Why are some illiegal drugs sinful?

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GEddie said:
The difference with regard to “clouding one’s mind” is that one can drink alcohol limitedly, without such clouding taking place, and most users do so; whereas in the use of cannabis and similar substances, the mind effects are the reason for using it. No one smokes marijauana for the smell or taste.

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But let’s face it - most people who drink alcohol do so, in part, for its effect on the mind.
 
GEddie said:
The difference with regard to “clouding one’s mind” is that one can drink alcohol limitedly, without such clouding taking place, and most users do so; whereas in the use of cannabis and similar substances, the mind effects are the reason for using it. No one smokes marijauana for the smell or taste.

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one can drink alcohol limitedly, without such clouding taking place,
Not true. Alcohol always clouds the mind. If you drink “limitedly” then your mind is clouded “limitedly”
The only way to not have your mind clouded at all by alcohol is to not drink alcohol at all

the mind effects are the reason for using it. No one smokes marijauana for the smell or taste.
No one drinks alcohol for the smell or taste either. If they did, they would drink non-alcoholic beer or wine and get the taste without the “mind effects”
 
TedDC said:
But let’s face it - most people who drink alcohol do so, in part, for its effect on the mind.
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The Baltimore Catechism (not binding, but stil…) says,

‘Q. 306. Is drunkenness always a mortal sin?
A. Deliberate drunkenness is always a mortal sin if the person be completely deprived of the use of reason by it…’ - I think one would need to drink an awful lot to be ‘completely deprived of the use of reason.’ Of course a venial sin would take less.
 
SugarMagnolia said:
one can drink alcohol limitedly, without such clouding taking place,
Not true. Alcohol always clouds the mind. If you drink “limitedly” then your mind is clouded “limitedly”
The only way to not have your mind clouded at all by alcohol is to not drink alcohol at all
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You’re both missing it.

According to Mother Church, one can drink alcohol without it being a sin. It becomes sinful when judgment becomes impaired, correct?
 
coolduude said:
Oh, and how could I not mention California? They’re awful close to legalizing weed. But even if it’s legal doesn’t make it any more right. Just look at abortion…
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Well, you’re right in one sense. Abortion is legal, but, we know it’s very wrong. As for California, they are one of the states that will prescribe weed for pain. I have had pain for many years, -at times taking morphine. But the pain persists. I HAVE met a few people that have a legal prescription for weed for different ailments, and actually I’m always amazed at how much medical relief they say they get from it. -(and not needing to take very much). I have been tempted, but have not tried it for my pain. -(my gut feeling says that it would probably help).

It has always been an interesting question for me. Alcohol is legal, but we know how many problems it has, and continues to cause. I ***DID ***indulge in weed for a period of time over 40 years ago as a 20 year old, and, speaking JUST for myself, I remember that alcohol was much more problematic for myself and many people I knew.

The morphine I take is from the same derivative as many street-drugs. I can function quite well on it, yet it IS dangerous. So, in the end, it’s all a mystery to me. What the gov’t says, what the Church says… ??
 
hellopeople said:
You could argue that weed and psychedelics expand the mind.

I will just throw it out there that if it weren’t for psychedelics I very well could be an atheist now…but I believe in God.
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" satan believed in God "
 
Joseph629 said:
Well, you’re right in one sense. Abortion is legal, but, we know it’s very wrong. As for California, they are one of the states that will prescribe weed for pain. I have had pain for many years, -at times taking morphine. But the pain persists. I HAVE met a few people that have a legal prescription for weed for different ailments, and actually I’m always amazed at how much medical relief they say they get from it. -(and not needing to take very much). I have been tempted, but have not tried it for my pain. -(my gut feeling says that it would probably help).

It has always been an interesting question for me. Alcohol is legal, but we know how many problems it has, and continues to cause. I ***DID ***indulge in weed for a period of time over 40 years ago as a 20 year old, and, speaking JUST for myself, I remember that alcohol was much more problematic for myself and many people I knew.

