Marijuana Use: is it un-Christian

[Matthew7vrs7]

I am probably going to get hammered by both sides on this issue because I am a born again Christian - but I am just as tired of the doctrine of marijuana paranoia as I am of "you need Jesus to be happy" theology.

I will state this simple fact: Romans 14 makes all things lawful for a Christian as long as it doesn't make his brother stumble be it wine, meat, bread, etc. (of course limited to those things not covered by the law of scripture).
It is society that has stigmatized marijuana use, period.

Should it be used recreational - I don't believe so. A pothead is no different than a drunkard. I have personal experience in this.

Should it be used medicinally - I do believe so. All things of this earth were given to us by God (Genesis 1:29 ...given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed...)

It is mindlessly repeated and shoved down our throats that pot is bad and it is even preached from the pulpit - there is no foundation for this socially promoted theology and it needs to stop.

If you believe that no drug, including caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, aspirin, penicillin, cold meds, cough drops, epidurals, antisthetic, etc, etc, etc, etc and the list could go for ever... then I respect your belief that drugs shouldn't be used.

But if you have used or currently use any medication, any! how can you be against a plant that is a miracle in itself.

In ancient and recent history man has made paper, clothing, inks and dyes, glues, fuels, kindling, rope and medication that ranges from help with menstrual pain, headaches, glaucoma, motion sickness, athsma, anorexia / bulimia and many other aches and pains; and in the end a food staple that is edible from the roots to the seeds - all from hemp - so once again we see it comes down to intent and frequency.

Well there you go - show me where I'm wrong.

P.S. I was a former abuser, am not a current user, but I know the medicinal properties and if it became a neccessity to endure an ailment, I would have no problem harmonizing my Christian faith with using marijuana.

(please ignore spelling mistakes - I do)

[Matthew7vrs7]

I'm a medical doctor and I treat the effects of drug addiction, psychiatric dependance and side effects.

So, you've "got a dog in the fight" - this is almost the same reason abortion doctors don't want abortion to be illegal - it would hurt their bank account. When you've smoked for twenty years and have some personal experience from which to draw some conclusions I'll be more than happy to listen. If the milk-man tells me it's not good to drink juice, could it be his argument is completely one sided? Have you ever smoked pot, sleepy?
I don't condone recreational use, but marijuana is the most effective and least detrimental medicine - and it's God given...just grows right out of the ground.

I stand by my statement - addiction is simply a weakness of mind and spirit; Romans 14.

I don't think it's okay to do pot simply because it alters your state of conciousness. The holy spirit speaks in a still small voice which is already hard enough to hear. You shouldn't take something that will make that even harder to hear, especially on purpose.

This is really my point exactly. As a Christian I do not feel compelled to take 4 tylenol PMs to get high or drink a case of beer to get drunk - even though they are perfectly legal - because I am listening for that still, small voice as should all true Christians lest we be found sleeping (or drinking and carousing) and not attuned to our Lord when he comes as a thief.

But, if I found I had cancer or another illness for which marijuana gives reprieve from the suffering, am I allowed to take that medication to alleviate my pain - unquestionably yes. Or show me where that is out of harmony with doctrine.

It's God's law and not man's law that matters.

God Bless

[Aqualung]

I don't think it's okay to do pot simply because it alters your state of conciousness. The holy spirit speaks in a still small voice which is already hard enough to hear. You shouldn't take something that will make that even harder to hear, especially on purpose.

This is really my point exactly. As a Christian I do not feel compelled to take 4 tylenol PMs to get high or drink a case of beer to get drunk - even though they are perfectly legal - because I am listening for that still, small voice as should all true Christians lest we be found sleeping (or drinking and carousing) and not attuned to our Lord when he comes as a thief.

But, if I found I had cancer or another illness for which marijuana gives reprieve from the suffering, am I allowed to take that medication to alleviate my pain - unquestionably yes. Or show me where that is out of harmony with doctrine.

It's God's law and not man's law that matters.

Yes, that's something I was thinking about earlier. Is it okay to substitute one altered state for another (ie, severe pain for a drug high)? I still have no idea how I feel about that.

God Bless[/quote]

[Sleepy]

So, you've "got a dog in the fight" - this is almost the same reason abortion doctors don't want abortion to be illegal - it would hurt their bank account.

