Is Smoking Marijuana a Sin?

[WIP]

Well, I seem to have caused annoyance, though I don't quite understand your point.

Not annoyed at all. I just don't fall in with the conspiracy crowd that thinks everything is about big consuming small, strong overpowering the weak, etc. I guess I like to think (hope) that the underlying reason for things at least began with good intentions but since we are all human with our sinful nature there are times when what you suggest does happen. Jesus was the biggest and strongest and yet he demonstrated that he was also our greatest servant. That is our model.

 

[stovebolts]

Danus,

My wife grew up in a Christian home going to a very conservative church three times a week and they also lived in a very well to do neighborhood. They were raised with good morals and ethics. One of her brothers is an alcoholic and the other is a pot head. I'll take the pot head over the alcoholic ANY day of the week.

On my side of the family, I can't say for sure but I believe I am the only one who doesn't smoke pot or get drunk, although I do enjoy a glass of wine before bedtime on occasion. I didn't grow up in a Christian home and although my Dad was strict, he laid a good moral foundation as far as being honest and earning a living. My Dad hated liars and thieves and made it a point to instill into all of us the importance of having a good name. That being said, we didn't have much parental guidance and to add, we lived in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.

Why do I bring this up? I bring it up for comparison. All of my brothers and sisters except on used marijuana as a gateway drug and the only reason I didn't stick a needle in my arm is because of a man named Johny Harris who taught a program in Juvenile when I did my time... His words echod in my ears the night the needle was passed in front of me. I could hear satan drawing me in, it was scary, but Johnny's words echo'd, "it's death and after you've done it once, you'll do it to the grave". In the late 80's my older sister got into cocaine and that ended in loosing their nice house, in a nice part of town, then divorce then her loosing her kids. She still has a heavy drug addiction. I've got a brother who robbed a bank for his heroin addiction and just recently was paroled and another brother who is a player with the welfare women to support his drug habit. Yet another who is "bi-polar" and is on state assistance due to his dysfunction and as you may or may not know, I burried another brother not more than a year ago due to heroin. In all fairness, I do have another brother who never smoked weed and he is the only one in the family with a h.s. diploma (I have a ged). Both of us are the only two in the family who went to college and have done well in life. Unfortunately, he got hit with cancer a few years back, and he struggles with drinking now.

In our families case, weed was most certainly a gateway drug and it is still being used destructively in our family as a whole. I often wonder why my brother in law never took it past weed, while my brothers took it all the way to heroin and I can only conclude that it must have had something to do with the difference in schools / friends and neighborhoods that we grew up in.

The brother I told you about who has cancer, he was a jock in school and hung out with all the upper class kids. BTW, none of them ever came to our house. The rest of us hung out with kids from our own neighborhood. A neighborhood filled with dysfunction that we all viewed as normal.

While weed can be a gateway drug even in the upper class neighborhoods, I have a feeling that it's more prominent in the lower class neighborhoods.

 

[Danus]

In our families case, weed was most certainly a gateway drug and it is still being used destructively in our family as a whole. I often wonder why my brother in law never took it past weed, while my brothers took it all the way to heroin and I can only conclude that it must have had something to do with the difference in schools / friends and neighborhoods that we grew up in..........................................
While weed can be a gateway drug even in the upper class neighborhoods, I have a feeling that it's more prominent in the lower class neighborhoods.

I can appreciate and understand that. Often though I think we can look at things and think the source of something is one thing, when in fact it may be much bigger.

This is one of those funny and sad topics that hits everyone differently as does substance abuse.

People who have fought drug addiction, or who have seen it destroy their love ones, are rightly sensitive to this subject. While those who have seemed to experimented with it and don't see the harm others experience seem to be able to make light of it. Still others who've never used drugs (including alcohol) often look for information and end up with no solid answers.

I think the opening question; "Is smoking marijuana a sin?" is not as open ended as it may appear, and we might as well ask; Is substance abuse for the pleasure of altering ones mood a sin? because that's what we are really talking about. Whether is celebrating something or escaping the realities of life one finds difficult or impossible to deal with, either way one is leaning on something for the effect.

When I think of "sin NATURE" The very word "nature", to me is all-encompassing, especially when it comes to any drug use, because there are NO clear borders, and no one can come to a reasonable agreement to say where something starts and stops as sin. Oh, we all have an opinion, but that seems to be tied to our own individual schema, and that does not address the word "nature" in the biblical term of "sin nature".