The morphine I take is from the same derivative as many street-drugs. I can function quite well on it, yet it IS dangerous. So, in the end, it’s all a mystery to me. What the gov’t says, what the Church says… ??
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The discrepancy in the Church’s teachings on alcohol versus other mind-altering substances suggests an effort to accommodate the cultural norms which prevail in most of the Catholic world.
 
need_to_know said:
I think the only logical reason that the Church can say that using Cannabis is a sin is on the basis that it is illegal. As per GEddie, render unto Caesar and all that.

As Big Ro says above, there are various reasons along the basis of health concerns and ‘clouding the judgement’ concerns, but these arguments fall down when faced with the fact that cigarettes and alcohol respectively have the same effects and yet are not sinful.
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Powerful groups of paid lobbyists fight for the right to sell their deadly and injurious products. I watched on TV as tobacco company executives told a Senate committee that cigarettes were not addictive. This is how they make their living so how could they say otherwise? Cigarettes are bad. They cause cancer. It says so right on the package. It is a sin to harm your body.

Alcohol. Drunkeness is a sin and most people I know that like to drink don’t believe in moderation. It’s a sin.

This isn’t about mathematical arguments but about your body which, as Catholics, we believe is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Peace,
Ed
 
TedDC said:
The discrepancy in the Church’s teachings on alcohol versus other mind-altering substances suggests an effort to accommodate the cultural norms which prevail in most of the Catholic world.
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Discrepancy? Please cite.
 
hellopeople said:
You have obviously never done psychedelics. They have never led me to any rash decisions, and I have done a lot of them. As for me being a fool…my professors would tell you otherwise.
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Did your professors ever see you stoned???
 
GEddie said:
Yes, HE and HIS friends drank wine, but did they become intoxicated?

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Probably…and he was at least condoning people becoming intoxicated. Think about it, the party ran out of wine. They thought they had enough at the beginning but when everyone started drinking and had a good time they were thinking “we want to drink more.” Seems like they were intoxicated to me.
 
hellopeople said:
Probably…and he was at least condoning people becoming intoxicated. Think about it, the party ran out of wine. They thought they had enough at the beginning but when everyone started drinking and had a good time they were thinking “we want to drink more.” Seems like they were intoxicated to me.
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Or they simply had too many people.
 
coolduude said:
Discrepancy? Please cite.
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The Church prohibits only the excessive use of alcohol (and in rather mild language which does not not even call it a serious sin), while any non-therapeutic use of drugs is explicity condemned as a grave matter.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
 
TedDC said:
The Church prohibits only the excessive use of alcohol (and in rather mild language which does not not even call it a serious sin), while any non-therapeutic use of drugs is explicity condemned as a grave matter.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
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Forgive me, but I see no discrepancy. :o
 
coolduude said:
Forgive me, but I see no discrepancy. :o
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The discrepancy is that both alcohol and drugs are mind-altering substances, but the Church permits the use of one in moderation, while the other is completely prohibited.
 
There is a discrepancy.
2290 says only excessive use of drugs
2291 says any non-therapeutic drugs
 
It seems that the key is that alcoholic beverages such as wine can have valid uses and are more natural so therefore it is only their abuse that is sinful. Whereas drugs don’t have a valid use and their purpose is primarily to seek an experience and they damage the body and mind.

One glass of red wine may be healthful. Perhaps throughout the centuries, a bit of wine with meat might kill bacteria etc. Granted we have better processing for meat today.

Alcohol is also more related to food than drugs. Wine for example is from the natural fermentation of grapes. No doubt, excess alcohol is a sin, but I think a small amount has a more natural effect on the body as alcohol is not a foreign substance to the body (similar to sugar). In fact I think I heard that the body actually produces small amounts of alcohol.

So LSD, THC, PCP, heroine, and cocaine etc. do not compare to alcohol as they are foreign unnatural substances to the body. And still, excess alcohol is indeed a sin.

Chemical composition water: H2O
Chemical composition of the sugar glucose: C6 H12 O6
Chemical composition of alcohol: C2 H5 OH
Chemical composition of THC: C21 H30 O2

THC seems to be a more complex (and unnatural for the body?) molecule:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol

Compared to alcohol: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol
 
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