Christians and Marijuana
I am re-posting my opinions on Christians and marijuana. This is to represent a view that is under supported. That said, if you’re struggling or looking for a justification from sin and poor behavior, this is not it.
Christians and Marijuana
I’m gonna go out on a limb here, but I think it’s okay if Christians smoke marijuana. The first thing I should do is introduce a clause into the premise, which is; if it were legal. Romans 13:1-7 makes it pretty clear about Christian living in regards to the law. With that out of the way, lets move on.
To begin there’s the ”altered states” problem. There is no biblical passage that I can site for this problem. Second, I think the issue of altered states is just code for drunkenness, which I’ll get into later. We alter our state of mind all the time in ways that no one would ever argue with; when we eat a lot of sugar or see a scary or super sad movie or even by being in love.
Which now leaves us with the drunkenness issue. I agree that at times, especially when over done, marijuana can have effects resembling drunkenness. The issue of drunkenness is clearly established in Ephesians 5:18. However, I don’t think that this always needs to be the case. Anyone who drinks or has smoked knows that
1) There is a fine line between enjoying a drink and being drunk, half a beer can push someone over the edge.
2) There is a permissible amount of alcohol a person can consume where they’re “feelin’ good” but are definitely not drunk. They can drive etc.
3) Smoking marijuana FOR SOME can also be like number 2. The effects are felt but there is no loss of inhibitions, which is ultimately the issue. I believe that someone can enjoy marijuana responsibly like someone could enjoy a glass of wine, and not lose their inhibitions.
I think it’s hard to get around some of the cultural stereotypes that have been established. Like one would assume that if I smoked marijuana that I also own a black light and have T-Shirts that have marijuana humour on them and I’m lazy and my life revolves around smoking pot. This does not need to be the case.
There are somthings that I omitted from the first post, for the sake of space. I came across some anti-marijuana articles and posts after I wrote my post and I couldn’t help but write about it. The article that best sums up the “typical” Christian view point can be found here, http://www.breakawaymag.com/AllTheRest/A000000066.cfm
The article begins by using a story of a drug addicted teen that goes to jail, a standard Christian scare tactic, “marijuana is a gateway drug”, that kind of thing. In the article the author spouts drivel like, (1 Corinthians 6:19). Polluting the same body that the Holy Spirit lives in with cancer-causing, mind-altering drugs is definitely not God’s will for your life. First off, this passage is only speaking of sexual sin and to use it this manner has dangerous legalistic implications. Lets take the author’s reasoning further shall we, one shouldn’t eat Big Macs, or consume anything with aspartame, pork, candy, wine, Tylenol… you name it, it isn’t good for you. Is staying away from all of these things what the bible had in Mind? I don’t think so. The next example is the “marijuana has more tar than cigarettes” scare tactic. This ignores the obvious fact that no one, not even the worst of potheads, smoke 2 packs a day in weed. Not to mention the filtering properties of the bong or better yet the vaporizer which is completely smokeless.
The gateway drug thing is ridiculous as well. 1) People can become addicted to anything, even church, food, aspirin, alcohol etc, none of which are of any issue for most Christians. Anything can be abused, but a lot of things can be used responsibly too. 2) Legality has a huge affect on drug and alcohol use. When I was a non-Christian teen, I drank like a fish. I became a Christian at 18 and became of age at 19 (in Canada) and drank a lot less. To decriminalize or legalize marijuana would remove it’s mystique and intrigue. I believe that marijuana should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco to keep teens from it, because it can have permanent negative affects in a young persons developing years…but so can being a vegetarian. 3) Lastly, marijuana does have documented medical benefits that cannot be ignored.
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I was a drug addict for over 14 years. I pretty much did them all. The only thing I can say is… maybe it would be o.k. for Christians to smoke pot…but why on earth would you want to risk going to prison over it? The joy and peace that the Holy Spirit gives you is way better anyway =)
Naa, I would much rather be free, and just enjoy the pure oxygen of Heaven.
Thats defintely why I prefaced the whole thing with “if it were legal”
I support your opinion 100%
There is absolutely nothing wrong with responsible adults enjoying the use of moderate amounts of marijuana.
Sometimes I get so upset with these 1950’s Super-Christians who say that the use of marijuana is a sin. The lies they tell are all based on old wives-tales and propaganda. Racist Uber-Christians in the 30’s are the group behind marijuana being against the law in the first place! And that is the only good argument for their side!
I think if you can smoke pot (in a legal way) while still spending more of your time drawing closer to god (being a best friend takes alot of time and work, and thats our calling) than maybe its ok. the problem is you cant take vape tokes and then read your bible or have two way communication with God, and we should never be in that state of mind. You can say all you want that you can and your ok, but its not true and if you do have a real relationship w/Christ then you know it in your heart to be true. anything else is you not wanting to give a really relaxing,enjoyable pastime that your use to, up. Im sure you’ll have lots of justifications to say im wrong (part of me wishes they were true) but there not. I dont think smokin does’nt mean your not a christian, it just robs you of more of God. The enemy comes to rob,steal and destroy and he’s good at getting footholds on us and better at keeping us ineffective to the world.
1) I respect your opinion a lot and I believe that you’re view point applies to the people who maybe can’t enjoy marijuana in an appropriate way.
2) Though what you say valid, you have no scriptural references to support your position. Though you did use scripture, it’s not quite related to the subject at hand.
3) I feel like you cast a unrealistic portrait of who or what a Christian is. 100% of the time we need to be in formal verbal prayer or reading our bibles? I’m sure you would have no problem with friends playing football or like tonight my friends and I are going Go-Karting, none of those things are praying or reading our bibles. I’m sure that most people would say that our fellowship and brotherhood is worship to God, and it is. But so can Christians who had a little smoke and then hang out with one another. Leisure time in moderation is a biblical commandment, being inactive is the point, as long as it’s not sinful, whats the differences in how we do it?
4) I noticed in your comment that you actually didn’t disagree with a single supporting agruement in the posts which I think is telling of the strength of the arguements. You just disagree, which is fine.
In addition I should add that I’m not a pot smoker in anyway, like I said in the first place it’s illegal so it’s not a part of my life and not something I’m in a position to “give up”. The point of the post is to show that borders we’ve put up against marijuana are needless. I’m not advocating smoking everyday or any of the possible abuses that could take place. The marijuana and it’s capabilities aren’t the problem, it’s in how we abuse it. I belief that there is a middle ground where it can be used and not abused.
I think that god makes everything very clear in the bible. For instance a church asking you not partake in something like drinking for a certain amount of time while on a retreat, one who usually partakes in a drink here or there should refrain and look at it as a fast for the lord. Because it is not a sin to drink wine. However for a person who can not stop at one or two and drinks all through the night until a fool is made of him, that is a sin. Do i think marijuana is a sin? No infact it is a part of the holy annointing oil which john placed on jesus during his fire baptism. A decent amount was infused into the oil along with other herbs commanded by god. And if jesus experienced marijuana it also can be viewed as wine is. Not a sin. However God speaks to each of us INDIVIDUALLY and tells us what we have done as sin. The holy spirit is here to help each of us decern from right and wrong in situations. I think the proper thing would be ask god to take any sinnful desire away from us and to give him wisdon in appropriate and inappropriate times to partake. As for the Romans verse… about following the law.. There is going to come a time very soon where church, the bible, and god ingeneral will be denounced and become illegal. So will it be a sin then to practice our faith? (of course not) The interesting part of it all is that the bible still isnt condradicting it self. Infact god said that there would come a time that we would be told not to eat or partake in things that god specifically placed here for us. Marijuana was not made illegal until 1930 and infact was a major cash crop until then…(replacing paper many cloth like materials and rope) It was made illegal by our government because “it makes people violent and angry” which is incorrect. It is still used for medicinal purposes because its really the only medicine that is completely natural with a wide variety of symptom reliefs. Which is what i view my usage as. I dont think its supposed to be abused much like wine. But it deffinatly is not a sin if used properly.
Thanks!
I disagree with certain parts of your view on pot, but I am quite impressed at the thought you put into this subject. Now in my post I will try to quote/paraphrase what you said in your previous posts so I know we’re on the same page, so if I miss quote you in any way please let me know.
Your first point is hard to argue with because your right. Christians are to be under the authority of the law and if marijuana was legal then it would be legally OK for Christians to smoke. I have to agree there but your next point goes a little deeper so I’m just going to skip over your first point for the time being and hopefully i’ll remember to come back to it at the end.
I researched this and I think that Richard Deem responds best to this point on a post of his found at http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/marijuana.html
he states that the bible doesn’t speak directly about drugs themselves but it does speak out to the usage of drugs.
I quote
In your second post you cover 3 basic points
Now the first point is true, people are addictive in nature. The very fist of the ten commandments though is very clear about where we, as Christians, place our thoughts, trust, and efforts.
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
So in light of that verse why should we as Christians be putting anything before God, it doesn’t matter what it is, whether a big mac, church attendance, or pot if it interferes with our relationship with the one true God then it needs to begone. What I’m trying to say is that although that article that you read talks about marijuana as a gateway drug theory it is not a proven fact but it is something we need to take into consideration. The bible does talk about taking all things in moderation and I believe that if the gateway drug theory was true it would take some serious deterioration from that balance.
Legality is a ditch that many Christians do fall into but thats an individual problem not necessarily something that we can reach as a whole. Most of the time too legality spons from someone having personal high standards that they shared with someone else, or insisted that someone else follow.
Last but not least the medical benefits are there but then you have to look at the Christians reasons for even thinking about taking marijuana and there are safer ways to cope with pain then an illegal drug.
Thanks for the well thought out and presented response. I really appreciate it. I do have some questions and some responses.
I should state first, that my desire is to serve God with honesty and I would never want to engage in anything that would endanger my relationship with Him. I am not so closed as to ignore valid arguments, especially those that are stated for my benefit.
1) When you’re talking about sorcery in Gelatians 5 as being the administering of drugs or medicine.
Issues:
i) Is this a blanket term implying that Christians should not use medicine of any kind? I would generally consider myself to be a conservative Christian, but that’s a little extreme.
if not,
ii) Is there any knowledge as to what “drugs” were considered pagan and which were not at the time Galatians was written? How then can a 21st century Christian know what drugs or medicines to take?
III) It also may be a fair assumptions that the Christians that were practicing sorcery were taking drugs as part of religious pagan ceremonies? If so, then just like how Paul was able to eat meats sacrificed to pagan gods, can we not simply use marijuana outside of a pagan context?
You have to keep in mind, I’m talking about using marijuana in a responsible reasonable way, that has always been the premise, I’m not talking about getting blitzed on a Friday night and then eating Wendy’s out of stock. Just like how a person can have a beer with friends, that does not mean that my relationship with God is now in jeopardy.
I also don’t want to take away from the truths that do exist in the gateway drug theory, it’s entirely possible and it does happen. BUT it doesn’t necessarily NEED to happen. Someone who is 26 (like me) who loves God and enjoys a joint once and while (which I don’t) is not going to run the risk of getting coke or heroin. If pot is done the way I describe I don’t think it’s a problem, but more than that, then I agree it can become an addiction and take a place ahead of God.
Lastly, I have to call you out on your last point. I have seen many interviews with patients who have said “This is the ONLY thing that helps me.” When you see an 80 year old glaucoma patient smoking up, it’s safe to assume that if there were other alternatives, they would go for those.
You might be interested in a new article on the medical aspects of marijuana use (both “medical” and recreational).
http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/medical_marijuana_review.html
Rich Deem
It’s a great article. I like the effort, the citation and the attempt of being unbiased. That said, it seems to pre-suppose that any who smokes marijuana is a pot head who smokes regularly, which is not the type of use I speak of.
A very thoughtful and intelligent write. I too believe moderation is the key here. Two months ago I recieved medical authorization to use marijuana for pain, nausea, and sleep. I’m young and believe God want me to enjoy this life He has set before me. Plants, herbs, etc. have been used as medicine for thousands of years. After using it now for a couple of months, I don’t understand what the hype is all about regarding it’s recreational use. I equate it with having some wine to relax the mind and body. Christ and his follower took part in parties, drinking wine, generally having a good time and all of this without loosing thier inhibitions and falling into sin. Again moderation. I personally am mindful to respect others level of comfort around MJ use (med or rec). Afterall, I like to challenge preconcieved ideas and steriotypes within christianity that have more of a cultural rather than biblical basis, but I don’t intent to be a stumbling block to anyone either.
Amelia’s quote: “…there are safer ways to cope with pain then using illegal drugs.” If “safer” is in reference to the legality, then I get your point. But if it’s in regards to the actual herb itself, I could not disagree more. What people often call ’safer’ is usually code for conventional pharmicutical drugs. In that regard, I was on several “safe” drugs for pain, nausea, etc. But a strange thing happened. Soon these ’safe’ options actually had highly addictive properties and side effects that could only be averted by adding yet another medication to the list. On and on we go. All of this to say, that compared to MJ I have had some ‘unsafe’ experiances with pharmicuticals. My doctor and even my pastor agree and support this more natural route. They had to watch me struggle as my anti-nausea Rx caused muscle spasms, the Rx for those muscle spasms also had a list of side effects and one of those effect included (you guessed it) nausea. This is pretty typical and I have gone through other medications that have similar circular outcomes. Often the ‘cure’ is worse than the ailment. By using MJ I have been able to get off of a handful of medications (and medications for my medications). I didn’t use MJ before being medically authorized, so this isn’t coming from someone who’s merely using the medicinal qualities of the herb as a platform to legalize it’s recreational use. That does seem to be an assumption that many put on Medical marijuana patients. Thoroan, I agree that this is much like Paul and the Meat issue. Just because something is corruptable is doesn’t mean it is corrupt. If we were to buy into that line of logic, then everything under the sun could be deemed ’sin.’
I am a Christian and i believe that it is ok to partake of canabis. millions of Christians around the world drink alcohol, with dinner, at church((for catholics) or a night cap. why would weed be any different, when it changes your heart you know its bad! drugs and alcohol which is also a drug do that! marijuana dosnt. atleast not for me plus our governement was put over us by God, this is true, but we are living in end times and when our government is killing babies everyday and schools are programming kids to hate God and be gay we must stop and think is this government the beging of babylon, the whore and are we to follow eveything our corrupt government tells us to? should we put all of our energetic children on meds that kill, should we take the Mark when they tell us too? honestly ask your self is the one thing that dosnt kill people really that bad? try it dont overdo it just take a puff and pray or read your bible and then youll know
collossians 2:20-22
if you have died with Christ to the elementary principals of the world, why as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourselfs to decrees such as, do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!which all refer to thing destined to perish with use in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
Also , we as Christian smokers are not breaking the law by smoking this plant because , having marijuana illegal is unconstitutional “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
what is freedom these days? you wont get it in america, only through JESUS
I agree that smoking marijuana is not breaking the law. In fact, it is breaking a statute of the Corporation known as the United States. see 28 USC 3002(15)(A). This corporation only has jurisdiction over the legal entities it creates. Most people have been seduced into thinking that the Social Security Card is theirs. But on the back of the card it clearly states that it isn’t. If you want to learn some truth visit http://www.teamlaw.org
Romans 14:16-19
“Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil. for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousnessand peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.so then we pursue the things which make peace and the building up of one another.”
as Christians instead of focussing all of our thoughts on why something is wrong even though theres nothing to back it up, we should focuss on building eachother up wether or not we smoke the grass
Here are some other passages to consider. Paul the Apostle, in explaining the futility of achieving righteousness through the law exclaimed, “Sin, taking occasion by the law, deceived me and produced death.” This is a spiritual dynamic that we apply to how we are saved and transformed as individuals. i.e. not by the law, but by the promise. What about as a nation? The government claims to eradicate the “sin” of drugs through prohibition and incarceration. Yet as you will find in professional law enforcemnt testimony at http://www.leap.cc , the war on drugs only adds fuel to the fire. We have given Satan the fuel for hell’s fire by prohibition. Our laws empower and enrich violent drug gangs in other countries as well as terrorist funding around the world. Maybe it’s time for a New Coveneant with drug users in the USA. Jesus came not as a judge to condemn sinners, but as a doctor to heal the sick. Let’s treat our drug problem for what it is…a health care issue and not a legal issue. Either that or stop the hypocrisy and make tobacco and alcohol prohibited.
As a separate issue on the legitimacy of marijuana, we should really ask several demanding theological questions.
1.) How many plants did God ever prohibit from mankind in the scripture? He prohibited certain animals, but later made all things clean. He is only on record as prohibiting a single plant in the whole bible. It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One might argue that tree was marijuana. If it was, then God made it clean later also for in as much as he told Adam before the fall and Noah after the flood, “I give you EVERY GREEN HERB bearing seed after it’s kind as meat.” However i doubt that tree ever went outside the garden, so marijuana is not likely the “leaves of the fall”.
2. If God created every green herb for a purpose, what is marijuana’s purpose? It is an inescapable fact that marijuana must have a purpose for man because God gave it to us as stated earlier. Now we are beginning to think like the founding fathers did. If it is self evident that marijuana is an herb created by God for man, then who is the king to deprive anyone of this right granted by God? Let’s not resort to the tired old adage about poison ivy being made by God but we don’t smoke that. It’s a preposterous argument unless you want to discuss the legalities of suicide. God made cucumbers and no one even thinks of smoking that. No one thinks of smoking poison ivy either. And if you will notice, the government has not prohibited the smoking of poison ivy as disastrous as it’s results would be. There is no desire for it.
So let’s talk about desire. Chiefly that regarding intoxication. We operate under an ironclad taboo in the church that to be “buzzed” or “high” in any way is a sin of cardinal proportions. However consider the following divine edict for the worshippers of God in the old testament.
“And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,..” Duet. 14:26
Well now, it seems that God himself has thrown a wrench into our tidy little doctrine of zero tolerance.
There are many places where God commanded not to partake of strong drink, but we must be careful to read it in context, for in every case it was not a blanket prohibition, but a circumstantial one. Pregnant women, times of sanctified worship, and for those who took special vows. In it’s most prohibited mention, alcohol is forbidden in the context of excessive consumption. But no where can we find a place where, for instance, God condemned makers of alcoholic beverages. Will wine makers go to hell? If so explain jesus enabling a bunch of wedding party goers by miraculously providing “the good stuff” in the paraphrased words of the host.
It would seem that after a careful examination and comparison of scriptures that an altered state of mood and mind through ancient and natural substances cannot be said to be prohibited in the scripture.
As for pharmakeia, the author of this blog raises good questions concerning the historical context of that word in the scriptures.
The word withchcraft is translated pharmekeia. However if we are going to be sent to hell for it we really need a better definition considering the vast spectrum of chemicals, their intent and effect.
In order to accurately define pharmekeia we must first identify the word in it’s popular usage in the culture of biblical times.
If a thousand years from now you read that football was an ancient sport it would not be accurate to envision a sport where one wears a ball on their foot. However, having no historical or cultural frame of reference we would be left to draw such erroneous conclusions. A cross reference of language in that ancient culture is necessary. Such is the case with pharmekeia.
In Alvin J Smith work “How Christianity Changed the World” he identified the greek word the bible calls witchcraft as in fact the word popularly used to describe the witchcraft of abortion by way of mixing poisonous herbs which women would ingest to induce a spontaneous abortion of their unborn child. I for one find that to be a practice worthy of the list in Galatians. Far more than some one who wants to unwind with a joint at home on a Friday night.
Another distinction I would make to separate marijuana from the pharmekia definition of witchcraft is that the ancient philters used to cast love spells and curses and poison ones enemies were recipes and mixtures of two or more substances. There were elaborate superstitions and powers attributed to these potions which were not based in God’s word or in true science and medicine, but in the beliefs of witchcraft. If you reject witchcraft or an idol, any food dedicated in it’s honor is clean for you. Because regardless of how the ungodly view it, it is for the believer a gift from God to be received with thanksgiving. I Tim 4, I Cor 8.
Have you considered the concept of causing a weaker brother to stumble by a believer’s smoking of marijuana. As for the moderate use of marijuana and you putting it on the same plain as beer or wine. I think that it may come down to culture and how the world around us would view our use of any drug. Does the use of a drug affect the message of the gospel, the structure of one’s family or marriage. What is the under lying reason for using marijuana, is there an alternative, is it a weak substitute for a vital relationship with God. What is the benefit REALLY of using marijuana? I’m not an expert on this so I ask the question, does one get high by ingesting marijuana or is it only if it is smoked? Maybe, that’s why God told Adam and Eve that they could eat anything in the garden and not “smoke” everything in the garden, perhaps I take things too literal for the sake of argument. From what I’ve seen it seems that smoking gives the “benefit”. Again my question is why one needs to put oneself in a state that affects one’s self control or could lead to a possible addiction, “recreational use” is just a lighten term for addiction. As a christian one has to be vigilant to anything that may replace or become more important than our relationship with God or get in the way of that relationship. You shall love the Lord with all your mind, soul and strength. If I take something that affects my mind or my soul or my strength, will that not in turn affect my capacity to love my God, who sacrificed so much to make me his own, with my whole being.
The Cannabis plant is probably the most diverse medicine known to man as well as being the most versatile raw material on earth. It creates a state of slight intoxication when smoked. When marijuana is ingested it tends to have a stronger lasting effect that feels somewhat different. For me I have grown up in the control grid we call society. This grid pushes extremely hard with everything it has in the direction of constant sin. Marijuana has personally helped me on my journey to finding the Creator and his word. It has also helped me to uncover the truths of the New World Order, The Law, etc. and has helped me lead a better life in general. It has kept me true to myself and has allowed me to see through the matrix of deception and see the world for what it truly is. It could possibly have a tendency to bring some to harder drugs, some of which I tried. These drugs however are far more potent and will give a person with a healthy conscious the realities of becoming addicted to a drug. This is more than a deterrent to stay away from them. In comparison to alcohol, marijuana has a much softer effect (except the first few times perhaps). In college, I found myself disgusted with how much everyone drank, inluding me and the fools we turned into. I never get this feeling when I smoke so I feel that it is fine for me. The chances of sinning on marijuana for me are quite low because it helps me become more conscious of my actions and the results of those actions.
To refer to marijuana as a “drug” is harsh because of the negative cultural connotations the word has. I look at marijuana as just another herb to be used for its taste, sweet aroma, medical uses, oils, paints, cloth, rope, and the pleasant feelings it can induce. Most all herbs are used for multiple purposes.