I work in the NHS, half my work is voluntary and I earn just enough to pay for a 600sq foot house that supports myself, my wife and my son. You are overstepping the line here. I work in shirts that are 2 years old and I can barely support my own car, insulting me will not prove a point but rather illustrate that you have overstretched yours. I was under the impression you were a Christian but shifting to remarks such as comparing me with abortionists and suggesting I care more about my bank balance than about my patients is WAY out of line.

When you've smoked for twenty years and have some personal experience from which to draw some conclusions I'll be more than happy to listen

Statistics do not lie, exceptions do not break rules. The number of times I have heard these statements before diagnosis of cancer or the like breaks down any sense of immortality those individuals once had.

[otseng]

So, you've "got a dog in the fight" - this is almost the same reason abortion doctors don't want abortion to be illegal - it would hurt their bank account.

You are overstepping the line here.

Let's not compare others to abortionists, esp those who are in the medical profession.

What are your pharmacological qualifications?

I would take Matthew7vrs7's experience with marijuana as his pharmacological qualifications. Which I would consider permissible evidence.

When you've smoked for twenty years and have some personal experience from which to draw some conclusions I'll be more than happy to listen

Statistics do not lie, exceptions do not break rules.

Medical statistics is also permissible evidence and should be considered a valid source of information.

As a general guideline in debates, simply present your arguments and supporting evidence without crossing the line of getting too personal. We're all here to be able to fight fairly and then shake hands afterwards.

[Sleepy]

Your long term reasons are social myths - addiction is not a disease it is a weakness of the mind; paranoia is brought on by the worry that others will know your high because it's illegal; anxiety??? that's a new one; impaired learning skills - now this one is close but I think laziness and loss of motivation is closer there; I have four kids, 2 occurred with an IUD in place so the testosterone and sperm argument are out (and I smoked for about 20 years) and if THC is eaten that knocks out all of the "burning" issues with carcinogenics leaving you with.......the munchies and a stoned feeling being the only side effects.

I appologise for not qualifying my question with the relevant quote here.

My question - What are your pharmacological qualifications? Was directed towards the understanding illustrated in the quote context. I should have qualified that this should in no way deny that personal experience had not in this case experienced these side effects, however the question is relevant as had the reply been I am a pharmacologist, I would have had to conceed to extensively greater and intricate knowledge of pharmacodynamics and asked for the relevant information I had not read to expand my understanding.

The question was in no way supposed to be inflating however I can see that it could be taken that way and hence my appology for the possible misinterpretation of the question.

I did however make effort to put this comment in the context of quoting relevant medical papers from respected authorities to support my underlying assertion that experience is no substitute for hard evidence.

In any case I do not feel this was reason to suggest I am no better than a money grabbing abortionist.

[Matthew7vrs7]

Let me first say I apologize for my own inflammatory remarks - I think that the reason most things get blown out of proportion in this format is that there is no observable interpersonal feedback, i.e. body language, tone of voice, etc. It was not my intent to disrespect as your profession is that of helping others and I exhort you for your love of the brethren. Please allow me to start over as I think I see where I have misstated my initial argument;

marijauna paranoia

This was in reference to the "reefer madness" element that has not died out since the 1930's - I wasn't stating that you cannot experience paranoia whilst smoking pot as you most certainly can. I meant that the original arguments that have shaped societies views on pot are because of the myths devised in the years after prohibition against alcohol ended such as testimony before congress that marijuana makes one prone feel the need to murder? or that the initial research conducted to detail aggression was performed on dogs - without a control group - so they really could draw any conclusions.

I do not condone recreational use of marijuana - please let me scream that one out loud (even though and especially since I am a former user) but my argument still stands in my opinion that one may use a substance that is arguably less detrimental in many areas than most drugs, to alleviate pain where chronic pain is present.

Again if you (the reader) do not use any medication for any reason - and only you and God know the answer to that for sure - you can denounce the medical worthiness of marijuana....but if you believe that medication is a gift from God, to alleviate or take the edge off of pain in the worst of cases (or help someone who cannot keep food down eat) I don't think you have a leg to stand on, condemning it simply because it wasn't created in a lab and doesn't have uncle Sam's stamp of approval.

It won't be long, it would seem, before our hate speech against homosexuality, our stand on morality and belief that all who sin are enemies of God could land us in jail. I don't believe man's laws have anything to do with it.

Again, please accept my apologies for the harshness of my defense, may God Bless you and the brethren.