Please Involve Your Opinion To This Large Controversy!!!

Marijuana And Morals

Please, this is a long read, but I encourage you to truck through this so we can all have a strong discussion about this because it's very controversial.

As the bold states, this thread is about Marijuana and morals. These morals are pertaining to those of religious background.

I got in a very heated argument with some good college friends tonight about the legalization and recreational usage of marijuana. Mind you, I was capable of educating and convincing them of the vast medicinal advantages of medical marijuana prescriptions for those with true medical complications.

What our main argument was about consisted of trying to discuss recreational use of Cannabis and whether it is or isn't "immoral".

---Here are some of my main points advocating the argument against immoral recreational use:---

â?¢If consumed correctly, it has no health risks
â?¢It is a natural plant given to us from God himself
â?¢To our knowledge, there is no word of God against the use of marijuana
â?¢It is not a gateway drug
â?¢Like a video game, it engages your mind to experience an alternate perspective to reality (Let me elaborate)

When someone plays a game, like Call Of Duty 4 for example, the video game provides a person the ability to experience reality through a different perspective. This alternate perspective changes the feeling of extreme guilt, trauma, and responsibility of killing someone in reality to a feeling of joy and accomplishment. In this sense, Marijuana's mental effects can be related to playing video games in that all it does is provide a person with the ability to experience their reality through a different perspective.

---Their points that argued that recreational use of cannabis is immoral are as follows:---

â?¢Even though it is a natural plant, it is possible that (because we are given free will) God may be testing our temptation
â?¢It is stated in the bible that everything should be done through God in that one should rely on God to provide knowledge of alternate perspectives through faith and prayer. They shouldn't require any specific substance to grant them access to outside perspectives
â?¢It is advised in the bible that one should follow the guidelines of their government, which means that recreational use is illegal in every state, even though medical usage is permitted scarcely
â?¢It says in the bible to not taint ones self with drunkenness, lust, and jealousy. Since alcohol is a natural substance that changes ones mental state, isn't that the same as the effect from cannabis

---Now, My counter-arguments to these points are as follows:---

â?¢As far as God testing our temptation, in the story of the "Adam and Eve apple issue" God specifically told them not to eat that fruit. Where in the bible does it specifically state that humans are not to consume cannabis?
â?¢In response to doing everything through God, if cannabis is a seed bearing plant given as a gift from God, wouldn't partaking of this gift be an act through God himself to open one's perspective to grow closer to him?
â?¢For the order to follow the rules and regulations of one's government...Are we as humans expected to follow our government even if it's rules and regulations are twisted and corrupted?
â?¢Lastly, in response to the tainting of one's body...Alcohol and cannabis have two extremely different effects. Alcohol hinders one's control of their physical and emotional reactions which results in an alteration of one's perspective. Similar to the perspective alteration caused through the usage of cannabis. HOWEVER, apart from the effects of cannabis, it changes one's normal style of judgment and can cause complete loss of consciousness whereas cannabis merely changes the perspective that one uses their normally permanent style of judgment and conscious physical reactions.

So, I'd like to hear your thoughts and points as to whether the recreational use of cannabis is moral or immoral according to the teachings of the Christian Bible.

I'm still searching for raw facts, stories, or commandments pertaining to the usage of hemp/cannabis in the bible

Thanks for taking the time to read this guys, I really want to have a hardcore in depth discussion about this with any learned individuals on this site!

Happy Posting, and any arguments are welcome, just keep it clean

SunnyD

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SunnyD

Marijuana And Morals



So, I'd like to hear your thoughts and points as to whether the recreational use of cannabis is moral or immoral according to the teachings of the Christian Bible.

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Well I think it depends on how you want to interperate it...but I would say, and I think jesus would agree, that god made herbs for humans to use as a benefit. All herbs, including cannabis.

Thanks for you impur 40oz.

I really appreciate your consideration of this thread!

We'll see who else has an opinion on this subject

Shouldn't this thread be in Spirituality?

I believe that discussions regarding other drugs, including alchohol vs. marijuana, are not permitted on this website.

It's not a discussion about Alcohol, that was merely a statement. And I believe that the statement was quoted from the bible so I assume that there would be some lee-way as far as allowing it's post to display a metaphorical point...

