What does the Bible say about marijuana?

[glad4mercy]

If marijuana wasn't illegal to use where I live I'd still be using it. But since it is a crime to use where I live it would be a sin for me to break the law and use it. That's one aspect of it. The legality of it. Break the law and you're sinning. Yeah, I go the speed limit now too (Just in case anyone were to ask)

The other aspect of it is: If it were legal and used occasionally, in moderation I wouldn't see it as a sin to use. If it were legal and used in excess then that would be sinful. Using too much weed is just as detrimental to you physically as it is mentally. If you overuse it it can affect your memory, motivation, and perception even when you aren't "high."

If used in moderation I don't see where it would be a sin --once again as long as it was legal to do so--.

But it's just like anything else. If you eat properly food not only taste good it is good for you. If you eat too much you can become obese, develop health problems and in extreme cases get so big you can't even get out of your house. That's sinful too right?

Alcohol is the same thing. If you can drink occasionally, in moderation, then that's fine. No sin there. Some drink way too much and ruin their lives and others around them with it. And that's sinful.

Our bodies are a temple to God. They should be treated with the same respect as a church or scripture or any other tool used by God. You wouldn't trash a church would you? Then don't trash your body or your mind either.


Note to say: This is my personal opinion only and only my personal opinion and does not reflect the opinions, thoughts or any kind of official opinion or stance of this forum or anybody or anything associated with this forum and which I'm sure will be frowned upon by others.

I know what you posted is your personal opinion, and I respect your opinion. I just want to say, in my opinion (based on my own experience), even if Marijuana were legal, I would never touch it again. I believe that recreational use of Marijuana leads away from God, not to Him. It is a mind altering drug, and even in small doses what it does to your mind does not lead to godliness. Like I said, when I smoked too much I suffered from paranoia, when I smoked it moderately I experienced euphoria that included delusions of grandeur that I did not have when I was not high. The strongest grades of pot can cause you to see and hear things, or cause your perception to be altered, which proves to me that it is not wholesome. I think it's OK when prescribed by a doctor for Chemo patients and such, but other than that I don't think God wants us smoking it, even moderately, any more than He wants us eating "Magic Mushrooms" or Peyote, which are also natural, but not good for consumption and used in various types of sorceries.

[BrianW]

I respect your opinion as well. Any thing we take into our bodies effects each of us in different ways because we aren't all the same. That's why most people can eat tomato's and not have any problems but if others eat them they get sick. That's why most people can drink milk, eat eggs, take certain medicines etc and others can't because of adverse effects.

What I'm trying to say is that not everybody had or will have the same experience with it that you had.

Please understand this: I'm not advocating the use of pot in any way shape or form. It's recreational use is illegal in my country and medicinal use is illegal in my state. If I never used it again (And I won't as long as it's still illegal ) I wouldn't feel like I missed out or was denied anything. The question was was it a sin and I gave my personal opinion in trying to answer that question. I am -not- advocating it's use for others in any way shape or form.

[glad4mercy]

I respect your opinion as well. Any thing we take into our bodies effects each of us in different ways because we aren't all the same. That's why most people can eat tomato's and not have any problems but if others eat them they get sick. That's why most people can drink milk, eat eggs, take certain medicines etc and others can't because of adverse effects.

What I'm trying to say is that not everybody had or will have the same experience with it that you had.

Please understand this: I'm not advocating the use of pot in any way shape or form. It's recreational use is illegal in my country and medicinal use is illegal in my state. If I never used it again (And I won't as long as it's still illegal ) I wouldn't feel like I missed out or was denied anything. The question was was it a sin and I gave my personal opinion in trying to answer that question. I am -not- advocating it's use for others in any way shape or form.

What I'm trying to say is that not everybody had or will have the same experience with it that you had.

I do realize that you do not advocate the use of pot, so I am not trying to disagree, just discuss.

Not all the experiences I had were experiences that I considered bad at that time. Most of the experiences I had I enjoyed at that time in my life, but I did not at that time realize what it was doing to me, ( I quit 24 years ago). When I quit, I did not tell God that I was going to quit smoking pot, I just said, "whatever you want me to do, I'll do it", and afterwards I had no desire to smoke pot anymore. The joy that the Spirit put in my heart completely drowned out any desire for pot, alcohol, or any other substance.

I know not everyone has the same experiences I had with pot, but I truly believe that it has a negative effect on everyone who uses it recreationally, whether they are a heavy user, a moderate user, or a light user ( just my humble opinion). I do respect you for obeying the laws of the land, but I say this for the benefit of others who live in countries where it is legal, or just in case it becomes legal in our country or somewhere else in the future.

I think pot can be a medicine that can help certain people if it is prescribed by a competent physician, but that's about as far as I go.

Note: to avoid misunderstanding, it is my position that if the medicinal use of Marijuana is illegal in a state, I do not think it should be used either.

Blessings

[Raybob]

I have in my greenhouse some plants that are extremely poisonous. Eating even small amounts of them would be fatal. The juices of some of the others contain powerful narcotics that would cause permanent damage to the brain if swallowed.

I take it your plants are NOT herbs that bear seeds.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
(Gen 1:29)

and later, when man became no longer vegetarian...