We should agree however, that when the bible refers to man as having a sin nature and we see people holding wide stances on what is sin and what is not.....God must be laughing at us! Because it must look like dogs playing poker. Dogs don't play poker! And man is not; NOT sinful over here and sinful over here.

But here is how I'd answer the question. The answer to whether something is sinful or not is to compare it to the greater good, and lean to the greater good.

The greater good is God, but for us to lean to the greater good for some might mean not having that drink or using that drug today. It might also mean not imprisoning someone as a society for using a natural drug, or it might mean locking someone away for providing it on a large scale for profit.

I'm a beer and wine drinker, and I've smoked pot when I was younger. I can honestly say I'm not drunk and I don't smoke pot these days, but I can not say I'm not a sinner. I can list all the good and bad things I do or have done, but it will not change my nature.

I can say I don't want to be a sinner, and I can say I hate sin. I hate my sin, your sin, his sin, her sin, their sin, but that dose not change anything, and in the end I've no choice but to lean to the greater good, and I do this because I am a sinner, and I need the greater good to love the sinner I am and to help me love the sinner this world is, because I can't do it. Why? Because I'm a sinner. It is my nature, and the only escape of that nature is to lay that fact at the foot of the greater good than me.

It does not matter if someone is a pillar of society voted the best, more moral person in the world, or a hopeless drug addict on the street; God wants a relationship with both of them today. But to do that, both of them need to lean to the greater good, because both of them are sinners, and neither of them have any more or less of a list to describe their sinfulness.

Is smoking pot a sin? yes

My only intent here was to draw out some honest conversations on sin, and drug use is always a good topic to do this. The OP brought up a great question that we can apply to a lot of things, and that we can think differently on depending on the little boxes we all build around these topics.

Sure the bible says a lot about sin. It get's down to the nitty gritty and we can say; well I don't see it listed here so it must be OK. But the bible also make these all-encompassing statements about sin that we can not ignore.

Galatians 5:17
New International Version (NIV)
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

Romans 3:23
New International Version (NIV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:9
New International Version (NIV)
No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.

I don't want to derail this, and many may see these passages in other ways, but they still point to the very nature of all men.

 

[stovebolts]

Danus,

I always appreciate your posts. You are a very well rounded individual.

I often wonder about this greater good... Are we our brothers keepers? In a way, yes I think we are. Laws are put in place where morals were not instilled and ethics are non compliant. Often, laws are created to protect the greater good and unfortunately the minority considers it an unjust punishment. Anyway you shake the dice, I'll always be against the legalization of weed.

I think about the only other thing I'd address, is that you refered to yourself many, many times as a sinner, having a sin nature. Scripture tells me that I've been born again, and that I am a new creation in Christ and am spotless before God. I"ve been justified by the Blood of Christ and my garments (soul) are white as snow. I say this because from scriptures, this is how I identify myself, not as a sinner, but as one that has been adopted and made new, and has been justified. Spotless...

 

[Danus]

Danus,

I always appreciate your posts. You are a very well rounded individual.

I often wonder about this greater good... Are we our brothers keepers? In a way, yes I think we are. Laws are put in place where morals were not instilled and ethics are non compliant. Often, laws are created to protect the greater good and unfortunately the minority considers it an unjust punishment. Anyway you shake the dice, I'll always be against the legalization of weed.

I think about the only other thing I'd address, is that you refered to yourself many, many times as a sinner, having a sin nature. Scripture tells me that I've been born again, and that I am a new creation in Christ and am spotless before God. I"ve been justified by the Blood of Christ and my garments (soul) are white as snow. I say this because from scriptures, this is how I identify myself, not as a sinner, but as one that has been adopted and made new, and has been justified. Spotless...

I refer to myself as a sinner, but I will often say "Saved Sinner". My theology does fall in line with what we might understand at reformed theology, as a point of reference, but I try not to wear that as my back up. I honestly believe that this is what the bible says and that this is the heart of my relationship with God, a saved sinner.

Yes I have a new nature. It is a powerful thing, a gift from God, and not of my own. It does not replace my old nature, but it rules it.

When I am tempted, does the tempter whisper to my new nature? No. the tempter speaks to my old nature that peeks around my new nature to listen, but it is my new nature that keeps my old nature and it's tempter at bay.

Sure, we are our brothers keeper, but even if the law said all drugs are legal, would it make me want to use them? A better question might be, does the law act as a good keeper for our brothers? If my new nature is my old natures keeper, how much more can man's law keep my brother who does not have a new nature? Am I to rely and let man's law keep my brother? Even if I am in charge of writing the law of the land with my new nature, would that change and protect and keep my brothers old nature from being sinful? NO

He needs a new nature to. I can't give it to him. I can't make his old nature illegal and declare it gone. I can only tell him where to find a new nature and point to the source.

It is very important, I think, for us not to forget that we are sin in nature, but that our salvation affords us a new nature to rule our sinful nature, and in this way replacing it. We should not think our old nature as gone. We need to know where it is in relation to our new nature, or we might just find it again masquerading as a new nature.

when I have a beer, or a glass of wine, it is not my new nature wanting that. it's just my old nature. But it is my new nature that might say; Ok. You had your glass. That's enough. ;)

 

[stovebolts]

Danus,

Our theologies may differ slightly, but we are brothers in Christ none the less and I appreciate your views.

We know that the law convicts and as such, it does defer sin. My Dad used to say that locks are to keep the honest people out. I think he was on to something. ;)

A simple point in case is the speed limit in a construction area. You know, fines are doubled. Injure or kill a worker and you could get X years in jail plus X in fines.

A good moral base would say, "I need to pay attention in this construction zone because I don't want to hit a worker etc". However, most often our attitude is "I hate this construction, I have someplace to be! I don't want to wait! All this construction drives ME nuts.

The law hits us where it matters.. in our pocket book and in our freedom. We don't slow down because we care about hitting a construction worker, we slow down because we don't want to get convicted because if we do, we loose. It's about us, not them and I would say that that's the wrong attitude.

Sometimes what matters is controlling people behavior because they can't control it themselves. It would be nice to sit down and have a society that had a solid moral structure, but reality is we don't. In short, they may not understand the moral base and they may not agree with the rules, but they've got more to loose by breaking them than they do by keeping them and in my book, if that's what it takes, and it saves some heartache from an innocent person, then I'm not one to complain about somebodies personal freedom to mess themselves up.

This makes me think about another thing...Have you ever got stuck in traffic when you were running late and you just got really, really frustrated! The traffic jam is really messing up your plans. Suddenly, the ambulance rolls by... how many people think twice and in perspective say, "Maybe this traffic jam isn't so bad after all"?

 

[Fedusenko]

Yes, moderation in all thing. Moderation varies depending on the 'thing' and the person. Gossiping friends, kept to a minimal. Veggies should be kept to a majority of your diet. Lying should be kept at a moderation of zero. Moderation doesn't mean everything is excusable, but that everything and everyone doesn't size up to the same thing. There are some universal 'things' that should remain moderated at zero and we would agree on most of them.

So where do I draw the line? I already stated where; when it controls your life and becomes a god, major or minor one.

Regarding "substance abuse". This is a tool engineered to sway opinion. I am not saying that substance abuse isn't real and dangerous, it is both, but the phrase is thrown around very easily for the condemnation of something. Most Americans abuse so many 'substances'. We are an overweight country. We are a diabetic country. Yes, some got to that point due to no fault of their own and I am not talking about them unless they are irresponsible for their health as it stands. How many sodas do you drink so that you can alter your state of mind?

Gateway drugs... the phrase is just a tool to drive mass opinion. (All phrases are, duh) People will experiment with intoxicants because they have a mind to do so. To blame experimentation with LSD on weed is absurd! We might as well blame high speed car chases on racing to parking spots. Those who do it have a mind to do it. I have raced to a parking spot, but you won't catch me speeding from the cops (or certain others on this forum. They drive faster than light).

I will add one more qualification to "is it sinful". Yes, if you needlessly put other at risk of harm.

 

[reba]

Fedusenko,

Thanks for replying. Reading your post i see a lot of self justification. Just my old lady view point. Catch phrases being catch phrases does not make them automatically incorrect.

To say much more i would be going back to my others post...

1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Classik]

Don't get me wrong, I do not approve of pot smokers. But I really can't find any scripture to point to that says it is wrong.

