and spiritually numbs them.
I believe that is the real sin of Marijuana.

 

[Philosoft]

Marijuana makes people unmotivated and stupid. It takes away a desire to do anything else besides lay around all day and smoke dope. It hurts them physically, moreso mentally, and spiritually numbs them.
I believe that is the real sin of Marijuana.

I can only assume you know of two or three admitted marijuana smokers who fit this stereotype. What you completely ignore are all the marijuana smokers who don't fit it. Thus, you are quite guilty of selective thinking. I assure you that you would be surprised at the number of casual pot smokers who lead otherwise normal, productive lives.

Even considering your stereotypical individuals, marijuana is arguably not a major causal factor, but a symptom of laziness and non-motivation.

 

[Magisterium]

In the bible it talks about "drunkenness" and "keeping the temple pure" but is smoking marijuana a sin? It's against the law which automatically makes it a sin, but if it were legal would it still be a sin according to christians?

Actually, various local civil laws have no bearing on what is sinful and what is not. There are many things which are permitted in various societies but remain sinful and many things which are prohibited by various societies but not necessarilly sinful.

That said, the use of marijuana is not necessarilly a sin. However, to intentionally engage in any activity that you know will cause undue harm to yourself of potentially cause harm to others is a sin.

 

[ravenwolf]

actaully when i used to smoke pot it made me more motivated to get things done and it actually made me smarter because it made me able to concentrate extremely well....now that i dont smoke anymore im back to being totlaly ADD and have a very hard time focusing on anythign and a very hard time getting things done, so for me it actually did me a lot of good.
Also jsut to make a point, in many eastern countries pot is socially and morally exceptable, i think the reason why it is such a big deal over here is because it hasent always been a part of our culture. I do agree that maodeation is the key. Its the same with alcohol, those that socially dfrink are fine, while those who depend on it becoenm alcoholocs and have all sorts of problems. The same for whether or not marijuana is used once in a while or if it is depended on will make th edifference on whether it is harmful to a person mentally, physically, and also spiritually.
Just my thoughts.
Blessings
~ravenwolf

 

[knuckle50]

i think marijuana should be legal. the war on drugs is an abysmal failure and it would stop so much crime it would be amazing. i'm not a christian, but i was grown up as a catholic and i do not believe it is a sin to smoke pot. just because it is a law doesnt make it a sin, was teaching an african-american to read durning the years of slavery a sin? you have to think for yourself! just because someone says its immoral doesnt make it so.

 

[evanglchris24]

well we can put it like this. now what are your reasons for using marijuana? and are the reasons really building up the body of christ? thats what need to think about are the things we are doing in our lives really eximplify jesus christ and do they cause others to want to join his body. now if you can smoke a joint and still preach "for god so loved the world ....... John 3:16" and people really recieve gods message, i dont know. but as christians we all want to live our lives as an example and smoking,drinking,premarital sex are not good examples.
but with everything is a process and im still in that process and hopefully my brothers and sisters in christ can assist me with my walk with god also. until then just really pray and consult GOD he will give you answers if you listen.

 

[evanglchris24]

]

well we can put it like this. now what are your reasons for using marijuana? and are the reasons really building up the body of christ? thats what need to think about are the things we are doing in our lives really eximplify jesus christ and do they cause others to want to join his body. now if you can smoke a joint and still preach "for god so loved the world ....... John 3:16" and people really recieve gods message, i dont know. but as christians we all want to live our lives as an example and smoking,drinking,premarital sex are not good examples.
but with everything is a process and im still in that process and hopefully my brothers and sisters in christ can assist me with my walk with god also. until then just really pray and consult GOD he will give you answers if you listen.

thank you

 

[Arikay]

I agree with Philo, just like it would be unfair to stereotype all priest as child molesters or all christians as abortion clinic bombers its unfair to stereotype all people who smoke pot as lazy and stupid. Especially considering Raven is right, pot has been an accepted herb to smoke in the middle east for along time. It is quite possible that many of the authors of the bible were pot smokers. Remember we treat drugs differently today than they used too 100 years ago, let alone 2000. Pot has been traditionally used for many things, including ADD and similar problems (again, as Raven mentioned). There have been scientists in the past that have used it to calm their brain so that they could more easily finish a thought.
As far as those who suggest pot is completly bad, they probably need to read up on the many valid medicinal uses.

To answer the OP, I'm not a christian, however we do know Jesus was not against alcohol (turning water into wine), but against drunkeness. Now for most people one or two glasses of wine will give them a buzz. So it would seem that feeling the effects of a drug (which many people do each day, they just don't realize it) is not considered bad. What would seem to be bad would be a total loss of control.

I can only assume you know of two or three admitted marijuana smokers who fit this stereotype. What you completely ignore are all the marijuana smokers who don't fit it. Thus, you are quite guilty of selective thinking. I assure you that you would be surprised at the number of casual pot smokers who lead otherwise normal, productive lives.

Even considering your stereotypical individuals, marijuana is arguably not a major causal factor, but a symptom of laziness and non-motivation.

