Is it a sin or sinful to smoke marijuana?

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A friend of mine “smoked a mullet” the other day…but he couldn’t explain to me how he kept it lit…😃
 
Benedict108 said:
Valid Point.👍
My summary of posts:

Okay…I have shown that marijuana is indeed a prohibited drug. Its legality is determined via civil authorities. Further, I have shown that Church does not hold a favourable view of drugs in my previous postings; all one has to do is look Pope John Paul II’s opinion. I have also provided on my earlier posting an examination of conscience from the USCCB that clearly stated “Did I get drunk or use prohibited drugs?” (Violation of 5th Commandment)

Tying everything together, unless you are using marijuana prescribed by a doctor for therapeutic purposes you are in violation of civil law, as the drug is prohibited otherwise. The catechism has clearly stated that we as citizens must follow the law unless it is opposed to God. It also covered the use of drugs. Hence, if the marijuana was not prescribed it is prohibited; thus, it is a sin.

That was the question of the thread, yes?
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Is it true that Singapore is a FINE city? That you can be fined for just about any little infraction? My son is in the Navy and his ship visited Singapore a few years ago and this is what he said.
 
What about salvia? Salvia’s legal here in Maryland, even though it’s a halucinogen. And you can go buy it at tobacco stores and down on the boardwalk-- It’s not prohibited. I myself have never tried it but–

Oh, wait, this is off-topic. Perhaps another thread…
 
What about salvia? Salvia’s legal here in Maryland, even though it’s a halucinogen. And you can go buy it at tobacco stores and down on the boardwalk-- It’s not prohibited. I myself have never tried it but–
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If I we are talking about the same Salvia I am thinking of…that is Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A; they have been moved, are being moved, or have been proposed to moved to restriced drug schemes in many states.
As of November 2008, thirteen states have enacted legislation to place regulatory
controls on Salvia divinorum and/or salvinorin A. Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas,
Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Virginia have placed the drug and/or its
constituent into schedule I of state law.
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There is more about other states, so I think its prohibition is coming.

Please reference: usdoj.gov/dea/concern/salvia_divinorum_and_salvinorin_A_November_2008_first_fact.pdf

Pax.
 
Matariel said:
What about salvia? Salvia legal here in Maryland, even though it’s a hallucinogen. And you can go buy it at tobacco stores and down on the boardwalk-- It’s not prohibited. I myself have never tried it but–

Oh, wait, this is off-topic. Perhaps another thread…
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Though Salvia may be legal in some states, it is restricted in others. Saying that, it has been noted that Saliva can be used to treat certain forms of depression; however, its legality would put it on terms with alcohol. You would then have to consider its effect. If the drug is hallucanigenic, you could compare that to a state of drunkeness and we know that drunkeness is a sin. Hence, to take a substance that induces a state of pure drunkeness when it is smoked would deem it something that should be avoided as it leads to sin. I am sure it is arguable, but would anyone want to meet Jesus in a state of hallucination? I think that is the question that needs to be asked before someone takes something like this. If it is not a medical reason for taking the substance, you have to ask yourself why take it?
 
LilyM said:
It seems to me, then, that your feeling closeness to God has nothing at all to do with MJ and that your argument that IT brings you closer to God is baseless. Have you considered that MJ in fact could be HINDERING the process - that you could achieve deeper levels of closeness if you stopped using it? Go without for a while and see what happens.

And as I said before, on what evidence, on what grounds, do you conclude that God ordained cannabis for the purpose of humans smoking and getting stoned, or indeed for human consumption at all? There ARE plenty of plants out there that weren’t created for us to use in any way, let alone to ingest as drugs, you know!
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There was a plant in the Garden known as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That’s an example of a plant that wasn’t created for us to use in any way. But Adam and Eve did use it and see what happened. We all suffer for it!
 