It is a giant sin.

 

[elijah23]

Don't get me wrong, I do not approve of pot smokers. But I really can't find any scripture to point to that says it is wrong.

If you develop a personal relationship with the Lord, he will tell you smoking marijuana is a sin.

 

[Danus]

If you develop a personal relationship with the Lord, he will tell you smoking marijuana is a sin.

this has got to be the smartest thing said on this thread in as few words as possible.

 

[elijah23]

this has got to be the smartest thing said on this thread in as few words as possible.

Thank you.

 

[Fedusenko]

Reba,

Nor does it make it correct.

1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These are very good guidelines, yes. To say that I agree with them would just be silly. As a Christian, this is doctrine, but this is to your own judgement unless specifically defined. Christians are self-governing, a governance of the conscience. To control your mind so that you can control your body.

The Hebrew word for drunkenness does not mean drunk, but a habit of being so. Jesus wasn't against being intoxicated.

 

[nolonger]

Hello all. This is my first post on this forum; I could not pass up this topic...

I live in a small northern California town (yah the state where anyone with a headache can get a bag of the Gonja Weed!) I have smoked a lot of weed. I smoked it in the morning, during the day, and at night.

I can honestly look back to those days and see very clearly how much good was being help back from me do to my addiction (mental addiction for those that would say "it is not addicting.")

So. Is it a sin to hit a bike rider in the head with a bat while driving by? What about scamming people over the internet? It does not talk about these things in the Bible. Oh yah, they did not have cars, and computers, huh. Well then, do we want the truths of the Bible to impact our hearts, or heads? In Ephesians 5:15-18 NAS it says:

<sup class="versenum">15 </sup>Therefore <sup class="footnote" value="[<a href=&quot;#fen-NASB-29320j&quot; title=&quot;See footnote j&quot;>j</a>]">[j]</sup>be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, <sup class="versenum">16 </sup><sup class="footnote" value="[<a href=&quot;#fen-NASB-29321k&quot; title=&quot;See footnote k&quot;>k</a>]">[k]</sup> making the most of your time, because the days are evil. <sup class="versenum">17 </sup>So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. <sup class="versenum">18 </sup>And do not get drunk with wine, <sup class="footnote" value="[<a href=&quot;#fen-NASB-29323l&quot; title=&quot;See footnote l&quot;>l</a>]">[l]</sup>for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

So the heart issue is not drinking, the heart issue is dissipation. Websters defines dissipation as this:

: the action or process of dissipating : the state of being dissipated: a : dispersion, diffusion b archaic : dissolution, disintegration c : wasteful expenditure d : intemperate living; especially : excessive drinking
2
: an act of self-indulgence; especially : one that is not harmful : amusement

So if you want the Jesus of the head, light one up...if you want the Jesus of your heart--a true inner change--then it might help to know that He does'nt desire His children to always be running from pain, rather He wants to heal it!

 

[Fedusenko]

I don't think that drowning your sorrows in a dime bag is good if that is what you are referring to.

For clarification, because I see that it might be misunderstood, I have been referring to a smoke after work to aid in relaxing much like someone having a beer or two after work.

Also, I don't smoke.

 

[WIP]

I think a difference is, at least it was for me, one joint and you're high as a kite. One beer does not leave me intoxicated.

 

[handy]

I think a difference is, at least it was for me, one joint and you're high as a kite. One beer does not leave me intoxicated.

This is where I'm at with this as well... I don't drink beer (hate the taste) but as far as wine or a mixed drink, I can have one glass and not get intoxicated at all.

I've been informed by a few that one good long toke on a joint is enough to get one started on a good buzz. This was said to me in the spirit of trying to convince me to give it a try, but I've never done so, so I don't know if it's true or not.

If I drink, I do so for reasons other than to get drunk. Usually, it's driven mainly by what I'm eating, certain wines for certain foods, or if out celebrating with friends. Although not lately.... lately any kind of alcohol triggers migraines so I'm a teetotaler.

The case of the Wedding at Cana and Jesus' willingness to provide wine to those who were already drunk is certainly something to consider carefully.... but for a Christian, doing something for the sole purpose of impairing one's mental and physical abilities.... is this really what we are to be doing with the body God purchased?

