ALL Mind Altering Substances Forbidden?

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. I was just wondering if the Catholic Church prohibits, discourages, or restricts the consumption of ALL mind altering substances? I know that the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of illegal drugs and restricts the consumption of alcohol to where it must be done in moderation (which I fully agree with btw) but what about a mind altering substance such as caffeine? Where does the Church draw the line?

 

[nablaise]

The idea of Sin is about anything that DESTROY the nature order God established in Creation and his relationship with it.

So anything which goes against the good of our being, in this case, our body, can be considered a sin.

You can try to read the CCC on the 5th commandment. This is something from there:

Respect for health

2288 Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.

Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living-conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and social assistance.

2289 If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value. It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for it’s sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports. By its selective preference of the strong over the weak, such a conception can lead to the perversion of human relationships.

2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.

 

[Snowy]

I cannot add anything to what the Cathecism says.

Nablaise, you might want to contact the source of your quote from the CCC about the spelling error on paragraph 2289. It should be “its sake” rather than “it’s sake”.

 

[Nepenthe]

Some of the most ‘mind-altering’ amd mood-affecting substances I know of, and I speak as a pretty well recovered junkie by the way, are simple perfumes and scents! The human olfactory system is very powerful indeed, and more data is coming in lately that it’s even more so than was thought for a long while.

We frequently use scents, oils perfumes and incenses to optimize our moods to tasks, or to help them ease down into needed downtime, and they are incredibly effective, especially if you are choosing them for such purposes, and know your own chemistry and response to various aromatics.

There is surely nothing harmful about this (well, unless you really like huffing paint i guess )…although once you get a pretty clear of the immense spectrum of scent and its effects, it may seem to be, since you may well wind up with several varieties on hand for different purposes.

 

[Caesar517]

In a nutshell: don’t lose your faculties of reason.

 

[NTOT]

Hi everyone. I was just wondering if the Catholic Church prohibits, discourages, or restricts the consumption of ALL mind altering substances? I know that the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of illegal drugs and restricts the consumption of alcohol to where it must be done in moderation (which I fully agree with btw) but what about a mind altering substance such as caffeine? Where does the Church draw the line?

Coffee doesn’t interfere with ones reason. It can hardly be called a mind altering substance.

 

[thistle]

Hi everyone. I was just wondering if the Catholic Church prohibits, discourages, or restricts the consumption of ALL mind altering substances? I know that the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of illegal drugs and restricts the consumption of alcohol to where it must be done in moderation (which I fully agree with btw) but what about a mind altering substance such as caffeine? Where does the Church draw the line?

Since when is caffeine a mind altering substance? That’s ridiculous.

 

[Nepenthe]

Since always. Admittedly it is very mild in small doses, but can still have plenty of detrimental effects if not used wisely, on your heart, mind, bloodpressure, kidneys, and so on - even pretty unpleasant withdrawal!

 

[Fox]

In a nutshell: don’t lose your faculties of reason.

Agreed, because once your reason goes you have no better compacity than that of one of the lower animals.

 

[AHapka]

Considering the church has no problem with proper use of psychological medications for therapy, many of which alter the mind, it is not forbidden.

Previous posters are correct that when your faculty of reason is impaired it is too far.

Consider the dignity of the human person, what the substance will do to that body, and it’s intended effect. I would then think that one should be able to discern whether or not it is licit.