OnlyAmbrose said:
Can you indicate a saint who according to the tradition of the Church was spoken to by the Lord through the use of drugs?
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Yes I can - the greatest Saint of ALL time who used “drugs” was Jesus Christ. He drank alcohol … .and alcohol is a liquid drug. Also I think Mary drank wine as did the other Apostles

Jesus is not just fully God … but also fully Man. Jesus in His humanity drank wine!!! Jesus was a genuine, unpretentious human being who enjoyed the good things He created 🙂
 
:shamrock2: I know that it is probably not very common to think about Jesus Christ as a Saint … neither did I use to think about it … but as I have come to know more and more the humanity of Jesus, I have come to see that He is THE SAINT !!! In His Godhead, He is God. And BEING God, He remains God. But Christ is also a human being with a soul … and that soul is joined to that Person … the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity … and since Christ is risen from the dead … and is alive in His humanity … and is in heaven with His humanity … He is truly a Saint. His Godhead from which all Life and Holiness flow … is given to His humanity … and the Holiness of His humanity … is sanctified by His own Holiness in His Godhead 🙂

Anyway, the only reason to bring this up is to say that I think Jesus Christ is a Saint who drank wine … He used “drugs” … LOL … if you disagree … please talk to the Hand … LOL

:irish3: :shamrock2:
 
LegoGE1947 said:
There was a plant in the Garden known as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That’s an example of a plant that wasn’t created for us to use in any way. But Adam and Eve did use it and see what happened. We all suffer for it!
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Brother,

where is the truth in this? some Christians argue that the tree in the garden was a metaphore, that the origninal sin was not the fruit but “sex”, yes it is said that they discovered that they can procreate. Now, you suggest that they used drug (prohibited plant)
Where is the truth???
 
zigli said:
I am new to this forum but I sincerely hope to learn and strenghten my faith here but discussion like this one are making me wonder if I will achieve my goal here. Anyway, I will humbly suggest that those who have a deep knowledge and understanding of the scriptures and the Bible avail themselves with counsel and advice that most of us are seeking, rather than telling people how to live their lives. I have read both side of this debate and I see that it has slipped away from the original question which was " Is it a sin to smoke marijuana" so far no argument is based on neither the Bible nor the Scripture or the life of Christ but everything is purely on personal assumptions. I personally do not support smoking marijuana but I do not know if it is sinful to do so, yet there are a lot of people who smoke marijuana for medical reasons, these people are good people and do no harm to nobody nore are they afraid of anything. I also know communities who smoke marijuana to celebrate peace like the native Americans used to do. To hear people saying that smoking marijuana will cease to be a sin only if it is legalized is somehow absurd. I hope I had a better idea, but if I may suggest, let us look at what the scriptures say about it and if we do not know the answer, let’s ask but please let us not jump into harsh judgmental decisions. Thanks for your time. My humble 2 cents.
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Please consider post # 810 for a scriptural response to the OP.
 
Benedict108 said:
Though Salvia may be legal in some states, it is restricted in others. Saying that, it has been noted that Saliva can be used to treat certain forms of depression; however, its legality would put it on terms with alcohol. You would then have to consider its effect. If the drug is hallucanigenic, you could compare that to a state of drunkeness and we know that drunkeness is a sin. Hence, to take a substance that induces a state of pure drunkeness when it is smoked would deem it something that should be avoided as it leads to sin. I am sure it is arguable, but would anyone want to meet Jesus in a state of hallucination? I think that is the question that needs to be asked before someone takes something like this. If it is not a medical reason for taking the substance, you have to ask yourself why take it?
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Salvia is legal up here too…i tried a bit but it did nothing for me so i just put it a way,However my wife decided to check it out and she will never touch it again…There has been mention of "revaltions"while “high” and i don’t promote the use of mary j for this purpose but some of the most profound and peace giving things have came to me while high…🤷
 
zigli said:
Brother,

where is the truth in this? some Christians argue that the tree in the garden was a metaphore, that the origninal sin was not the fruit but “sex”, yes it is said that they discovered that they can procreate. Now, you suggest that they used drug (prohibited plant)
Where is the truth???
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The truth is in the Bible. We don’t know what the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” was but what ever it was Adam and Eve partook of it. The original sin was that Adam and Eve thought they knew better than God what was good or evil. and they took matters in their own hands in disobedience to a clear command from God. Whatever the Tree was God prohibited them from partaking of it. It could not have been sex because God had given them the command to reproduce before they committed the original sin.
 
