What does the Bible say about doing drugs?

[CENTRO ANTI-BLASFEMIA]

What does the Bible say about doing drugs?

Question: "What does the Bible say about doing drugs?"

Answer: The Bible does not directly address any form of illicit drug
use. There are no express prohibitions against cocaine, heroin,
ecstasy (MDMA), or methamphetamines (Meth). There is no mention of
marijuana, cannabis, peyote, magic mushrooms, or acid (LSD). Nothing
is said about huffing, snorting, dropping, smoking, shooting, licking,
or any other method of ingestion. This is not to say, however, that
recreational drug use is permissible. On the contrary, there are
several very clear biblical principles that place drug use well
outside the realm of acceptable behavior.

To begin with, Christians are under a universal mandate to respect and
obey the laws of the land (Deuteronomy 17:2; Ecclesiastes 8:2-5;
Matthew 22:21; 23:2-3; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17; 2
Peter 2:9-11). The ONLY instance in which we are allowed to disobey
the laws of the land is when the laws violate any divine imperatives
(Daniel 3 and 6; Acts 5:29). There are no other exceptions to this
rule. Contrary to popular belief, simply disagreeing with a law does
not constitute a license for breaking that law.

Many have argued that marijuana does not warrant prohibition. They
contend that smoking pot in defiance of the law is justifiable on
these grounds and in light of (what they perceive to be) the hypocrisy
of outlawing weed while allowing nicotine and alcohol consumption.
Those who argue this point may be sincere in their conviction, but
they are mistaken nonetheless. Heartfelt disdain for the law does not
justify impunity towards it, as our Lord Himself made clear. While
rebuking the Pharisees for turning the Law of Moses into an
excessively oppressive yoke, Christ still required His disciples to
submit to their unfairly harsh demands (Matthew 23:1-36, especially
1-4). Dutiful submission to authority and patient perseverance through
unjust suffering and/or perceived unfairness (1 Peter 2:18-23) is
God’s high standard for us – even if that means having to abstain from
marijuana in compliance with “unfair” legislation.

Not only are we to submit to authority for submission’s sake, born-
again Christians are further constrained by a mandate to live above
reproach for the sake of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 10:32; 2
Corinthians 4:2; 6:3; Titus 2:1-8; 2 Peter 3:14). Needless to say,
criminality is highly reproachable.

Obviously, this first principle does not impact drug users living in
nations like the Netherlands where recreational drug use is legal and
permissible. There are, however, more universally applicable
principles. For example, Christians are all required to be good
stewards of what God has entrusted to us, regardless of our national
identity (Matthew 25:13-30). This includes our earthly bodies.
Unfortunately, illicit drug use is an extremely effective way to
destroy your health, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally
as well.

As Dr. Alan Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse
(NIDA) explains, “The most immediate, extensive, and long-lasting
problems caused by drug abuse, both for individuals and for society,
are often medical in nature. For example, known drug-abuse-related
health problems and resulting lost productivity alone cost our society
more than $33 billion each year. Illicit drugs directly cause many
medical problems. Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine
increase the heart rate while constricting the blood vessels. In
susceptible individuals, these two actions together set the stage for
cardiac arrhythmias and strokes. The club drug
methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, also called "ecstasy"), which
many users mistakenly believe to be safe, has caused malignant
hyperthermia, permanent kidney damage, and death. MDMA also damages
serotonin nerve fibers in the brain. Heroin can cause a life-
threatening kidney condition called focal glomerulosclerosis. The list
continues: NIDA research has shown that almost every drug of abuse
harms some tissue or organ.” (Addressing the Medical Consequences of
Drug Abuse, NIDA Notes, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 2000; available to be
read online at http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_notes/NNVol15N1/DirRepVol15N1.html)

Marijuana, while being the least harmful of all of the illicit drugs,
is still potentially lethal. Marijuana enthusiasts (“potheads”) take
comfort in the fact that, unlike most other illicit drugs, it is
seemingly impossible to fatally overdose on weed by means of normal
consumption (i.e. smoking it). But this does nothing to diminish the
potentially fatal risks of lung cancer, emphysema, and other forms of
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by marijuana
smoke. While marijuana can be ingested without smoking it, thereby
eliminating these risks, there still remain negative physiological and
psychological consequences including damage to the reproductive
system, the immune system, and cognitive ability.