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
(Gen 9:3)

Note to say: This is my personal opinion only and only my personal opinion and does not reflect the opinions, thoughts or any kind of official opinion or stance of this forum or anybody or anything associated with this forum and which I'm sure will be frowned upon by others.

[BrianW]

Nice use of scripture Raybob. I don't see scripture much used when people are saying it's a sin and you ask them why.

You know it's funny. I look down the page a little and see a thread I started this topic last year. I forgot all about it.

http://bibleforums.org/showthread.ph...juana-be-a-sin

It seems I've changed my mind about if I would ever use it again if it were ever legalized. Ask me again next year and I just may say I'd never use it again no matter what.

[andrew_no_one]

Could the argument be made that the use of recreation drugs like marijuana and tobacco are beneficial? I doubt it...health 101 says “don’t poison yourself”.

[BrianW]

How about a double cheeseburger an order fries and a soda from the local fast food joint? Is that beneficial? The same argument could be used.

[andrew_no_one]

How about a double cheeseburger an order fries and a soda from the local fast food joint? Is that beneficial? The same argument could be used.

I agree with you. Not beneficial.

[Jemand]

I take it your plants are NOT herbs that bear seeds.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
(Gen 1:29)

and later, when man became no longer vegetarian...

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
(Gen 9:3)

Note to say: This is my personal opinion only and only my personal opinion and does not reflect the opinions, thoughts or any kind of official opinion or stance of this forum or anybody or anything associated with this forum and which I'm sure will be frowned upon by others.

Gen. 1:29. God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.
30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. (NRSV)

You take it incorrectly—my highly poisonous plants ARE “herbs” (KJV; Hebrew = עשׂב) that bear seeds—and when taken by the mouth, can kill. The author of Gen. 1:29-30 is not teaching that God gave Adam and Eve marijuana plants so that they could eat them and smoke them and enter the Twilight Zone; the author of Gen. 1:29-30 is teaching that God gave Adam and Eve plants, and the fruits and seeds of plants, to eat, but they were not to eat the animals until further notice.

[glad4mercy]

I can only think of three reasons someone would smoke marijuana.

a. For medicinal purposes.
b. To get high.
c. For religious purposes.

I already said I have no problem with Marijuana for medicinal purposes ( in places where it is legal) , so on to the other two.

a. Marijuana is not used by Christians for religious purposes. Only false religions and occultists use marijuana for religious purposes. There is not one reference in the Bible that talks about using chemicals for spiritual purposes, in fact, I think rather that it would be the sin of sorcery. ( pharmakeia), which is one of the deeds of the flesh that is condemned by God. Using pot for religious or spirtiual purposes can only lead to deception.

b. I would categorize "Getting High" under the category of intoxication, and I do not think we should be intoxicated by any type of chemicals for recreation.

I don't think anyone smokes pot because they think it tastes good. It is usually in order to get high. Getting high means altering your mind. I don't think altering your mind recreationally is something that God wants us to do. Our minds need to be controlled by the Holy Spirit and the Word, not halucinigens.

[Jemand]

Nice use of scripture Raybob. I don't see scripture much used when people are saying it's a sin and you ask them why.

Quoting out of context a poor translation of a verse from the first chapter of Genesis is not a “nice” use of Scripture—it is an abuse of the Bible. The Bible does not specifically mention marijuana or the use of it. The Bible does, however, provide us with some very important guidelines for living our lives. These guidelines are best found by a careful, prayerful reading of the Bible from cover to cover.

[glad4mercy]

The Bible does not specifically mention marijuana or the use of it. The Bible does, however, provide us with some very important guidelines for living our lives. These guidelines are best found by a careful, prayerful reading of the Bible from cover to cover.

Excellent statement!

[-SEEKING-]

How about a double cheeseburger an order fries and a soda from the local fast food joint? Is that beneficial? The same argument could be used.

Oh man. I'm drooling. You're killing me.

If you gotta go, go with a smile!

[glad4mercy]

How about a double cheeseburger an order fries and a soda from the local fast food joint? Is that beneficial? The same argument could be used.

Now you're meddling...

On a serious note, I agree that fast food is not the best thing for your body, and it should definitely be eaten in careful moderation, but I have never had a mind- altering experience from fast food.

[Sojourner55]

Hello Tom,

As a born-again, ex-pothead, I can only say that we need to use discernment in matters that seem to fall into a gray area--to let the Spirit guide us, as we're instructed to do. Since you don't have the Spirit, you need to seek out a relationship with God through Jesus, first and foremost. We don't get clean to come to God, we come to God to get clean. Once you are a child of His, He will let you know what He does and does not want in your body--or in your life. At that point, it's a matter of whether we listen or not.

I would add that most plants that grow naturally--like nearly everything else in this life--are neutral, and can be good or bad, depending on how it's used. Alcohol, made from the same grain, can be used as an antiseptic that prevents a life-threatening infection, or to produce a beverage that causes addiction, death, and ruined lives; the same tobacco that can cause lung cancer, can be used to help draw poison from a bee sting. Discernment is the key, and only God can give us the key.