jkiernan56 said:
Yes I can - the greatest Saint of ALL time who used “drugs” was Jesus Christ. He drank alcohol … .and alcohol is a liquid drug. Also I think Mary drank wine as did the other Apostles

Jesus is not just fully God … but also fully Man. Jesus in His humanity drank wine!!! Jesus was a genuine, unpretentious human being who enjoyed the good things He created 🙂
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Firstly - sure Jesus enjoyed wine. He enjoyed roses, lilies, architecture and opium poppies (and coca leaves) too.

He did NOT enjoy any of the above by eating, snorting or smoking them, though.

Prove to us that the cannabis plant was in fact created IN ORDER FOR US TO CONSUME IT - AND SPECIFICALLY TO CONSUME IT AS A NARCOTIC DRUG.

As I’ve asked you repeatedly. Since you can’t seem to answer, it’s a fair bet that there actually is no proof that you can provide.
 
On this post, the defendants of drug use provide the example of our Lord Jesus Christ drinking wine as a justification for using another drug, marijuana. One can drink some wine and remain sober. I don’t see any reference to Jesus being drunk in the Bible. When you use recreational drugs like marijuana do you remain in a complete state of sobriety? To be impared (drunk/high/tripping) is the sin in my mind. It is a violation of the 5th Commandment and separates us for God.
I am not looking at the twig in my brother’s eye without recognizing the beam in my own. I am not perfect by any means but I recognize that I am called to remain sober. To be a good witness for Christ. When I fail in that endeavor I sin and must confess.

In Christ,

bksumm
 
bksumm said:
On this post, the defendants of drug use provide the example of our Lord Jesus Christ drinking wine as a justification for using another drug, marijuana. One can drink some wine and remain sober. I don’t see any reference to Jesus being drunk in the Bible. When you use recreational drugs like marijuana do you remain in a complete state of sobriety? To be impared (drunk/high/tripping) is the sin in my mind. It is a violation of the 5th Commandment and separates us for God.
I am not looking at the twig in my brother’s eye without recognizing the beam in my own. I am not perfect by any means but I recognize that I am called to remain sober. To be a good witness for Christ. When I fail in that endeavor I sin and must confess.

In Christ,

bksumm
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Why don’t we end this debate once and for all and consult Ask An Apologist?

We should ask them:

Is recreational marijuana use a sin?

Is recreation use of marijuana a sin even if it’s legal in such-and-such province/nation/territory/state?

They always back up their answers with lots of documentations and analyses, so it’d be good to see what they’d say.
 
jkiernan56 said:
Yes I can - the greatest Saint of ALL time who used “drugs” was Jesus Christ. He drank alcohol … .and alcohol is a liquid drug. Also I think Mary drank wine as did the other Apostles

Jesus is not just fully God … but also fully Man. Jesus in His humanity drank wine!!! Jesus was a genuine, unpretentious human being who enjoyed the good things He created 🙂
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Read what I wrote again:
Can you indicate a saint who according to the tradition of the Church was spoken to by the Lord through the use of drugs?
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You said that you feel closer to God when you smoke marijuana (or something along those lines). Can you list a saint for whom substances were a similar crutch? My point is that the examples of the saints seem to be that to become closer to God is to remove such crutches.
 
