Christianity and psychedelics/cannabis

In your opinion, is using psychedelic drugs/cannabis responsibly sinful?

Just curious, please no closed minded assholes.

Because i am catholic and smoke weed and wanna try lsd/other psychedelics for the experience, the enlightenment etc. but i always have a guilt for doing so. I believe this deep down guilt is from the taboo of all drugs growing up making me feel subconsciously guilty.

 

There is nothing inherently or morally wrong with taking drugs IMO as long as you aren't purposefully trying to injure yourself or someone else. It's how you view it, so if you've gone your whole life letting others tell you it's sinful then that's how you're going to feel until you decide to change your perspective. Do you truly believe it's wrong? What about Christians who smoke cigs, drink alcohol (sacramental wine hypocritical much??) or take hardcore prescription meds, is it not sinful simply because they are legal activities?

 

I agree, but as far as tobacco smokers and drinkers, many christians say moderate alcohol use and tobacco use don't get you high and the high is the sinfulness because you shouldn't seek pleasure in things besides God and because normal drugs change your state of mind... Or so they say... I disagree, but thats one argument my mother makes against drugs, saying changing your state of mind is a sin because it makes you more prone to the devil.... another reason is because the bible speaks out against drunkenness and most christians seem to think high and drunk are the same.... but i think the reason drunk is a sin is because it may lead you too sinning... but when i'm baked, i am aware of sins etc. idk about acid, maybe not, but if i have a trip sitter they will keep me from doing stupid shit.

 

There are even some psychedelic based, Christian and catholic oriented religious groups out there. 'Santo Daime' and I believe 'The Temple of inner light' I'm not sure how your average Christian church goer would view these groups.

 

I am Catholic, a bit of a traditional moderate in terms of theology.

Alcohol is not sinful in and of itself, Jesus turned roughly 30 litres or so of water into wine (the best wine). He did not just consort with drunkards, he was called one.

If someone were to drink so to fall into other sins, then the act of getting drunk has become sinful. If you get so drunk, you are too hungover to go to Mass, then it is sinful. An alcoholic, or someone prone to alcoholism, in good conscience, should avoid alcohol because of the near occasion of sin.

You have to define what is responsible? Is buying illegal substances and thereby funding illicit activities responsible or moral? The archbishop here has recently took a stance against the reception of money from casino's and lotteries to fund schools because of the type of destructfull activity that it can encourage. That is what I mainly would argue with. Even though as a substance, marijuana may not tbe the most harmful, its illegality can make it very destructive. Does complicitness in sinful activity make you a sinner, I'd argue yes. The fact that it is illegal could also lend the argument towards sinfulness if you are willing to accept that argument.

Not that it takes your mind off of God, or that it makes you more prone to the devil (which is really just a crude way of saying that it can lead to the occasion of sin).

 

Hmm ok, I see what you're saying but also don't agree with it. To me, the argument should be against whether or not you are harming your body (your "temple") with the toxins of drugs and certainly habitual tobacco and alcohol use is far more harmful for your body than marijuana and occasional psychedelic use. It's one of those dead-end strawman arguments against someone who believes altered states caused by drugs leave you prone to sin, but doesn't think there is a difference between being drunk and high... isn't that a contradiction? Some people are just so set in their ways but they won't try drugs to see for themselves so all they have is this opinion/belief they have come to based on what others have told them their whole lives. Unfortunately those are generally the toughest minds to change.

You are right about different states of awareness of drunk vs. high. Some drugs (alcohol) lower your inhibitions and leave you more prone to doing stupid things, others heighten your awareness and don't inhibit your ability to make sensible decisions. But someone who can't makeup their mind whether being drunk is better or the same as being high will never understand that.

 

so basically you are saying the fact that most drugs are illegal is what would make them sinful... in a way i sort of agree, but i believe drugs being illegal is an unjust law therefore canceling out the sinfulness of it... and i don't think contributing to sinful activity is a sin itself... for example, say you give a homeless man money... he then takes that money and spends it on a prostitute. does that mean you have sinned? hell no.....

 

Yep. If drugs were legal and taxed and regulated, the cartel/illicit activities that go along with selling said illicit substances wouldn't exist. So legalize drugs and general sin levels will decrease. Hey, aren't we supposed to keep church and state separated?

 

I dont really have much to comment in regards to your original question of it being a sin or not but I will add to discussion.

