Is Smoking Marijuana a Sin?

[joethemechanic]

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.

 

[reba]

Would you want your child to smoke dope?

 

[DarkHorseRising]

Galations 5 verses 19-22:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God

Although marijuana isn't specifically mentioned, I think this kind of gives us an idea of the Bible's perspectives. Many of these vices are strongly associated with drug use. Plus, the greek translation of "sorcery" is "Pharmeka" which included mind-altering substances.

 

[Milk-Drops]

I actually wonder what isn't a sin. I think anything can be made into a sin if people dig into the Bible long enough. Serving in the military, Eating fast food, driving a car, wearing specific brands of clothing, buying the wrong detergent.

When I was christian, I just took a route of what ever doesn't effect me or others negatively and to be mindful of my behavior and the effects of it on myself and others.

 

[Danus]

Galations 5 verses 19-22:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God

Although marijuana isn't specifically mentioned, I think this kind of gives us an idea of the Bible's perspectives. Many of these vices are strongly associated with drug use. Plus, the greek translation of "sorcery" is "Pharmeka" which included mind-altering substances.

Good verse.....

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.

No there is nothing specific, but i think we can reasonably imply that "drunkenness" applies to an extent. However, the bible does speak of drinking in a positive or neutral way also.

I have smoked plenty of pot. ....just not recently, say the lest 10 years or more ....not really sure :....can't recall exactly. ;)...OK, I'm just saying I know full well what pot is and what it does. I know the good and bad of it, and I'm pretty sure I can still tell good weed from not so good weed.

However, I do not indulge in using Marijuana at this stage of my life. It's illegal, makes it hard to hold a job. I have kids, and a reputation in the community that pot smoking would surly effect in a negative way, but the last time I used it was probably 1996-ish at a party and before that was 1986, and before that was 1983 all the way to 1986 pretty much every day. ....might have been a few time between 1986 and 1992.

Reba asked a good question, would you want your kids smoking "dope" ei...Pot. Answer: NO! I would not.

Do I think it's harmful? yes, I think it's unhealthy.
Do I think it "messes" you up in some permanent way? Not really.
Do I think it's sinful? ....yes I'd say yes. However, I'd categorize that to be more specific.

When I was a kid/young adult I used POT to have a good time, relax, get high and just feel good. The problem was, we did that all the time and soon it became the norm to have a good time, relax and feel good. It was to the point where I did not know what a normal reality of relaxing, feeling good, or having a good time was anymore. However, I was aware that I missed that and so I stopped.

I knew some people who never stopped and for them pot, along with other things, where just a way of escaping reality. I think using a drug as an escape from reality of life is a huge mistake.

These days I enjoy a glass of wine or a few beers on occasion and I indulge in those things for the same reason I used to smoke pot. relax, have a good time and feel good... physically. However, I understand that alcohol is just a fake way to active these things. It does not actually make you relax, feel good, or have a good time, but rather accentuates being relaxed, feeling good, and having a good time. it's not really necessary for that, nor can it force you to archive that. I tend to think pot is the same in this regard, but it's not the same in that it is illegal. pot is completely illegal in most states. Alcohol is not within regulations.

 

[Pizzaguy]

I actually wonder what isn't a sin. I think anything can be made into a sin if people dig into the Bible long enough. Serving in the military, Eating fast food, driving a car, wearing specific brands of clothing, buying the wrong detergent.

I can't agree with all of that, but on the other hand, I DO know that all sex is sin, it's just that marital sex is forgiven sin. ;)

When I was christian, I just took a route of what ever doesn't effect me or others negatively and to be mindful of my behavior and the effects of it on myself and others.

Now THAT I can agree with.

 

[Danus]

I actually wonder what isn't a sin. I think anything can be made into a sin if people dig into the Bible long enough. Serving in the military, Eating fast food, driving a car, wearing specific brands of clothing, buying the wrong detergent.

When I was christian, I just took a route of what ever doesn't effect me or others negatively and to be mindful of my behavior and the effects of it on myself and others.

