Pot - marijuana - weed - inviting a Christian response

Oct 17^th (469 words)

Pot/marijuana/weed is legal in Canada.  What do you think?  Should we hold a mass rally demonstrating against it?  Should we hold a party celebrating it?  Should we blink twice and go on with our lives?  What about using it as an opportunity to think about our consumer society?  In this post I’m announcing my thoughts on Pot – I invite debate and discussion!

We are brought up thinking that if it feels good and doesn’t hurt anyone it can’t be wrong… but is this the case? 

Here are some thoughts for Christians - coming from someone who has never had a THC high.

1) The altered state caused by smoking one joint (I have heard) puts you in an altered state of controlled drunkenness.  A friend at work explained to me that you get more “drunken effect” for your buck when pot is compared to alcohol.  

If you’re looking for a high – the Holy Spirit is way better and he doesn’t increase your chances of Schizophrenia (See Ephesians 5:18 or 1 Peter 5:8).

2) Don’t be a slave.  Though some researches say that pot is the least addictive substance (compared to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs) it is still addictive.  It can easily become a psychological crutch that is required for a person to relax (1 Corinthians 6:12 and 2 Peter 2:19).

3) Don’t let pleasure be your idol.  Do you worship pleasure?  Does your life revolve around the constant search to be happy?  Pot gives temporary happiness for a price.  True happiness comes not through a search for happiness – but in finding God and allowing him to transform us from unhealthy lies and thought patterns.  God frees us to live in a way that produces happiness as a bi-product.  The chief end of humankind is to love and worship God and enjoy him forever (2 Timothy 3:4).

4) As Christians, your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Why put things into your body that can be harmful?  Why not care for your body and put things into your body that builds it up? (2 Corinthians 6:19-20).

5) Your testimony is the book you write on the hearts of the people around you.  I don’t think that looking for God’s glory will be helped by the hazy cloud caused by Marijuana.  Studies show that it won’t help a Christian walk through the complicated terrain we face every day – it only makes people more unmotivated, unambitious, and unproductive (2 Corinthians 8:21 and 1 Timothy 4:12).

These reflections have come out of the joint discussions of the churches in our network called Xtension.  They open up many more questions: how do we respond to energy drinks, alcohol, smoking, sugar, coffee, potato chips, video games, facebook addiction etc?

Please share these reflections if you think they might help someone.