Beyond stewardship, as Christians, our bodies are not our own. We
“have been bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), not “with
perishable things like silver or gold . . . but with precious blood,
as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter
1:17-19). Having bought us with His own life, Christ has delighted to
create in us something entirely new, something somewhat bizarre. By
indwelling us with His Spirit, He has turned us into organic temples
of sorts. So now, caring for our health is not just a matter of good
stewardship. It is a matter of reverential piety. To pollute or harm
our bodies is to desecrate the House of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
This is both wondrous and terrifying.

Another biblical principle concerns our susceptibility to deception.
As fallible creatures we are prone to delusion. And since we are the
objects of God’s intense affection, His enemies are our enemies. This
includes THE enemy, the Devil, the father of lies (John 8:44), a most
formidable and determined adversary. All of the apostolic exhortations
to remain sober-minded and alert (1 Corinthians 15:34; 1 Thessalonians
5:4-8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8) are designed to remind
us that we must be vigilant against the wiles of the Devil (1 Peter
5:8), who seeks to ensnare us through deception. Sobriety is also
important for prayer (1 Peter 4:7), as is obedience to God (Isaiah
1:10-17).

As for drug addiction, not all illicit drugs are physically addictive.
Nevertheless, they are all psychologically addictive. While most
people are familiar with physical addiction – the progressive
condition whereby the human body becomes physically dependent upon a
drug in order to function properly – psychological addiction is less
well-known. Psychological addiction is an enslavement of the mind,
often characterized by obsessive tendencies and a lack of desire to
quit. While physical addiction brings the body into subjection,
psychological addiction brings the will into submission. Users tend to
say things like, “I could quit if I wanted to, but I just don’t want
to.” This attitude tends to ensure a long-term pattern of drug use
whereby users become devotees in defiance of a very poignant biblical
principle. The fact is, no one can wholeheartedly serve two masters
(Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Any time spent kneeling before the god of
drugs is time spent with your back towards the God of the Bible.

In summary, the Bible teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present
world” (Titus 2:12).

Recommended Resource: Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen.

http://www.gotquestions.org/sin-drugs.html

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Question: "Medical marijuana - what does the Bible say?"

Answer: There is no definitive biblical answer to the question of
whether Christians should use medical marijuana, because marijuana for
medicinal use is not addressed in the Bible. However, after a review
of certain clear biblical principles, the answer to the question
becomes more clear.

First, although many states have legalized medical marijuana, its use
is still illegal according to federal law. Paul exhorts us to obey the
law of the land under our government in this way: “Everyone must
submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority
except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have
been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the
authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who
do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2).

In addition to the fact that it is illegal, smoking marijuana can be
extremely harmful to your health. The most potent argument against the
use of marijuana to treat medical disorders is that marijuana may
cause the acceleration or aggravation of the very disorders it is
being used to treat. Smoking marijuana regularly (a joint a day) can
damage the cells in the bronchial passages which protect the body
against inhaled microorganisms and decrease the ability of the immune
cells in the lungs to fight off fungi, bacteria, and tumor cells. For
patients with already weakened immune systems, this means an increase
in the possibility of dangerous pulmonary infections, including
pneumonia, which often proves fatal in AIDS patients. This study
suggests that the use of marijuana as a medical therapy can and does
have a very serious negative effect on patients with pre-existing
immune deficits from AIDS, organ transplantation, or cancer
chemotherapy, the very conditions for which marijuana has most often
been suggested as a treatment.

Another study indicated that a marijuana user's risk of heart attack
more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. The
researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana's
effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying
capacity of blood. Additionally, the smoke from cannabis—the plant
from which marijuana is derived—contains compounds that can damage DNA
and increase the risk of cancer just like tobacco smoke according to a
recent study from the United Kingdom. In laboratory tests, Rajinder
Singh from the University of Leicester and colleagues found certain
carcinogens in cannabis smoke in amounts 50 percent greater than those
found in tobacco smoke. They noted that light cannabis use could
possibly prove to be even more damaging because cannabis smokers
usually inhale more deeply than cigarette smokers. Researchers found
that the smoking of three to four cannabis cigarettes a day is
associated with the same degree of damage to bronchial mucus membranes
as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day. In truth, marijuana causes
short-term memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking
and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle
strength, increased heart rate and anxiety – and that’s just for
starters. According to the Mayo Clinic, marijuana smoke contains 50 to
70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke and has
the potential to cause cancer of the lungs and respiratory tract.
Clearly this is contradictory to the biblical mandate to keep our
bodies pure. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not
your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your
body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