That depends on how one views sin. On the one hand there is truth that just about anything we do or think is sinful because we are sin. we can't separate sin from us anymore than we can unscramble an egg. However, many would disagree drawing very distinct lines on what is sin and what's not in terms of actions and thoughts. the bible tends to list various sins as actions and thoughts, but it also describes sin as something intrinsic to the nature of man kind. which is it?

I can't agree with all of that, but on the other hand, I DO know that all sex is sin, it's just that marital sex is forgiven sin. ;)

...............Come-on now. Did Adam and Eve have sex before the fall?

 

[joethemechanic]

........Come-on now. Did Adam and Eve have sex before the fall?

How do you think Eve talked Adam into eating the apple?

 

[taikina]

i support the "man made alcohol, god made marijuana, which one do you trust?" proverb, though it is humorous and a bit too simple. i don't think its bad to have a few beers or such or smoke a joint to relax/think/jam/watch a movie as long as you don't get totally blasted or do it so often that you cannot enjoy these things without it. didn't it also say in the bible that all the herbs and fruit is put here for our use and enjoyment? and something about someone making wine and "it brought joy among his tribe"

obviously if you cut hash with rubber and sell it to rip off people and hustle and cheat them out of their money and then start pushing heroin on the side...then yeah, i think its really bad.

 

[Danus]

How do you think Eve talked Adam into eating the apple?

Well, most men listen to women anyway, but let's back up.

There are three verses that I know of where God tells mankind to have sex. Literally. But, Genesis 1:22 describes God ordaining sex before the fall, before sin entered the world. God creates Eve from Adam and he literally says to them while they are without sin; "go forth and have at it." (I'm paraphrasing).

On this same note, and in keeping with your thread, did God not also make every type of plant? Should we think; or do we have any indication, that mood altering plants where not part of the garden? We don't really know.

 

[Pizzaguy]

... I DO know that all sex is sin, it's just that marital sex is forgiven sin. ;)

...............Come-on now. Did Adam and Eve have sex before the fall?

Did you ever think that, perhaps, I was smoking pot when I posted that. :toofunny






Pizzaguy
(But I DID hear a [not-very-fun] fundamentalist preacher say that years ago.)

 

[ColdBlooded]

I actually wonder what isn't a sin.

By sitting down and typing right now, I am neglecting good, honest work.

That is a key definition of sloth and and it is one of the seven deadly sins.

Marijuana is a plant that God created, so it can't be that bad.

 

[AirDancer]

Ah... but marijuana is currently on the list of illegal drugs in the US. Therein lies the difference. As Christians, we have to be aware of laws around us and set the example. We're also admonished numerous times in the Bible to "be sober," meaning in control of ourselves. Copping a buzz or getting high is not being in control of ourselves.

Also, in the ToS, section 2.9 references illegal activities, including the promotion of such. Since marijuana is illegal, discussing it in a potentially positive light could be misconstrued as promoting it.

So.... let's reconsider how the discussion goes forward from here.

 

[Danus]

By sitting down and typing right now, I am neglecting good, honest work.

That is a key definition of sloth and and it is one of the seven deadly sins.

Marijuana is a plant that God created, so it can't be that bad.

Well, as pointed out it is illegal, and the bible does reference the importance of sobriety as a virtue to the Christian life. I think that's fair and correct, but your right it is a plant. However, man has played around with it genetically to make it something more potent for it's illicit use. It has a lot of other practical uses as a plant and the lest of these is getting high.

As for sin, I would challenge you to question the source of truth. The bible. It's not uncommon to build a view that says this is sin, that is not; or I'm in sin, and now I'm not. Some refer to this as willful sin where someone willfully chooses to think or act in a sinful way, or in this case accept or deny something as being sinful or not.

However, while this is a more than fair way to look at sin, I think a better way to view sin on a whole, is to see it using the scrambled egg analogy to view sin in it's totality first and then bring it down to a personal view of willfulness.