 

[Necrodrone]

I disagree with the original premise. Not all illegal acts can or should be considered a "sin." A sin is an immoral act that is a defiance of the Word of God. A short story I read in high school comes to mind. "God is Not a Fish Inspector." In the story, the protagonist daughter tells him he is bound for hell for fishing without a license. The character's response is the story's title. I do not believe that fishing without a license is a "sin" because the Bible does not deal with fishing licenses. I nthe same way, the Bible does not discuss marijuana use.

However, I am uncomfortable with the use of marijuana because of the negative side effects. I support laws banning it and am ashamed of the Canadian government's efforts to decriminalize it.

what negative side effects are you speaking of? nicotene and alchohol have more negative side effects than marjuana. In my health book in high school there were 3 groups of drugs, 1 being the safest and 3 being the most dangerous. Marijuana was the only one in the 1st catagory, the second including nicotene and alchohol.

 

[Logic]

Well, the way that people usually smoke pot gets more carcinogens into your body than an ordinary filtered cigarette. Marijuana isn't addictive at all, I've experimented with it (with friends, always have friends with you) and it hasn't had any noticable negative effects of me.

 

[Nathan David]

I can't speak from the Christian perspective, but I can tell you from personal experience that marijuana is not nearly as bad for you as the US government claims, nor is it completely harmless. People can and do get addicted to it; it can impair judgement; abuse can harm the abuser's relationships with others.

I consider it roughly as harmful as alcohol, but it's effects are different. On the one hand, you can have one or two beers and just feel a little relaxed, whereas even a little bit of weed will alter your perceptions and thinking. On the other hand, large amounts of alcohol can make people violent or unconscious, which large amounts of marijuana won't do.

I think it should be legal, and I applaud Canada and the UK for taking baby steps in that direction, and the Netherlands for going even farther.

 

[Nathan David]

Well, the way that people usually smoke pot gets more carcinogens into your body than an ordinary filtered cigarette.

Actually no carcinogens have been found in marijuana smoke.

Marijuana isn't addictive at all

My personal experience and that of addiction experts says differently. But it's certainly not as addictive as heroin or nicotine. I don't know if there's an actual chemical addiction or if some people just get addicted to the high.

 

[trunks2k]

Actually no carcinogens have been found in marijuana smoke.

I'm not sure that's true. I've always heard that Marijuana smoke has more carcinogens in it than cigarette smoke. But even if this is so, it's somewhat irrelevent because marijuana users don't smoke the equivilent volume that cigarette users do. In my experience, most marijuana users will stop at 2 joints, and only do so a couple times a week at most (sure, there are heavier users, but they are in the minority), whereas most of the cigarette smokers I know smoke upwards of a pack a day.

And as far as addictivness goes, I do not think marijuana is chemically addictive, like nicotene. But psychologically addictive.

 

[ravenwolf]

As for addicton I think some people are more prone becasue they may have an addictive personality. Where as for other drugs it is highly addictiive regardless of personality(like coke or heroin)
So it really just depends.
Blessings
~ravenwolf

 

[Rev. Smith]

I disagree with the original premise. Not all illegal acts can or should be considered a "sin." A sin is an immoral act that is a defiance of the Word of God.

St Paul frequently teaches that we are to repect authority, as did Christ - render unto Ceasure that which is Ceasure's. We know that we must disobey authority where it conflicts with our faith, thus the early Christians who died rather than obey the Imperial command to sacrafice to idols were morally correct. However, where no such conflict exists we must respect the civil law.

Since I can ascertain no argument that smoking pot is required of Christians (as opposed to Rastafarians) - Christians are commiting the sin of disobediance to lawful authority if they smoke pot in a place where the law forbids it.

 

[Motus]

1 Peter 2:13-16

13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
KJV

You'll notice that these verses are talking about following the laws of the land. This is the best passage I have found in the Bible regarding this. It says to obey the governors when they punish evildoers and praise the righteous. And when you are free to do something, not to use the freedom for unrighteous acts. Now you ask, "what if the law goes against these guidelines?"

Job 34:19-20

19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
KJV

There is no earthly government above God. They can make all the laws they want and it will make no difference because God is greater, and long after the governments and nations fade into oblivion, God will still be the same. When they asked Jesus what commandments they were to follow to have eternal life, he said:

Mark 12:30-31

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
KJV

As long as marijuana does not cause you to break those commandments, then I say it's just fine.

 

[Tomk80]

Actually no carcinogens have been found in marijuana smoke.

But often softdrugs are smoked in small quantities together with tabacco. The tabacco is the source for the carcinogens. Also, hashies have been shown to have a detrimental effect on the short-term memory.

My personal experience and that of addiction experts says differently. But it's certainly not as addictive as heroin or nicotine. I don't know if there's an actual chemical addiction or if some people just get addicted to the high.

The reason drugs like marijuana are (semi-)legalized in the Netherlands is because they are not known to give a physical addiction. This is the reason it is a lot less addictive then heroin or nicotine.

However, mental addiction is the real bummer and very hard to get rid off. I know some people who smoked a joint every evening after dinner. They had the same problems with quitting as people I know who smoked a cigarette after dinner. It's the habit which is really hard to break (although the cigarette smokers had to fight there physical addiction also).