In short, although there remains much research to be done in this
area, there are plenty of studies that indicate seriously deleterious
effects of marijuana on the body. The pain controlling or analgesic
effect of marijuana is roughly comparable to that of codeine,
according to the DEA. However, the effect is potentiated due to the
neuropsychiatric "high" feeling or euphoria that occurs when marijuana
enters the bloodstream. But marijuana is no panacea. A recent study
shows that high doses can actually increase pain. There is a
therapeutic window for analgesia, with low doses being ineffective,
medium doses resulting in pain relief, and high doses increasing pain.
It is important to note that researchers also found a significant
correlation between increasing marijuana use and drowsiness, loss of
control over thought and action, and transient depression and
paranoia.

The Bible teaches Christians to be sound of mind. "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The Greek word
translated as "sober" is nepho, which literally means "drink no wine."
From this it derived a broader meaning being self-controlled, free of
confusion, clear headed, sound of mind, or keeping your head. From
this verse, we can see that Christians are to avoid intoxicants that
impair clear thinking. Marijuana certainly seems to cloud thinking and
reaction time. According to the Kaiser study, daily marijuana users
have a 30 percent higher risk of injuries, presumably from accidents.
A survey of 1,023 emergency room trauma patients in Baltimore found
that more than 34 percent were under the influence of marijuana. And a
2005 study showed people who drive after using marijuana are almost
twice as likely to be involved in a fatal car crash.

Additionally, clouded thinking can lead to questionable moral choices.
Habakkuk warns, "Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, who mix in
your venom even to make them drunk so as to look on their
nakedness!" (Habakkuk 2:15). The reference to "mix in your venom" is
the ancient practice of adding herbs (or drugs) to wine to make its
intoxicating effects more potent. Christians have a hard enough time
battling temptations without making Satan's job easier by taking drugs
that alter one's judgment and self-control. Use of intoxicants has
also been closely associated with witchcraft and sorcery in the Bible.
The Greek word pharmakeia literally means "to administer drugs." As
with our English word "drugs," the context must be considered to
determine the meaning. In biblical times, pagans incorporated the use
of drugs to induce altered states of consciousness, during which they
supposedly communed with their gods. This would be similar to the
modern-day practice of voodoo. The apostles strongly condemned the use
of such drugs to produce altered mind states because they lowered
inhibitions and self-control. (Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 9:20-21;
21:8; 22:15). The Christian disciplines his body and keeps it under
control (1 Corinthians 9:27), so that he is able to set his mind on
things above (Colossians 3:2).

We must also consider the impact that the use of marijuana could have
on others. A person smoking marijuana may be encouraging someone else,
who may not have a medical justification, to use marijuana as well.
Anyone who truly wants to know the effects of legalizing medicinal
marijuana need look no further than California, where Proposition 215
passed in 1996. The law was written to target "seriously ill"
Californians, but the state’s Police Chiefs Association reports that
marijuana use by healthy youth and adults is "at epidemic levels."
Police officers regularly find parolees, probationers and gang members
in possession of both marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia. Even more
disturbing are children possessing physician recommendations and
routinely using marijuana. One unintended consequence of medical
marijuana is the promotion of its use by those who are not "seriously
ill." As Christians, we are called to avoid not only sin, but also any
activity that make cause our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin (1
Corinthians 8:9-13).

Finally, Satan is the great justifier. He always wants to help us
rationalize and justify sinning against God, almost making it seem
like the right thing to do. The same games people play in using the
Bible to try to justify many other sinful activities can used to
justify smoking pot. Taking verses out of context, stating a verse
means one thing when it clearly means another, making assumptions the
Word does not support, are all tricks the enemy will use to try to
justify smoking marijuana. We must never forget that Satan is a liar.
We must guard against these tactics in our own lives. Over 90% of the
marijuana used currently in this country is for recreational use.
Although many of those users have medical marijuana cards, in many
cases their marijuana has been prescribed by practitioners who are
employed by the dispensaries, have never examined the patient, are not
qualified to treat the conditions for which the marijuana is being
prescribed, and who have done nothing to validate the medical
necessity of the prescription. Although many people may be deceived by
such practices, God is not deceived. He will not be mocked (Galatians
6:7).

Recommended Resource: Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook,
Updated and Expanded by Dr. Walt Larimore.


http://www.gotquestions.org/medical-marijuana.html