Recreational drug use

[Judith]

I have read several of the posts about if a Christian can drink alcohol or not. In the end those who say no still say no and those who say yes still say yes so this is not about is it right to use alcohol and I am asking please do not high-jack the thread into that.

My question is to those who feel it is acceptable for believers to drink a glass of wine or a bear or what ever as long as they do not get drunk.

So my question is if you hold that drinking is acceptable is it also acceptable to smoke a joint or take a pill or shoot up or snort small amounts as long as the person does not get high?

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

I will jump in on this one Judith.

One issue here deals with legality. If it is against the law, then no it is not ok. (I Pet 2:11-17).

But, if say you live in Colodo and it is legal, then the same thinking that would apply to alcohol or tobacco use would apply to the drugs in question. If you don't have a problem taking a drink or smoking tobacco, why would you be opposed to other legal recreational drugs?

 

[Judith]

I will jump in on this one Judith.

One issue here deals with legality. If it is against the law, then no it is not ok. (I Pet 2:11-17).

But, if say you live in Colodo and it is legal, then the same thinking that would apply to alcohol or tobacco use would apply to the drugs in question. If you don't have a problem taking a drink or smoking tobacco, why would you be opposed to other legal recreational drugs?

Thank you for the reply, but you did not mentioned if that was your position or observation. I am curious as to how many who think it is acceptable to drink in a recreational manner would seek to make recreational drug use legal also? In other words would God give His stamp of approval for recreational drugs?

 

[InTheLight]

So my question is if you hold that drinking is acceptable is it also acceptable to smoke a joint or take a pill or shoot up or snort small amounts as long as the person does not get high?

1. Alcohol is legal and can be drunk in moderation. Furthermore, the relative alcohol content is stamped on the label.
2. I don't think it is possible to smoke pot in moderation. Ditto for cocaine or heroin. Also cocaine and heroin is highly physically addictive, so by definition cannot be done in moderation. Using these drugs will cause a heightened sense of altered state.
3. Even in states where pot is legal it is supposed to be used for medicinal purposes.
4. Taking pills when you don't have a prescription, or taking more than prescribed is an obvious attempt at getting high.
5. The effects of alcohol can be blunted by consuming food, not so with these other substances.
6.There are reliable methods of measuring the amount of intoxication with alcohol, not so with these other substances.
7. These other drugs are fast acting so a person might imbibe more than they intended, thus abuse the drug. Alcohol is a progressive acting drug. Usually a person can discern when they are being affected and can back off.

 

[Zaac]

I have read several of the posts about if a Christian can drink alcohol or not. In the end those who say no still say no and those who say yes still say yes so this is not about is it right to use alcohol and I am asking please do not high-jack the thread into that.

My question is to those who feel it is acceptable for believers to drink a glass of wine or a bear or what ever as long as they do not get drunk.

So my question is if you hold that drinking is acceptable is it also acceptable to smoke a joint or take a pill or shoot up or snort small amounts as long as the person does not get high?

Unfortunately Judith, the Body is starting to look more like the world than like Christ. We make excuses to chase after pleasure and the lusts of our hearts more than we chase after personal holiness.

Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..." 2 tim. 3:1-4

 

[Judith]

1. Alcohol is legal and can be drunk in moderation. Furthermore, the relative alcohol content is stamped on the label.
2. I don't think it is possible to smoke pot in moderation. Ditto for cocaine or heroin. Also cocaine and heroin is highly physically addictive, so by definition cannot be done in moderation. Using these drugs will cause a heightened sense of altered state.
3. Even in states where pot is legal it is supposed to be used for medicinal purposes.
4. Taking pills when you don't have a prescription, or taking more than prescribed is an obvious attempt at getting high.
5. The effects of alcohol can be blunted by consuming food, not so with these other substances.
6.There are reliable methods of measuring the amount of intoxication with alcohol, not so with these other substances.
7. These other drugs are fast acting so a person might imbibe more than they intended, thus abuse the drug. Alcohol is a progressive acting drug. Usually a person can discern when they are being affected and can back off.

Thank you for the reply but all those things could be said of alcohol.

 

[Judith]

Unfortunately Judith, the Body is starting to look more like the world than like Christ. We make excuses to chase after pleasure and the lusts of our hearts more than we chase after personal holiness.

"Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..." 2 tim. 3:1-4

Zaac I think you have hit the nail on the head. :thumbsup:

 

[InTheLight]

Thank you for the reply but all those things could be said of alcohol.

LOL! You need a prescription for alcohol? It's fast acting? It's highly physically addicting?

 

[Judith]

LOL! You need a prescription for alcohol? It's fast acting? It's highly physically addicting?

Sorry I guess I was not clear. If you hold that drinking is accpetable is drug use accpetable if used the same way as alcohol provided both are legal?

 

[InTheLight]

I guess I was not clear. If you hold that drinking is accpetable is drug use accpetable if used the same way as alcohol provided both are legal?

Drugs cannot be used in the same way as alcohol, so no, it would not be acceptable.

 

[Judith]

Drugs cannot be used in the same way as alcohol, so no, it would not be acceptable.

Can you elaborate why they cannot be used the same way?

 

[InTheLight]

Can you elaborate why they cannot be used the same way?

Already did. Post #4, points 2,5,6, and 7.

 

[Revmitchell]

I will jump in on this one Judith.

