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Can you take drugs and still be a good Christian?
Or is there a fundamental hypocrisy in this statement?
Jesus, the son of God himself, regularly injested a substance deemed by scientists as more harmful than many current illicit drugs now. You know what I'm talking about; Jesus himself drank wine. And where's it's true that Jesus wasn't drinking himself into a blind stupor every Friday night on Nazareth 2-for-1 tequila shots, the fact remains that instead of choosing water, he chose wine. He even changed water into wine. If we look at Isaiah 55:1, it's positively encouraged
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost".
Lets not forget that every week at the Eucharist we drink wine; proclaiming it to be the Blood of Christ. So, ok, I hope that establishes the issue with wine. However, if we can drink alcohol, why not other drugs, considering alcohol is generally accepted to be far more harmful?
What does it say in the bible about drugs? Nothing. So we're forced to make inferences from other passages, such as 'your body is a temple'. This is true, your body is a temple, however, that covers a multitude of things. Do we condemn fat people at church? They're ruining their bodies and risking heart attacks (not to mention the gross greedyness they display). They ruin their bodies; the bodies provided to them by Christ himself. Furthermore, do we condemn them as being unchristian? No. We don't. If your body is a temple; they've set fire to their temple and let a waging bull smash up the interior.
So...the hard stuff. The stuff no one talks about. DRUGS (no, I'm not talking about crack or heroin though). LSD can't harm you; it leaves your blood stream very quickly, neither can ecstasy, neither can mdma, neither will weed, neither does alcohol in moderation... I'm not ruining my body; I don't plan on becoming a coke addict, or spending the rest of my life as an alcoholic. Your body is a temple, true, but I'm not especially damaging it. It's a momentary pleasure I receive, but it doesn't ruin my body in the long run. I'm not sick; I'm not ill. I'm perfectly healthy (much healthier then a fat person who does no drugs and never drinks). So why am I to be condemned? Drugs, in moderation, are not harmful, and we all know it. Leah Betts did not die from ecstasy but too much water (but that's a different issue). My point is... drugs aren not harmful in moderation, so why is it so looked down upon to do drugs and be a Christian. Obviously, becoming a drug addict/alcoholic is bad, but that's not likely to happen unless you're completely stupid about it. Recreational drugs is not harmful.
And further along this thinking, lets look at concupiscence (basically sex outside of marriage). In 2009, do we condemn people who shag outside of marriage? No, we accept they can still be good Christians. Why do people have sex outside of marriage? One word...orgasm. They want to experience pleasure, be it illicit or not, and so they seek pleasure, and they receive it. Where's the problem here? It's not seen as immoral is it? How is drug taking different; done carefully you receive an awesome high without any real harm. There's danger having sex...STIs, there's dangers taking drugs. But there's no real, true, pressing harm with either of them. Do you think ravers would risk their lives every week taking pills? If there was a real risk they wouldn't.
Why is recreational drug use seen as the antithesis to being a good Christian?
Jesus, the son of God himself, regularly injested a substance deemed by scientists as more harmful than many current illicit drugs now. You know what I'm talking about; Jesus himself drank wine. And where's it's true that Jesus wasn't drinking himself into a blind stupor every Friday night on Nazareth 2-for-1 tequila shots, the fact remains that instead of choosing water, he chose wine. He even changed water into wine. If we look at Isaiah 55:1, it's positively encouraged
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost".
Lets not forget that every week at the Eucharist we drink wine; proclaiming it to be the Blood of Christ. So, ok, I hope that establishes the issue with wine. However, if we can drink alcohol, why not other drugs, considering alcohol is generally accepted to be far more harmful?
What does it say in the bible about drugs? Nothing. So we're forced to make inferences from other passages, such as 'your body is a temple'. This is true, your body is a temple, however, that covers a multitude of things. Do we condemn fat people at church? They're ruining their bodies and risking heart attacks (not to mention the gross greedyness they display). They ruin their bodies; the bodies provided to them by Christ himself. Furthermore, do we condemn them as being unchristian? No. We don't. If your body is a temple; they've set fire to their temple and let a waging bull smash up the interior.
So...the hard stuff. The stuff no one talks about. DRUGS (no, I'm not talking about crack or heroin though). LSD can't harm you; it leaves your blood stream very quickly, neither can ecstasy, neither can mdma, neither will weed, neither does alcohol in moderation... I'm not ruining my body; I don't plan on becoming a coke addict, or spending the rest of my life as an alcoholic. Your body is a temple, true, but I'm not especially damaging it. It's a momentary pleasure I receive, but it doesn't ruin my body in the long run. I'm not sick; I'm not ill. I'm perfectly healthy (much healthier then a fat person who does no drugs and never drinks). So why am I to be condemned? Drugs, in moderation, are not harmful, and we all know it. Leah Betts did not die from ecstasy but too much water (but that's a different issue). My point is... drugs aren not harmful in moderation, so why is it so looked down upon to do drugs and be a Christian. Obviously, becoming a drug addict/alcoholic is bad, but that's not likely to happen unless you're completely stupid about it. Recreational drugs is not harmful.
And further along this thinking, lets look at concupiscence (basically sex outside of marriage). In 2009, do we condemn people who shag outside of marriage? No, we accept they can still be good Christians. Why do people have sex outside of marriage? One word...orgasm. They want to experience pleasure, be it illicit or not, and so they seek pleasure, and they receive it. Where's the problem here? It's not seen as immoral is it? How is drug taking different; done carefully you receive an awesome high without any real harm. There's danger having sex...STIs, there's dangers taking drugs. But there's no real, true, pressing harm with either of them. Do you think ravers would risk their lives every week taking pills? If there was a real risk they wouldn't.