Based on my psychedelic experiences I find it hard to associate with any sort of religious belief involving scripture and what not. Direct experience with psychedelics is the be all end all to having a 'belief' in these compounds. That possibly may not even sound drastically different than your Christian beliefs. (although I assure you I do not go to bed at night talking to dmt elves and salvia spirits) With these experiences in mind though I would find it extremely hard to reconcile with any sort of Christian type faith. I have not had a spiritual Christian experience thus far in my life so perhaps if that were to happen my views would change but I essentially see them as incompatible views of the holy or mystical.

You are young I believe though, so perhaps self exploration is good, perhaps you really just want to get fucked up, but if you are firm in your Christian beliefs and earnest in your exploration of psychedelics, take a heavy dose of whatever that first psychedelic you try.

 

catholic guilt is the killer, not trying drugs.
if god really loves us, she wants us to experience life.

 

In your last example regarding a homeles sman and a prostitue (or alcohol or whatever), there is a difference between that and buying drugs.

In the homeless case, you did not know that he would do that type of thing (a better thing to do would be to buy the guy a coffee or sandwich or whatever rather than money stright up). In the drugs case, you know or at least you do now, tht your money goes to directly fun other illegal and harmful activities (like prostitutes, pushing drugs on young children, violence domestically and abroad et cetera).

I do not think that sinfulness is specifically linked to illegality either. It is legal to perform abortions, but that is intrinsicly evil. There are degrees of sin. Drugs I do not think are a mortal sin (unless lead you to turn away from God or something), but merely a venial sin in that they are no the most serious issue. If it causes you to spend all you money on them and your family has no food, then yes mortal sin.

Drugs are illegal, and you may regard them as an unjust law, but the render to Ceasar what is Ceasar's basically means we need to obey civil law, unless there is a serious reason no to (such as having to declare your governing person a god...).

 

smoking pot is certainly not sinful....

 

IIts late so i am not all there right now, but are you basically saying the lsd trip makes you go against christian faith? if so then it could be considered a near occasion to sin but i don't care because if god exists and is that powerful then this shouldn't matter. thanks for all the help man.

 

My collective psychedelic experience makes it difficult to incorporate, believe and participate in the institution of the church and dogmatic beliefs of Christian faith.

I was not really religious in any sense prior to LSD so I dont know if it necessarily made me 'go against Christian faith.' I read many people's trip experiences and I have occassionally read the LSD trip reaffirming and strengthening some people's Christian beliefs.

 

It seems to me you had already made up your mind but now want validation.

 

For more information regarding cannabis, refer to Genesis 1: 29, 30...this tells me that the ingestion of weed isn't "sinful".
And as far as buying "illegal" drugs and that alone making it sinful (which I have a hard time accepting), insofar as marijuana goes...one need not purchase it from anyone, if one is able to germinate a seed. I'm just sayin' I think weed should be in a category all by itself.
I totally agree with Ukr-Cdn on drinking and its "sinfulness". I grew up in a Baptist church and their stance on drinking is to NOT DO IT. When (as a teenager) I questioned how drinking could be wrong and yet Jesus's 1st miracle was to turn water into wine - I was told to shut up, quit "hunting up foolish questions", etc. lol Needless to say, those weren't viable suggestions to me.
If you are determined to do acid, nothing said here will change your mind. I would suggest you pray on this 1st, especially since you indicate you are a believer.

 

acid will make you more "christ-like" than alcohol and weed combined... tho the long route is easier on the psyche

 

In the state of California possession of of more than 28.5 grams of Marijuana without a license is a sin, no matter how stupid the law is, its the law and we have to follow it, but I doubt you've ever had 30+ grams of weed under your bed (maybe you have idk) dealers aren't necessarily sinning either if they get it from a medicinal grower, due to the Californian laws pertaining to private transactions (It all depends on your lawyer though, most of the time its better to pay a small fine than a good lawyer), however since your mother disapproves you should stay clean till you move out, God blesses obedience though, A good example of what God's opinion is on obeying your parents is in Jeremiah 35 The Rekabites were commanded by their common ancestor never to drink alcohol (or live in houses) But they were all grown and did not need to obey him, so God commanded them to drink wine, through the prophet Jeremiah and they refused, and God blessed them for their obedience by not killing them when he killed everyone else in the area, because they obeyed when they didnt have to, especially since what they were told was pretty dumb

 

If marijuana became legal, or you had doctor consent, and you don't allow cannabis to sway you to commit sin or think of vain philosophies that causes you to overlook Christianity, then it's not a sin. Just don't let it control you. It's all about moderation but once it changes our behaviors in a negative direction then it should be stopped.

I mainly agree with Ukr on this matter.

 

cannabis and other entheogens are gifts of the gods.
what has that to do with christianity?