Drinking

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Hosh

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I’m curious: whats the Catholic stance on drinking in moderation? And assuming it was legal, what about smoking pot? what if it was beneficial to your health? (THC in very low doses has been shown to be neuroprotective in the adult brain).

Be honest here; I’m a Psychology major. Do you? did you? would you be tempted? why is it a sin?
 
Hi Hosh-Catholics have no problem with drinking in moderation.Drunkeness is another story-it’s part of one of the 7 deadly sins gluttony.I know booze isn’t food but gluttony takes in a lot of territory-actually overindulgence in anything.Drugs-addiction is a no no.It’s against civil law(which Paul said to obey) and can lead to sinning.Occasions of sin are something we Catholics are told to avoid.With maryjane,still breaking the law but whether it is sinful or not I think, would depend on your motivation.Are you really taking it to reduce pain or symptoms or nausea?
Hope I helped. julie
 
This describes why I like smoking weed. That and I have High Functioning Autism. Though its fairly well managed, it helps me overcome some of the associated social anxiety and meet new people.

Oh and kiddies: The same study I referred too showed it was nuerodistructive to adolescent brains. Wonder why there’s that stereotype of the kid that started smoking in high school and now as he grew up he has a dead end job and just plays video games all day?
 
Jesus turned water into wine so I don’t thinh he is opposed to drinking in moderation. As for smoking pot well Jesus is not opposed to drinking wine a mind altering narcotic and way back in genisis god said all the plants were good so if he is in favor of moderate drinking he would not be oppesed to moderate pot smoking. addiction is a very grave thing and should be avoided but occasinal use is not a problem. Pot is safer than alcohol after all when was the last time you ever heard of a hippie doing some bong rips and slapping around his wife and kids?
 
Drinking in moderation is fine. I think there may be some problem with marijuana since the loss of mental faculties during the high are roughly equivalent to being drunk. Since drunkness is condemned by the Church, I would think the usage of pot( for anything but medicinal uses prescribed by a doctor) would be condemned as well.
 
For Catholics, there is also the Fourth Commandment implication. While not opposed to alcohol consumption, the Church considers it sinful to consume alcohol where it is legally prohibited. For example, underage drinkers or bootlegging. 😉

If pot was legal and used in moderation, I don’t see how it would be morally different than moderate alcohol use. For most of us, pot is illegal so the Church would consider its use illlicit.
 
The teaching of the Church is that drinking in moderation is not a sin. However, you must avoid drinking if you know you cannot do it in moderation. The Church is very clear that we must be responsible about our actions at all time. The use of marijuana is only a sin when it changes your consciousness or if it is illegal. Personally, I would do neither. Hey, that is just me. God bless you!
 
Hosh,
You need to find another way to control your anxieties. MJ actually aggravates anxiety. You yourself have said it’s well managed, so you don’t need it. Don’t use drugs as a crutch. Don’t delude yourself, you don’t get low doses of THC from today’s pot so your arguement falls flat. You being psychology major has absolutely no bearing on your topic.
 
From the Catechism:

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.
 
The church has no issue against using alcohol in moderation. It becomes a sin when we completely lose the use of reason or if the motivations for drinking are immoral(e.g. our intent)

Now with marijuana there is two sides to the story. One believes it fall under the category of drugs highlight in 2291 of the CCC. The other believes it falls under the category of every kind of excess found in 2290. Such things that fall under 2291 are morphine, vicodin, cocaine, meth, and heroin. Things that can fall under 2290 would be caffeine, coco tea(with small amount of cocaine naturally found in it), tobacco, and alcohol. Although disobeying lawful authority can be a sin, it does not make a substance morally wrong. Alcohol is illegal in Kuwait, but it’s use is not a sin. Meth was legal in Bangkok, however it’s use was still a sin given the grave damage it does to both body, mind, and spirit.

Priests that I have talked to say, our intent for using a substance, along with risk to damage human life determines whether it be a sin or not.
 
It is an mortal sin to drink with the intention of loosing the capacity to reason and willfully choose, of loosing control of oneself.* A lack of understanding and choosing to do this may reduce drunkenness to a venial sin.* On the other handa regular drunk who knows better is more culpable when he understands what he is doing and chooses it.
*
As for drinking in general, drinking socially for the pleasure of it, besides alone, need not be sinful at all. It is a legitimate pleasure.* Just as with choices of food intake, drink intake is considered a virtue when exercised with a sense of moderation.*
 
Hosh said:
Oh and kiddies: The same study I referred too showed it was nuerodistructive to adolescent brains. Wonder why there’s that stereotype of the kid that started smoking in high school and now as he grew up he has a dead end job and just plays video games all day?
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Well I smoked weed HEAVILY during my adolescence and I turned out alright. I am pulling off straight A’s in college without doing too much work, so it doesn’t seem like I got too stupid.

Anyway, I don’t think there is a problem with enjoying weed on the occasion. Paul did state you should follow the law of the government, so that could be a problem. But Jesus obviously didn’t have a problem with drinking on special occasions as his first miracle was water to wine…and I can’t imagine how weed would be any different. If anything, weed is more introspective and can make you think about things in ways you normally wouldn’t think of them in. Alcohol, on the other hand, just clouds the mind.
 
Fox said:
Hosh,
You need to find another way to control your anxieties. MJ actually aggravates anxiety. You yourself have said it’s well managed, so you don’t need it. Don’t use drugs as a crutch. Don’t delude yourself, you don’t get low doses of THC from today’s pot so your arguement falls flat. You being psychology major has absolutely no bearing on your topic.
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Actually I know a lot of people that say pot helps their anxiety. For some though, it makes anxiety go through the roof. Different reactions for different people. I have seen some people collapse and can’t even walk after they smoke weed. They get bad anxiety from it and they psych themselves out. On the other hand, some people smoke lots of weed and it helps with their anxiety.

Also, even if you are smoking the most powerful weed in the world, you could just smoke a very small amount of it and get a low dose. Your statement about not getting low doses of THC from pot is like saying there is no way to drink hard alcohol without getting drunk…well there is, and you just drink less…same thing with pot.
 
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