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.
delusionsofNORMALity Reviewed by delusionsofNORMALity on . 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 Rating: 5