One issue here deals with legality. If it is against the law, then no it is not ok. (I Pet 2:11-17).

But, if say you live in Colodo and it is legal, then the same thinking that would apply to alcohol or tobacco use would apply to the drugs in question. If you don't have a problem taking a drink or smoking tobacco, why would you be opposed to other legal recreational drugs?

Because you cannot escape being less than sober minded. They serve no other purpose.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

So my question is if you hold that drinking is acceptable is it also acceptable to smoke a joint or take a pill or shoot up or snort small amounts as long as the person does not get high?

You can't ask that question without opening up the other part of the discussion you want to withhold from us. Jesus drank. Yes, He drank wine. It was fermented, alcoholic wine. Did He light up a joint or pop a pill or snort a line? No, He did not.

Paul recommended wine for Timothy's digestion. It has been proven that alcoholic wine, in moderation, assists not only in digestion but also in controlling cholesterol. Did he recommend Timothy smoke a joint to calm his nerves, or take Valium to relax, or indulge in cocaine in order to get started in the morning? No, he did not.

Someone could now make the argument that "No, it wasn't really wine.' They would, however, lose that argument. There is no command in the Bible not to drink at all, and there is no statement in the Bible that alcohol is "evil." Certainly the Greek language proves that the use of the word oinos refers to alcoholic wine. It can be nothing else.

So, overall, my answer is, yes, alcohol is acceptable. Drugs are not.

 

[webdog]

I have read several of the posts about if a Christian can drink alcohol or not. In the end those who say no still say no and those who say yes still say yes so this is not about is it right to use alcohol and I am asking please do not high-jack the thread into that.

My question is to those who feel it is acceptable for believers to drink a glass of wine or a bear or what ever as long as they do not get drunk.

So my question is if you hold that drinking is acceptable is it also acceptable to smoke a joint or take a pill or shoot up or snort small amounts as long as the person does not get high?

Those actions are illegal. Drinking is not. It is acceptable to use a drug under the guide of a physician, though.

 

[webdog]

Unfortunately Judith, the Body is starting to look more like the world than like Christ. We make excuses to chase after pleasure and the lusts of our hearts more than we chase after personal holiness.

Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..." 2 tim. 3:1-4

Be sure to address that with God, then. You'll have to have Him remove Deuteronomy 14:26 from the Bible.

 

[Zaac]

Be sure to address that with God, then. You'll have to have Him remove Deuteronomy 14:26 from the Bible.

Address it with God for what? It's His word. There's nothing to address.:laugh:

We're supposed to strive for personal holiness as our Father in heaven is holy. And in that achieved personal holiness, God is glorified.

In today's culture, there simply is NOTHING positive that comes from Christians being known for engaging in the same things as the lost world.

Forget about the illegal drugs. There are enough Christians popping presciption pain pills to dwarf the illegal ones.

We watch the same crap on tv and in the movies.

We listen to the same crap on the radio.

We let our kids wear the same skimpy clothing.

We do it all because we are more concerned with entertainment and personal pleasure than we are with personal holiness.

We do it because we're extremely selfish individuals more concerned with personal pleasure and what we want than we are with personal holiness and seeing other folks saved.

Christians justify their use of alcohol and and a whole lot of other stuff because we are just extremey selfish and love us much more than we pretend to love Jesus.

 

[go2church]

I'm not sure legality has anything to do with it. There are lots of legal things that aren't right.

Drinking to get drunk or to lose control so that you end up drunk is wrong.

There isn't anything as specific in the bible about drugs as have been referenced, because frankly they didn't exist as we know them today. Sure they had herbs that might make you loopy and perhaps more if taken in huge amounts, but nothing of the strength we are capable of making today.

The key seems to me to be "recreational". Whatever you do, do as unto the Lord (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17). It would just seem hard to justify being high as something that could glorify the Lord.

That being said I believe cannabis derivatives, should be legal drugs available to patients through their doctors. The synthetics are not as effective and cost a whole lot more. Hemp should also be a crop farmers could grow.

 

[Zaac]

I'm not sure legality has anything to do with it. There are lots of legal things that aren't right.

Drinking to get drunk or to lose control so that you end up drunk is wrong.

There isn't anything as specific in the bible about drugs as have been referenced, because frankly they didn't exist as we know them today. Sure they had herbs that might make you loopy and perhaps more if taken in huge amounts, but nothing of the strength we are capable of making today.

The key seems to me to be "recreational". Whatever you do, do as unto the Lord (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17). It would just seem hard to justify being high as something that could glorify the Lord.

That being said I believe cannabis derivatives, should be legal drugs available to patients through their doctors. The synthetics are not as effective and cost a whole lot more. Hemp should also be a crop farmers could grow.

It's kinda weird that people could look at the world today and the pain and destruction caused by alcohol, marijuana, etc, and truly rationalize that a Christian can partake of these things and bring glory to God.

Christian liberty should not be a stumbling block . But in regards to the things you speak of Judith, it has become just that because we're too busy trying to feed our desire of pleasure with little or no concern for holiness and what God says matter.

 

[Ed B]

Can you elaborate why they cannot be used the same way?

I am having a hard time imagining a circumstance where a person would partake in the recreational use of illegal drugs for any reason other than to escape the sober state - to get high to be drunk on that substance. That is a significant difference to me.

Drunkedness is called out as sin in the Bible. I don't think any or many in this community dispute that.