A question concerning gluttony

Ah, I see. Let me clarify. Obesity has an extremely strong statistical correlation to heart attacks and heart disease. Obese people have rates of heart disease many times higher then the average population.

Jerry Falwell wasn't just a little overweight. The man weighed around about 400lbs. He was a heart attack waiting to happen. Years of gluttony will do that to a man. Is it remotely possible that something else was the main cause of his obesity and/or his heart condition (genetic problems, hormonal imbalance, etc.)? Yes. I have already stated that earlier in the thread and I didn't assume you had ignored those posts. My apologies for not being more clear. Then again, it is also remotely possible I'll get struck by lightning on my way into work today or get eaten by a shark the next time I go surfing.

I haven't seen any insults exchanged in this thread either. After I stated an opinion about gluttony being a common and serious problem in the church, folks have called me self-righteous and judgmental. I suppose you could call that an insult, but I didn't take it that way. That is their analysis of the morality of my comments. I tried not to take it too personally. I appreciate anyone who attempts to help me become more like Christ, but I disagreed with their analysis; and I've responded by pointing out the irony (or perhaps hypocrisy) of "judging" someone as "judgmental" (to use the word judge in the incorrect way it was used above). I don't think that response was an insult either, at least it was not intended to be. So I agree with you, "debate is not insulting people, theres a difference." Sometimes people get confused if the debate is over a very sensitive issue.

 

First of all, I do enjoy the plant cannabis-sativa when spend my summers and mid-semester breaks in California, where I work as an associate with a law firm. Cannabis is not illegal there when used with a doctor's permission for anything from minor muscle aches, to arthritis, to leukemia depending on the doctor prescribing. In fact, I am allowed by state license to grow it for medical patients, many of whom do not have the strength to grow it themselves.

God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food." (Gen. 1)

It just so happens when I eat a little bit of the sead-bearing plant cannabis, it aids in my creativity and has beneficial health effects in addition to the nutritional effects. There will always be those that order their brothers and sisters to abstain from seed-bearing herbs that God made for food.

"Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving," (1 Tim. 4)

Just like it should have seemed obvious to Christians that someone who is most likely is a massively over-eating, extremely obese glutton should not be the mouthpiece of the religious right (Falwell), so it should be plainly obvious to the Christian world that there is something wrong with either a church or an entire nation trying to eradicate (meaning wipe out of existence) a plant that God himself made and said was good. Jesus Christ literally created the plant cannabis. If Jesus were alive in 49 out of 50 states in the U.S.A. He would be arrested on "cultivation" charges.

The fact is, many Christians are themselves over-eaters, or gluttons. Therefore they will never admonish another glutton or ask him to get help before becoming a pastor. When it comes down to it, they just don't believe what the Bible says about gluttony. Also, many Christians are themselves, "hypocritical liars whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." Instead of believing what God himself said about seed-bearing plants when he made them, they believe their government (the same one that says abortion is okay).

So some people abuse the plant... some people abuse all foods. Fried chicken abuse has killed hundreds of thousands of people from heart attack. Never has one death been linked to marijuana. It is even less dangerous (much less dangerous) then red wine or any other alcoholic beverage. It is even less dangerous then Tylenol. Take 12 of those and it'll be the last headache you ever have, yet a 13 year year old can walk into a store and buy 50 of them! It is physically impossible to overdose on cannabis.

Cannabis, if used in moderation, it has virtually no ill-effects... except for the *very* bad effects it has on the pockets of the drug companies who would rather charge you for pain relief instead of have you grow it for free in your back yard. If abused, like anything, it can turn into something bad. But this is a God-made, naturally occurring plant. Like alcohol, it occurs naturally (grapes ferment naturally in the right conditions). In fact, it occurs naturally many times more often then alcohol does. And there is no "manufacturing" that goes into eating marijuana other then picking its seed-bearing fruit off the branch and maybe cooking it in a little vegetable oil. Sure, smoking anything is bad for your teeth and lungs... but it is possible to eat cannabis or to vaporize it (so it doesn't actually burn, and no tar is expelled). The U.S. government does not allow experiments on cannabis that actually control for outside variables, so any data you'll see showing harmful mental effects either don't control for the abuse of other substances or don't control for abuse period (daily users, multiple times a day, consuming extreme quantities). To put on par with alcohol, imagine a study saying alcohol causes liver disease and should be totally abstained from, but it doesn't mention that the participants drank on average a quart of vodka daily!

My act is quite "clean" thank you. Eating or vaporizing marijuana kills no brain cells either. In fact, when you drive your car to work everyday and inhale the CO2 from other cars you kill more brain cells then when I enjoy a glass of wine under doctor's recommendation. Heck, when you get up in the morning you "kill" brain cells. When I analyzed the likelihood of gluttony in one of the most visible mouthpieces of the Christian Right, I used biblical references and medical facts. At least have your facts right when you analyze my behavior... and maybe mention a Bible verse or two. After all, this is a Christian forum.

If you want any more information about my stands on cannabis see the original thread. Just as gluttony was beat to death here, cannabis use was beat to death there. I don't "smoke" pot by the way, as you have accused me of doing. I eat it or vaporize it in a state in which such activities are legal and regulated by medical authorities.

God bless,
Jason