Thursday; September 7

One of changes in society recently has been the legalization of marijuana. Many of us who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s could not have imagined that we would live in a time when marijuana could be used publicly and legally – but here we are – so what do we do with it from a “church” perspective? Throughout recent American history the use of marijuana was a violation of law, so it would fall under the condemnation of criminal activity; but now – in some places it is legal – so some of us will need to revisit our arguments. I am not sure where we’ll land on this issue in the future, but one thing that we need to keep in mind is the idea of its impact on our ability to logically process information. The Bible has warned against the use of any intoxicants – whether it was wine or hard liquor, so I would assume that cannabis intoxication would fall under the same heading, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1). As we look further into the New Testament, there are also warnings against “drunkenness” which could make a case against avoiding addiction.

I realize that many of my opinions about marijuana come from the times in which I was raised and some of the occupations I have had. However, no matter where this discussion leads us in the future, let’s make sure we understand the dangers of any kind of intoxication – whether legal or not. Let’s make sure we do all we can to maintain our good sense in all we do.

Think About It!

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