 

[Classik]

Christ prepared softdrink and not dry gin...tho it was not specified - the kind of drink HE prepared for them.

 

[stovebolts]

Yes, moderation in all thing. Moderation varies depending on the 'thing' and the person. Gossiping friends, kept to a minimal. Veggies should be kept to a majority of your diet. Lying should be kept at a moderation of zero. Moderation doesn't mean everything is excusable, but that everything and everyone doesn't size up to the same thing. There are some universal 'things' that should remain moderated at zero and we would agree on most of them.

How about a little dog poop mixed in your dinner? It won't hurt you and you won't even know its there. Moderation, that's the key word.

So where do I draw the line? I already stated where; when it controls your life and becomes a god, major or minor one.

Your line and my line may be at different points. With weed, the line is drawn very early.

Regarding "substance abuse". This is a tool engineered to sway opinion. I am not saying that substance abuse isn't real and dangerous, it is both, but the phrase is thrown around very easily for the condemnation of something. Most Americans abuse so many 'substances'. We are an overweight country. We are a diabetic country. Yes, some got to that point due to no fault of their own and I am not talking about them unless they are irresponsible for their health as it stands. How many sodas do you drink so that you can alter your state of mind?

Substance abuse is a real issue. Amalgamating it with other issues only muddles the issue. Although I find it funny that you would pin smoking weed with obesity. Rule number one when your stoned and have the munchies is never go into the store... You'll walk out with way more than you intended. Chips, pop for the cotton mouth, pizza, ice cream. It all looks oh so good when your stoned and the sugar rush from the Mt. Dew is phenomenal.

Seriously though, I hate it when somebody says that we shouldn't look at issue X when we can divert and look at issue Y. My kid used to do that. "Dad, it isn't that bad, what about X, not that's really bad." So a little bad isn't bad? How about a little poop mixed in with your dinner? It won't hurt you, it's not that bad. Again, where do we draw the line?

Gateway drugs... the phrase is just a tool to drive mass opinion. (All phrases are, duh) People will experiment with intoxicants because they have a mind to do so. To blame experimentation with LSD on weed is absurd! We might as well blame high speed car chases on racing to parking spots. Those who do it have a mind to do it. I have raced to a parking spot, but you won't catch me speeding from the cops (or certain others on this forum. They drive faster than light).

Weed is a gateway drug for many. Perhaps not all, but many. BTW, I would have never tried LSD or Angel Dust if it had not been for weed. Same with lots of people I know. Actually, I had a smoking buddy that got into LSD and he started doing it on a daily bases. Turned him into a zombie. Really messed him up for life.

When you say "just a tool", what I hear is a minimization and justification to smoke week with total disregard for those that will take their drug use to the next level.

Now they, you can say, "Not all pot smokers take their drug addiction to the next level, thus pot is not a gateway drug for them". But you can't say that those who have transitioned into the heavier drugs havn't used weed as a gateway drug. Nor can you minimize weed as a gateway drug.

I will add one more qualification to "is it sinful". Yes, if you needlessly put other at risk of harm.

But putting yourself at risk or harm is ok?

 

[tim-from-pa]

Don't get me wrong, I do not approve of pot smokers. But I really can't find any scripture to point to that says it is wrong.

Yeah, you're a hippy, too? :toofunny

There's nothing in the bible against it, and plants of any kind are neither kosher nor non-kosher. That's used for animal classification. Some plants are poisonous, like poison ivy, and therefore it's a little bit wise to stay away from.

As for pot, you'll hear that there's all kinds of unhealthy things about it. I think in moderation it's OK, and besides, I don't trust anything the medical establishment concludes in studies anyway as they mess with statistics to their own agenda and aim.

However, it is a sin to break the law, and since pot smoking is not a biblical requirement (as some other things that are a requirement and therefore breaking the law is acceptable in God's eyes in those cases), I would say it's a sin, but not because of the pot, per se, but because it's illegal. If that bothers you, then fight to legalize it more, then it's not a sin.

Now you can do a legal substitute. Burn incense in the car like I do. I love sandalwood. I have this little skeleton holder guy reclining and you put the incense into his mouth and he looks like he's smoking (while the ashes fall onto him). I even have a name for this little guy 5 letters beginning with "B" but I don't think the ladies here will like his name so i won't mention it.