The purpose of drugs

[Stylus]

God created drugs. They’ve been abused of course- excessive use has serious and fetal results, we all know that. But all things like wine, which gladdens the heart, is a gift from God. Coffee is a gift from God, yet drugs which were also not created by man, must have had a purpose but are only seriously abused. My mom says that it was intended for medicine. Hmm…I don’t know. Drugs give you that ‘happy, no problems in the world feeling’ I’ve been told. That might be good before an operation, maybe.
I’m just wondering what exactly God wanted drugs to be used for.

 

[Kristina_P]

Stylus:

God created drugs. They’ve been abused of course- excessive use has serious and fetal results, we all know that. But all things like wine, which gladdens the heart, is a gift from God. Coffee is a gift from God, yet drugs which were also not created by man, must have had a purpose but are only seriously abused. My mom says that it was intended for medicine. Hmm…I don’t know. Drugs give you that ‘happy, no problems in the world feeling’ I’ve been told. That might be good before an operation, maybe.
I’m just wondering what exactly God wanted drugs to be used for.

What do you mean by drugs being given to us by God? Most harmful drugs require major chemical manipulation by man before they can be used. By your reasoning, God gave us contraception and handguns, as well.

As for natural drugs like marijuana and tobacco, being natural doesn’t mean that God gave them to us in order to be smoked, to the detriment of our physical health. That’s like saying God gave us poison oak to be used as toilet paper. The purposes for these plants could very well have far more to do with their effects on their ecosystems than with their physiological effects on man.

I’m not trying to belittle you here, but I’m making outrageous statements about handguns and poison oak to illustrate where I think your reasoning has gotten off track.

Not all substances with interesting physiological effects are “meant” to be taken into the body. If the medical harm done by the substances far outweighs any benefit, then it’s safe to say that God probably doesn’t want us inhaling, injecting, or eating them, especially if doing so is overwhelmingly likely to lead to an addiction.

 

[Hitetlen]

…If the medical harm done by the substances far outweighs any benefit…

The word “benefit” is not an objective criterion. Some people may consider the risks and the negative side effects worthwhile. To use your example, someone who likes pain, may very well consider the use of poison oak as a toilette paper. Who are we to decide for others what is a “benefit” in their mind? If it hurts no one else, it should never be interfered with.

 

[Kristina_P]

Hitetlen:

The word “benefit” is not an objective criterion. Some people may consider the risks and the negative side effects worthwhile. To use your example, someone who likes pain, may very well consider the use of poison oak as a toilette paper. Who are we to decide for others what is a “benefit” in their mind? If it hurts no one else, it should never be interfered with.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be interfered with by government. I’m not sure about that. But, considering this is a Catholic message board and I’m a Catholic, I’m obligated to address the morality of the issue from a Catholic point of view. The Bible teaches that our bodies are sacred. Harming our bodies out of a desire for pleasure is disordered and immoral. A quote from the CCC will reflect the teaching of the Church on this subject:
“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.”

 

[steveandersen]

things have a place in their natural environment

e.g. fermented products are the source of key vitamins as well as a way of preserving food or cocoa leaves being chewed by Andean natives to offset the effects of altitude (didn’t JPII do this on one of his trips to South America or am I confusing him with someone else?)

it is the abuse of such products that is the problem

 

[BlindSheep]

If you’re talking about illegal drugs, using them is still a sin, even if there is nothing inherently evil about it. We are supposed to follow the law, unless doing so would force us to break God’s law; and there isn’t a “thou shalt smoke pot” commandment!

 

[dafalax]

When it comes to drugs, i think the results speak for themselves. I don’t know functional drug users. I do know a lot of people who refuse to grow up and still live in their parents basements because they get high on just marijuana every day and it has sucked every ambition away from their lives except the pursuit of more pot. Some of these people are able to hold a job, but they don’t pursue higher education so they can advance or switch to a better paying position. And it breaks my heart because they can’t see how their unhealthy lifestyle choices are keeping them from growing up, having a job they like that pays them a decent wage, and doing something besides playing video games in their spare time.
Jesus turned water into wine so that people could relax a little and wish the newlyweds well at Cana. He didn’t do it so the best man could get trashed and disgrace himself in front of friends and family. Weed seems to be the only drug i’ve seen that allows people to maintain some semblance of control, but the side effects that go along with it just don’t smack of righteousness. If anyone knows a Wall Street executive who volunteers at soup kitchens and goes to daily mass who also likes to get high, please feel free to correct my opinion based on observations. Otherwise, i stand by my belief that drug abuse is an obstacle to holiness and material success.