So on whole, sin in the world and as a nature of man is like a scrambled egg.

Let's say that the recipe for righteousness is to use only the egg whites, but we only have scrambled eggs and we can not separate the egg white. We may willfully desire to follow the recipe for righteousness, but if we use the scrambled eggs we miss it. Because that's the problem in the first place and we can not separate the egg whites from the mixture, and whatever we do with it is still scrambled eggs.

Christ offers the egg whites. and the recipe is accomplished though him on our behalf. So in this way, we trust in Christ to accomplish something we can not on our own.

That does not mean we willfully accept sin (scrambled eggs), but it could mean that if we think we can use those scrambled eggs to follow a recipe that requires egg whites. So accepting scrambled eggs in saying "well this is OK" is willful sin, and when we read the list of various sins in the Bible, what we are reading is the nature of those who accept using the only thing they have and can not separate (scrambled eggs) We may not be able to separate the egg whites from scrambled eggs, but that does not mean we have to accept or use the scrambled eggs in our recipe for what is right. Rather we follow the one with the right ingredients.

 

[farouk]

I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of the Biblical exhortation to sobriety, and to staying within the law.

That being said, I think there is a case for clinical trials within a proper legal framework, for its medicinal application.

Which brings me to the next point: why is marijuana illegal? is the pressure to keep it illegal a sort of odd alliance between single issue moralizers and corporations making so much money out of more expensive medicines alternative to the possible applications of marijuana? A debate is needed.

 

[Thirstyone]

Jesus turned water into wine, so we know it's ok to drink. It's drunkenness that is a sin. Everything in moderation. Marijuana is something that God gave us. Smoking is bad for you, but how about marijuana in some brownies?

 

[farouk]

Jesus turned water into wine, so we know it's ok to drink. It's drunkenness that is a sin. Everything in moderation. Marijuana is something that God gave us. Smoking is bad for you, but how about marijuana in some brownies?

Thirstyone:

I actually prefer not to drink alcohol. But I don't therefore read into Scripture what some non-drinkers think it 'ought' to 'mean'. It always amuses me when earnest Fundamentalists try to deny that the wine into which the Lord Jesus turned water at Cana, in John's Gospel, was real wine. (As if agreeing with liberal theologians is preferable to being honest.)

Personally I don't think Biblical exhortations to moderation would preclude the idea of safe and legal clinical trials using marijuana. (But, then, when have huge corporations ever followed Biblical exhortations rather than money making? the fact is, they are making so much money already out of expensive medicines, thank-you very much!)

Blessings.

 

[stovebolts]

Paul says to drink a little wine to calm the stomach...

I don't see a problem with medicinal marijuana, but I can also add that one doesn't need to smoke smoke weed for it's medicinal contribution. On top of that, the thc can be removed from marijuana which makes marijuana a very effective medicine and I don't believe thc has any medical benifits that I can think of.

As far as smoking weed for the sake of getting high is not much different than drinking booze to get drunk in the sense that neither bring any benefit to the abuser, and I think the Bible has a lot to say on that matter. In summary, I'm not a proponent of recreational drinking, and I'm certainly not a proponent of recreational smoking. I am actually quiet vehemently opposed to recreational marijuana, moreso that I am alcohol.

 

[WIP]

Jesus turned water into wine, so we know it's ok to drink. It's drunkenness that is a sin. Everything in moderation. Marijuana is something that God gave us. Smoking is bad for you, but how about marijuana in some brownies?

Perhaps except for one thing. It is illegal to use in that way according to the laws of our land. If our government made it illegal to eat potatoes we would be bound by scripture to do as we are told are we not?

 

[farouk]

Perhaps except for one thing. It is illegal to use in that way according to the laws of our land. If our government made it illegal to eat potatoes we would be bound by scripture to do as we are told are we not?

WIP:

I don't disagree, but we should be asking, also: Why is it illegal?

Is the public being ripped off (once again) by huge corporations that are only too glad to sell far more expensive medicines? and which then 'moralize' against legalized, clinical trials?