Christianity and Drugs.

LSD specifically.

do you guys that the two can correlate in one life? can you be a christian and use drugs at the same time? and i know some people are going to give all that "decide for yourselve don't listen to laws made by the church we are all God thing", but to me that just seems like self-worship. If i could decide all the rules for myself, then why would I follow Christianity in the first place? I would just follow myself. Just, what im trying to say that from a traditional view is it bad? I can't find anything written that says it is. help please, thanks.

 

There is evidence to suggest that people who use drugs have less religion in their lives.

There are many references in the Bible to suggest that it is against drug use

1 Thessalonians 5:6/ Philippians 4/ 1 Corinthians 6:20/ 1 Corinthians 10:31

Drugs do not fit into a Christian lifestyle, Jesus taught be of a sober mind, if we follow Him, I guess it means do what He did.

But there will be many different views on this, I guess it's something you do decide for yourself.

Saying that, doing drugs will not be what keeps you from Heaven, not having a personal relationship is what keeps one from Heaven.

 

the church has no authority in such a private matter , and it certainly is a sober one . lsd would make 40 days in the wilderness quite a bit shorter ? maybe . maybe you gotta have a chemical jolt to the brain to even get you to the woods , i don't know ...

i was an iowa farm kid who ate the lsd . not much , like three times , and those trips were all visionary movies . here's the essence one : seven spirits there are in a man . they arise and fly from my body into the air . these spirits are then changed and become anew , then re-enter , aligned across my chest . today , this is how i still feel seven spirits within this man .

 

"There is evidence to suggest that people who use drugs have less religion in their lives."

Really???

I would have to counter that people who do drugs are often quite strong about their feelings towards the divine. The difference being that they are independent thinkers and don't subscribe to the mass programming of religion.

Religion is seen as a part of the status quo. Most independent thinkers are adverse to the status qou.

As for drugs and Christianity, while its NOT going to get you sent to hell, it make may it more difficult to weigh things accurately. Christianity included.

If you decide to do drugs, weigh that with accuracy as well. You might have a short encounter with them or you might make it a lifelong affair. Either way, there is danger of addiction.

Can't serve two masters.



x

 

I did a scholar search and it came up with a paper saying that evidence shows that people who take drugs/ alcohol had less religion in their life. Obviously, it can't be generalised and I didn't read the whole article so don't know who they looked at, or whether it only looked at religion per say rather than included spirituality. I can have a look for the link if you want.

 

That would help. It would be interesting to see how the author defined having "religion in their lives" and what drugs he's talking about. Some of the folks in these forums are certainly true believers, if not churchgoers, and seem to be flying high.

 

there is no decision to do drugs. I already do them. I was just wondering what other people thought of it since im a Christian. Im definatly not serving two masters, and im not addicted. it's just i've had bad trips before b/c i've been so worried about whether i was sinning or not. i mean....really really bad trips.



moon beam, im gonna have to disagree with you on that statement you made. people that have been sober their entire lives have a very negative perception on drugs, b/c A) they have been told it is bad, and B) they have never done it. to me this is exactly what the church wants. i think LSD makes you realise a lot of things. especially when it comes to your spirituality.

 

I have worked with many, many people who use/ have used drugs, so I know of the damage they cause, so I can't agree that they are good. There are many christian rehabs around so I think christians there have experience.

It is not hard to have a negative view on drugs, when you see the crap it causes, not only to the person, but to family. So, I don't like them because of personal experience, I don't think the church has made me think that.

You asked for a christian perspective and I gave you what Jesus said!

 

Moon Beam, LSD and Jesus teaching's fit gland in gland with a spoonful of miracles. Personal experience that you dont like them? Well, if your talking about cocain, opiates, meth, and alcohol abuse, I see where your coming from. But psychedelics? Trust me, until you know, you just dont know. There is a WHOLE different world right under your nose. And many acid and magic mushroom eaters have come to the same conclusion that "the Kingdom of Heaven is within you" but it seems that the average Christain church goer just doesnt want to believe that the Kingdom is in your neighbor as much as yourself. -

 

I know ok and I don't believe drugs will help you find heaven in that sense. I think yes, acid may help you realise things you may not otherwise, but Jesus would not say "yeah, why not, they will help you find heaven within you".

The kingdom is in your neighbour? I believe Jesus is in you, and everyone, but the kingdom is a place will have to get to, but I don't think through drugs.

 

You may be right Moon Beam
Luv you either way!
namaste my friends and family

 

Well Moon, you didn't actually quote Jesus, but paul's letters.

"it's not what goes into a person ['s mouth] that makes them unclean, but what comes out"

may be applicable here.

 

There are many references from Jesus in the bible about staying sober, which are applied to both drink and drugs.

Although, the bible does not preach against total abstinance as wine is used in Holy Communion.

I could come back with references from Matthew 18:8-9. 'If your hand causes you to sin cut it off' etc.

 

But in order to quote that you're already assuming that to consume the drug is a sin in the first place. It's if..then... in the wrong order.

Also wine being used in holy communion was not pertinent at the time of Jesus, since there was only passover and revelry. Holy Communion didn't exist. We took Jesus message of "do this in remembrance of me" and added other symbols to create holy communion.

As for staying sober, it's true that keeping a sound mind is all over the teachings of Jesus. But again, that's assuming that drug X renders you not of sound mind. Which is not always the case. Regardless of your opinions of this (the sound mind argument), without actual experience it's hard to make claims one way or the other.

I believe there is a level that certain drugs can be used responsibly and a level at which they become damaging. Certainly not every drug experimenters life is a shambles. Which harkens to your statement earlier about not serving two masters.

 

In terms of addiction yes.

Holy communion comes from the Last Supper in which Jesus broke the bread of His body and gave the wine as His blood. So communion is for want of a better word a replication of the last supper.

 

If that is to me, I didn't make the statement of serving two masters.

I have experience, I said this earlier. I agree that there is a level drugs can be damaging, but I'm not sure about responsibly. But that is my opinion.

 

That's not entirely true. For example, water is added to the wine to symbolize the spear being thrust into his side to confirm if he was dead (not breaking the legs as usual so as to fulfill "no bone on his body shall be broken" prophecy). Also, we've added that by consuming his blood and body and partaking in this sacrament we are forgiven, etc.

So while parts of the sacrament come from the last supper there is much more "baggage" than that. Aside from this the method in which communion is distributed in the catholic church varies greatly from the eastern churches. Which is why I said we've sort of blown out his "do this in remembrance of me" statement from the last supper. It's the fathers of the churches that decided on the symbolism and the methods behind communion not Jesus.

Sorry about attributing the comment of the two masters to you, re-reading I see I was mistaken.

Also, you only mention experience with the negative aspects of drugs... working with addicts etc. I was refering to experience in using drugs responsibly, which I'm not sure if you've done or not.

 

No worries!

I know people who use drugs when out and to socialise etc, but although they claim that they are in control and know that they can handle it and are using them responsibily, I see something different.

I don't think I have a particularly christian view on drugs, I now don't use any and I can't understand why they are needed or why people would want to. Although people I know do and I am not going to stop them, only look out for them.

 

Well... everyone is different, perhaps we can leave it at that.

Also I should mention I don't think all drugs are created equal. Or can stand up to the defense that I've suggested.

It's all you can do. I'm sure they appreciate it, even if they don't say it.