And I don't really appreciate the negativity to the thread my friend, this is a controversial issue, hence why it is placed in the controversy section. Although it is possible to see why it could be placed in spirituality. It can belong in either of the two sections comfortably, so I picked this one.

obedience is demanded of the faithful. that obedience encompasses every facet of their lives and is seldom a simple matter to interpret. following the counsel of one's spiritual advisor, minister or priest is usually considered a duty, as they are believed to be more learned in the teachings of christ and closer to an understanding of the mandates of the religion.

the statement "render unto caesar.....", though open to interpretation, probably trumps most any argument anyone could make amongst fundamentalists. the simplest and most widely recognized understanding of jesus's words is that the laws of secular authority should be obeyed as long as they do not conflict with religious obligations. nowhere in scripture is man commanded to consume weed, so the laws on man would take precedence over the mere desires of the faithful. even those who consider it a sacrament are merely attempting to rationalize their own inclinations. sacraments are only symbolic representations, so investing any one substance with such power is, in itself, a blasphemy.

there is also the matter of one's duty to the rest of mankind. though weed is not necessarily a "gateway drug", there are those weak willed souls who use it as an excuse to abuse other substances and possibly damage their bodies and spirits. many consider it an obligation of their faith to "set an example" for those around them by abstaining from what might be, for some, a hazardous substance. two of my dearest and oldest friends have recently quit getting high for this very reason. they looked around them and saw that such weak willed people might consider their use of weed an encouragement to similar behavior, so they decided it was their christian duty to set an example for such fools. it might have been nothing more than a rationalization, considering the price of a decent bag and their paycheck to paycheck existence, but it seems to work for them and it is a theologically sound argument.

of course, there is no way to truly know the desires of a god. interpretations of the bible vary widely and these "pick and chose christians" will undoubtedly make the choice that best suits their own appetites. arguing any point one way or the other with a "true believer" is invariably futile, but it is a whole lot of fun.
:D

oops, double post. pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

im not christian. cant even care about any arguments made in this regard, have heard enough of it already both christian and islamic viewpoints and i must say both are absolute BS to me...

i rather puff it and think about the moral issues of christians and muslims lol maybe i find a universal solution to that!:D

If these people are basing their arguments on morality, then it is not possible to have a resolution. this is because morality is subjective, and always changing. Accoding to dictionary.com there are these deffinitions

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
mor·al /ˈmɔrəl, ˈmɒr-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mawr-uhl, mor-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
â??adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.
2. expressing or conveying truths or counsel as to right conduct, as a speaker or a literary work; moralizing: a moral novel.
3. founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom: moral obligations.
4. capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct: a moral being.
5. conforming to the rules of right conduct (opposed to immoral): a moral man.
6. virtuous in sexual matters; chaste.
7. of, pertaining to, or acting on the mind, feelings, will, or character: moral support.
8. resting upon convincing grounds of probability; virtual: a moral certainty.
â??noun
9. the moral teaching or practical lesson contained in a fable, tale, experience, etc.
10. the embodiment or type of something.
11. morals, principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct.

number 3 seems to be the most pertinant to this discussion. the fact that morality is something outside of legalities. the legal system deals with 'right and wrong' whereas a moral system is concerned with 'good and bad' the two do not always intermix.

furthermore the fact that morality is subjective and changes throughout time is ALL the more reason why it SHOULD NOT be included in the legal system. A commonly used example is the civil rights movements. Segregation was the law, and therefore it was right. however it was not good.
Marijuana prohibition is the law (federally) so it is 'right' to follow it, you cannot say it is morally 'good'

well, my personal opinion doesn't mean anything, except to me :D, but I look at it like this: I am a sincere follower of Jesus Christ, and my church's Pastor would tell you that drugs are what the Bible refers to as 'sorcery' ... I personally don't agree, at least, not completely ... he would also tell you, "if pot is OK because it's 'natural', then why don't ya just smoke poison oak ?, it's 'natural' too" :D ... I'm sure the Lord would prefer I live my life without drugs, but I know, He knows my heart ... He knows my thoughts, knows I have a more tolerable life WITH marijuana ... and, if I am wrong, He will save me from myself ... personally, I have done a LOT worse things in my life, pot-smoking is pretty tame, in comparison ... and, the world is a safer place when I'm medicated, I can be a dangerous MF when the occasion arises :wtf: ... marijuana DOES make me a nicer person (just ask my friends) :smokin: