Weed

Christians & Dope

Everything Is Permissible

Over time, we’ve relied on a largely oral tradition, mothers teaching children right from wrong, to provide the tent poles of our Christian conduct. Far too many of us sit in Sunday pews waiting for the pastor to do that for us. What we should be doing is grounding ourselves in God’s word and submitting our lives to Him through a relationship, a communion, with the Holy Spirit. It is this relationship—not our relationship with the pastor or even the laws of the state—which provides proper guidance for moral conduct. In that proper relational context, the changing face of society’s moral standards would not affect us. So, for years, we’ve not taught on this because we didn’t have to. We’ve simply leaned on the state as a crutch: dope is a crime, end of discussion. What do we say now about this blunt sparking? This is a conversation the church should have been having all along: what’s the argument against Christians smoking pot?

Ben Anderson, Senior Pastor of Solid Rock Christian Center, told me, “Man, that’s a hard one. I prefer to give people the straight truth and not fall back on rhetoric. From a medical standpoint, I have no objection to its usage. But, as Christians, we should be anti-abuse and anti-addiction. Today’s argument seems to be about morality and legality, but where’s the discussion about responsibility? I’m not going to lie to kids and say, ‘God’s gonna send you to Hell if you smoke weed.” Without that threat, the conversation is much more nuanced and difficult. It becomes more about initiating habits that can become destructive, about pleasing God or choosing not to.”

The quick and best answer is that just because something is legal doesn’t mean we should do it. “Doughnuts are legal,” Dr. Joel Suel, Senior Pastor of Glory To Glory Christian Center in Aurora, said, “but you won’t find me eating a dozen of them every day. Marijuana usage makes us lazy. It robs us of creativity and initiative, taking away gifts God intended for His divine purpose. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit [I Cor 6:19-20]. Being wasted is not what God intended. Just look at that word—“wasted,” our gifts, our talents, our service to The Lord.”

Associate Editor Reverend Neil Brown put it this way, “Paul said, ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is constructive.’ [I Corinthians 10:13]. This is an almost exact quote of I Corinthians 6:12, where Paul wrote, ‘Everything is permissible for me’ -- but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’ -- but I will not be mastered by anything.’ Here, Paul is likely quoting an expression in the city of Corinth, ‘Everything is permissible,’ commonly used to attempt to justify sinful behavior. But Paul is saying, just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should.”

Selling Out Today's Toddlers: Pot shops will seem completely normal to tomorrow's kids.
Gratifying today at the cost of tomorrow.

A Cry For Help

Coming to church stinking of ganja is a terrible testimony. It’s also a cry for help; people getting lit first thing in the morning are medicating themselves, most likely for some emotional problem. People filling their lives with drugs and booze and sex and food are usually medicating themselves for some emotional condition, trying to fill the space where God should reign.

The same could be said about ladies who wear too much perfume and men who wear too much cologne. You don’t realize it because you’re so used to it that you frankly can’t smell it anymore, so you put on more and more in order for you to smell yourself, but normal people can smell you coming way down the street. Strong odor is a red flag. Hypersexual behavior is a red flag. Obesity is a red flag. There’s something wrong, something missing, and we’re cramming these things into spaces where God should be.

Is smoking marijuana a sin? I don’t know, but it may be a sin to *you*. There are such things as personal sins, things that are wrong *for you,* even if others practice such things in ignorance [James 4:17]. We can safely characterize smoking—whether it’s weed, cigarettes or the new “safer” e-cigarettes—is certainly what we call a “weight;” something that exists within a doctrinal DMZ so far as right, wrong and sin goes, but which clearly do not edify the body, mind or spirit in any way. Weights are things that can and often do negatively impact your relationship with God.

As Christians, our number one priority should be to please God. Period. Being led by the Holy Spirit, and not our own desires, is the safest and most sure path to an enduring and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. Straying from that path, making excuses for behavior our conscience and the Holy spirit clearly and viscerally tells us is not right for our lives, inevitably moves us off of this path.

We, all of us, struggle with personal behavior and/or shortcomings which do not please God. This is part of the human condition, our carnal imperfection which can only be made perfect through the Holy Spirit [2 Corinthians 12:9]. In many areas, we do not know right from wrong, and what may seem right in our eyes can still offend God [Proverbs 14:12]. Keeping our connection strong is the best way to stay on that path and not be led astray.

Fitting In: How do we reconcile this with spiritual purity?

Acting Like It

Lastly, both tradition and religion like to frame things in a legalistic manner. Young people asking, “Why can’t we smoke pot?” are looking for a loophole in a rule. The bible, of course, is silent on marijuana usage and a great number of other moral and ethical challenges. The church tends to step in, helping God out by inventing rules and bylaws and all of that. Sign here. This is the laziest form of ministry, handing somebody a sheet with a bunch of rules on it. This is not Christianity.

At its heart, Christianity espouses a philosophy of purity. There’s really not enough talk about purity. There is doctrinal nitpicking and legalistic end-runs around a selectively-applied Levitical Holiness Code, but Christ’s vicarious sacrifice swept all of that off the table. In that view, this whole discussion is moot because the conduct of our lives is now governed not be a complex set of do’s and don’ts but by a very simple standard of purity in all that we are and in everything we do. If you can make an argument for how getting wasted on bud fits that standard, I’m happy to shut up about it. Teaching young people not about sin and not-sin, not about sexual abstinence or even morality but about purity frees the discussion from the bondage of minutiae:

We’re Christians. We should act like it.

I want to live a life that doesn’t embarrass God. I don’t always manage that, but I desire that and my desiring that pleases God. Now, put *that* in your pipe and smoke it.

Christopher J. Priest
31 January 2014
editor@praisenet.org
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Marijuana

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Cannabis, also known as marijuana[3] (from the Mexican Spanish marihuana[citation needed]), and by numerous other names,a[›] is a preparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine.[4][5][6] Pharmacologically, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is one of 483 known compounds in the plant,[7] including at least 84 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),[8][9] and cannabigerol (CBG).

Cannabis is often consumed for its psychoactive and physiological effects, which can include heightened mood or euphoria, relaxation,[10] and increase in appetite.[11] Unwanted side-effects can sometimes include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, reddening of the eyes,[10] and feelings of paranoia or anxiety.[12]

Contemporary uses of cannabis are as a recreational or medicinal drug, and as part of religious or spiritual rites; the earliest recorded uses date from the 3rd millennium BC.[13] Since the early 20th century cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions with the possession, use, and sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive cannabinoids currently illegal in most countries of the world; the United Nations has said that cannabis is the most-used illicit drug in the world.[14][15] In 2004, the United Nations estimated that global consumption of cannabis indicated that approximately 4% of the adult world population (162 million people) used cannabis annually, and that approximately 0.6% (22.5 million) of people used cannabis daily.





Since the beginning of the 20th century, most countries have enacted laws against the cultivation, possession or transfer of cannabis.[137] These laws have impacted adversely on the cannabis plant's cultivation for non-recreational purposes, but there are many regions where, under certain circumstances, handling of cannabis is legal or licensed. Many jurisdictions have lessened the penalties for possession of small quantities of cannabis, so that it is punished by confiscation and sometimes a fine, rather than imprisonment, focusing more on those who traffic the drug on the black market.

In some areas where cannabis use has been historically tolerated, some new restrictions have been put in place, such as the closing of cannabis coffee shops near the borders of the Netherlands,[138] closing of coffee shops near secondary schools in the Netherlands and crackdowns on "Pusher Street" in Christiania, Copenhagen in 2004.[139][140]

Some jurisdictions use free voluntary treatment programs and/or mandatory treatment programs for frequent known users. Simple possession can carry long prison terms in some countries, particularly in East Asia, where the sale of cannabis may lead to a sentence of life in prison or even execution. More recently however, many political parties, non-profit organizations and causes based on the legalization of medical cannabis and/or legalizing the plant entirely (with some restrictions) have emerged.

In December 2012, the U.S. state of Washington became the first state to officially legalize cannabis in a state law (Washington Initiative 502) (but still illegal by federal law),[141] with the state of Colorado following close behind (Colorado Amendment 64).[142] On January 1, 2013, the first marijuana "club" for private marijuana smoking (no buying or selling, however) was allowed for the first time in Colorado.[143] The California Supreme Court decided in May 2013 that local governments can ban medical marijuana dispensaries despite a state law in California that permits the use of cannabis for medical purposes. At least 180 cities across California have enacted bans in recent years.[144]

In December 2013, Uruguay became the first country to legalize growing, sale and use of cannabis.

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