Why is recreational drug use seen as the antithesis to being a good Christian?
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Holly, you're going to hell.
Basically, a good Christian wouldn't take any substance which is harmful to the body.
Because, you're trying to reflect Christ in your life.
If you honestly think Jesus walking in on you in an acid trip would please him, I really would suggest rereading your bible.
If you honestly think Jesus walking in on you in an acid trip would please him, I really would suggest rereading your bible.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+6:19-20
Read that and tell me what you make of it!
Read that and tell me what you make of it!
Some christians would have once used certain herbs and plants to aid them in contemplaiting religion and philosophy. Some still do.
Personally, I think 'the body is a temple' says it all really. Don't harm yourself or your life because all life is sacred.
But some things in moderation aren't so bad. Such as alcohol. When the Bible was written, they probably would not have known how harmful alcohol can be (not to mention the fact that the wine would probably have been less alcoholic and less harmful). Wine stands for luxury and enjoying nice things rather than a substance that impacts your mind or body.
I think you have to use your intuition. Obviously if something hurts you, it's not what God wants.
Personally, I think 'the body is a temple' says it all really. Don't harm yourself or your life because all life is sacred.
But some things in moderation aren't so bad. Such as alcohol. When the Bible was written, they probably would not have known how harmful alcohol can be (not to mention the fact that the wine would probably have been less alcoholic and less harmful). Wine stands for luxury and enjoying nice things rather than a substance that impacts your mind or body.
I think you have to use your intuition. Obviously if something hurts you, it's not what God wants.
Dorito
No Christain would ever preach breaking the law....
No Christain would ever preach breaking the law....
Wasn't Jesus persecuted under the legal system at the time (ruled by religion) which ultimately led to his crusifiction?
So I'm not a Christian, but surely if it's OK for the big man to defy the law then surely it should be OK for any Christian as long as they're abiding by their religion.
My view is very much that if you are a Christian one of the few things your religion does not prevent you from doing is indulging moderately in drugs and alcohol.
But I think the key point is one that you mentioned early on.
There's a big BIG difference between having wine with a meal and getting drunk.
The key here is context. It's about control and inhibitions. I think if it were possible to be a good Christian while on drugs then sure Christianity wouldn't necessarily condemn the drugs for the sake of them. But there's no way that you can justify the uninhibited behaviour.
Not to mention that I think many of your claims about drugs are seriously misguided.
And since when was Christianity ok with fornication?! It tends to go untalked about, in the same way that - as you rightly say - many Christians DO drink. But find me a priest who says it's ok...
There's a big BIG difference between having wine with a meal and getting drunk.
The key here is context. It's about control and inhibitions. I think if it were possible to be a good Christian while on drugs then sure Christianity wouldn't necessarily condemn the drugs for the sake of them. But there's no way that you can justify the uninhibited behaviour.
Not to mention that I think many of your claims about drugs are seriously misguided.
And since when was Christianity ok with fornication?! It tends to go untalked about, in the same way that - as you rightly say - many Christians DO drink. But find me a priest who says it's ok...
Dorito
Taking illegal drugs is supirisngly ILLEGAL!
No Christain would ever preach breaking the law....
Taking illegal drugs is supirisngly ILLEGAL!
No Christain would ever preach breaking the law....
I'm sure they would. Christians in ancient Rome constantly broke the law before Christianity became the official religion.
It was illegal to be Catholic in post-reformation Britain etc etc...
echo.echo
I reckon Christians wouldn't take drugs because many lead to lack of self-control (i.e. excessive amounts of alcohol or other drugs like heroin) & self-control is important for Christians to live godly lives.
Recreational drug use does not generally lead to harder crap like heroin.
The Bible doesn't condemn drinking alcohol, but it condemns drunkenness in several places.
Google brings up the following:
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Luke 21:34
Envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:21
Google brings up the following:
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Luke 21:34
Envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:21
& as to the whole sexual immorality thing, it has become more acceptable in the UK for example to have sex outside marriage in our society, but essentially Bible-believing Christians will not have this view. The Bible says that sex was made for marriage. Many people in the past & today call themelves Christians but do not follow large parts of the Bible, instead picking & choosing which parts suit them.
i smoke weed sometimes and im a good christian !!!!
You are putting worldly pleasures and feelings before God. You know that it is wrong, otherwise you wouldn't be making this thread. Jesus said that to "lLove the Lord your God above all things" was the greatest commandment. And despite what you said, shagging before marriage isn't quite condemned but it is frowned upon by the Church. None of us are perfect and we never will be so of course we can't always put God first in our lives, but if you don't want to be a hypocritical Christian then you should at least try to.
Why can't I love God and do drugs? Being high once a week and occasionally doing pills; big deal if I still spend 4 days out of 7 helping people/in church etc..
Bubbles*de*Milo
Recreational drug use does not generally lead to harder crap like heroin.
Bubbles*de*Milo
LSD can't harm you; it leaves your blood stream very quickly, neither can ecstasy, neither can mdma, neither will weed,
Ecstacy kills about 8 people every year, & smoking is thought to increase the likelihood of mental illness such as schizophrenia.
I think the main issue with any 'drug' use whether recreational or other is that people become addicted/dependant on it & this in turn can be described as an idol taking their focus away from God.
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