OnlyAmbrose said:
Read what I wrote again:

You said that you feel closer to God when you smoke marijuana (or something along those lines). Can you list a saint for whom substances were a similar crutch? My point is that the examples of the saints seem to be that to become closer to God is to remove such crutches.
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Exactly! If I said to you ‘I feel closer to my husband when I smoke crack, but also when I do normal wifey things for him’, I HOPE as a rational human being you would say

a) that the feelings were probably unrelated to the crack consumption, since I felt them just as much when NOT on drugs and

b) drug induced emotion is not real emotion, but a simulation induced under false pretenses. How can I call it ‘love’ if it is so totally manufactured and artificial?

In the same way drug induced ‘visions’ are not real visions but mere hallucinations produced by the misfiring synapses that the drug causes.
 
The tendency to interchange psychology and spirituality was firmly embedded in the Human Potential Movement as it developed towards the end of the 1960s at the Esalen Institute in California. Transpersonal psychology, strongly influenced by Eastern religions and by Jung, offers a contemplative journey where science meets mysticism. The stress laid on bodiliness, the search for ways of expanding consciousness and the cultivation of the myths of the collective unconscious were all encouragements to search for “the God within” oneself. To realise one’s potential, one had to go beyond one’s ego in order to become the god that one is, deep down. This could be done by choosing the appropriate therapy – meditation, parapsychological experiences, the use of hallucinogenic drugs. These were all ways of achieving “peak experiences”, “mystical” experiences of fusion with God and with the cosmos.
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One of the most common elements in New Age “spirituality” is a fascination with extraordinary manifestations, and in particular with paranormal entities. People recognised as “mediums” claim that their personality is taken over by another entity during trances in a New Age phenomenon known as “channeling”, during which the medium may lose control over his or her body and faculties. Some people who have witnessed these events would willingly acknowledge that the manifestations are indeed spiritual, but are not from God, despite the language of love and light which is almost always used… It is probably more correct to refer to this as a contemporary form of spiritualism, rather than spirituality in a strict sense. Other friends and counsellors from the spirit world are angels (which have become the centre of a new industry of books and paintings). Those who refer to angels in the New Age do so in an unsystematic way; in fact, distinctions in this area are sometimes described as unhelpful if they are too precise, since “there are many levels of guides, entities, energies, and beings in every octave of the universe… They are all there to pick and choose from in relation to your own attraction/repulsion mechanisms”.(22) These spiritual entities are often invoked ‘non-religiously’ to help in relaxation aimed at better decision-making and control of one’s life and career. Fusion with some spirits who teach through particular people is another New Age experience claimed by people who refer to themselves as ‘mystics’. Some nature spirits are described as powerful energies existing in the natural world and also on the “inner planes”: i.e. those which are accessible by the use of rituals, drugs and other techniques for reaching altered states of consciousness. It is clear that, in theory at least, the New Age often recognizes no spiritual authority higher than personal inner experience.
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…
For Christians, salvation depends on a participation in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, and on a direct personal relationship with God rather than on any technique. The human situation, affected as it is by original sin and by personal sin, can only be rectified by God’s action: sin is an offense against God, and only God can reconcile us to himself. In the divine plan of salvation, human beings have been saved by Jesus Christ who, as God and man, is the one mediator of redemption. In Christianity salvation is not an experience of self, a meditative and intuitive dwelling within oneself, but much more the forgiveness of sin, being lifted out of profound ambivalences in oneself and the calming of nature by the gift of communion with a loving God. The way to salvation is not found simply in a self-induced transformation of consciousness, but in a liberation from sin and its consequences which then leads us to struggle against sin in ourselves and in the society around us. It necessarily moves us toward loving solidarity with our neighbour in need.
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vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html

This article from PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CULTURE
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE talks about the use of drugs to reach different states and about the New Age Movement and how it these apsects among others are not compatible with Christianity. It is too lengthy to put the whole text. I removed a few pieces of writing for you all to read. Included the url for those of you who are interested
 
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