The Christian case for drug law reform...

[PaulF]

But if a loved one got caught up in meth or heroin or some other addictive, destructive drug; would you not wish that the use of that drug had been discouraged as strongly as possible and as such perhaps he or she would not have known someone who would introduce them to it under the less lax enforcement

The way you slow the spread of an epidemic is to target points of transmission rather than those already infected

I think the best way to discourage drug use is to interact with people on drugs.

That is why I rarely drink, and rarer still to any excess...I don't like the way people (myself or others) behave when intoxicated, and I don't want to be one of those people.

People should have access to the real dangers involved with drug use, and know what the actual effects are before consuming them. When you have seen a few people throw their lives away for the love of cocaine you start to get the impression that the stuff is only fun for a while. That's all the info I need, legal or not.

As to prescriptions, as Fozoe asked earlier?

I don't think the government should be involved with what chemicals go into my body. If I want to put something strong, like adderol or oxycontin, into my body I should be allowed to go to a reputable chemist and buy the compounds I desire.

Now, I think it should be well within the pharmacist's right to refuse to sell a compound to a potential client without proper medical advice, and a perscription seems like a good way to allow for that.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I don't think the government should be involved with what chemicals go into my body. If I want to put something strong, like adderol or oxycontin, into my body I should be allowed to go to a reputable chemist and buy the compounds I desire.

Now, I think it should be well within the pharmacist's right to refuse to sell a compound to a potential client without proper medical advice, and a perscription seems like a good way to allow for that.

All of this. I hate when I agree with atheists

 

[ATM]

All of this. I hate when I agree with atheists

Atheists aren't immune to truth, they simply dismiss the source.

 

[JettaKnight]

Ephesians 5:18King James Version (KJV)

[SUP]18 [/SUP]And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;


Besides the obvious admonition from the Lord to not be drunk or high, when those of lesser means need their fix, they rob, steal and murder, and drug use is not a victim-less crime. It`s unfortunate that prohibition failed, because alcohol has taken a great many lives and ruined a great deal more lives.

Rep. Bob Morris, is that you?

 

[JettaKnight]

Huh? Ever hear of the Great Commission? It was not about political parties, it was about telling people of the Gospel, and converting them to follow His Commandments.

True, but the Great Commission is to spread the gospel to all and make disciples of men, not to set up a theocracy.

 

[Woobie]

I'm interested to see the scripture reference where Christ petitioned Ceasar or the Sanhedrin to make drunkeness a crime.

 

[steveh_131]

I'm interested to see the scripture reference where Christ petitioned Ceasar or the Sanhedrin to make drunkeness a crime.

He didn't even petition the Jewish legal system to do so.

In fact, when the Jewish legal system was in punishment mode, He shut them down.

 

[HoughMade]

Laws or no laws, the issue for me is use.

The Bible is clear that intoxication (drunkedness) is to be avoided. Regardless of the source of that intoxication, any use that is mood altering or self-control altering is off limits for me.

I will say that saying that God created everything good and therefore anything God created should not be off limits misses the point and the ultimate impact of Genesis 3.

We are not living in the world as God created it. Therefore, that argument is inaccurate, but it being inaccurate doesn't mean that every drug law is wise.

As for the laws, like I said, i don't have strong feelings about them. As far as I can tell, the state laws, at least, were passed following the Constitution, so the people, through their representatives can decide whether they want MJ use to be legal or illegal. The federal laws are more problematic from an originalist perspective....except if they are strictly limited to drugs that actually cross state lines, but again, the people through their representatives can change the laws.

 

[steveh_131]

As for the laws, like I said, i don't have strong feelings about them.

My strong feelings about them certainly don't stem from the Bible. You're right, Genesis has nothing to do with it. God created everything, and basically everything that he created can still be used to sin.

My strong feelings stem from both individual liberty and practicality. Prohibition didn't work a century ago and it doesn't work now. It's expensive, it's stupid, and it erodes at all of the rest of our liberties that even conservatives value.

 

[2A_Tom]

I found this article interesting. As neither a conservative nor a Christian I am curious as to how well this message resounds with its intended audience. Does it sound reasonable to you? Why or why not?

I am all for decriminalization of Marijuana. In fact, I would like to go much farther, will full recreational legalization of Marijuana, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and MDMA (Ecstasy). There is a difference between occasional drug use and drug addiction. The creation and support of black markets only increases the criminal activity associated with drug use, which in turn serves to legitimize an ever-increasing police state atmosphere.

What does INGO think?

This is an old saw of stoners with christian upbringing who want to justify the abuse of their bodies.

 

[HoughMade]

...My strong feelings stem from both individual liberty and practicality. Prohibition didn't work a century ago and it doesn't work now. It's expensive, it's stupid, and it erodes at all of the rest of our liberties that even conservatives value.

That's a good reason for you to try to get the law changed. People who have strong feelings one way or the other should be making their voices heard.

 

[ATM]

That's a good reason for you to try to get the law changed. People who have strong feelings one way or the other should be making their voices heard.

They typically make their voices heard on everything except the fact that vices are not crimes, no matter what the majority feel or allow rulers to impose.

Everything you might do is somehow a crime against the State.

 

[HoughMade]

Philosophies and theories are all fine and good. If a duly elected legislature passes a constitutional law that makes something a crime and it's signed into law, it's a crime. Don't like it? There's a process to repeal the law. Whether it should be illegal is a great debate to have and that's where the philosophies and theories come in.

 

[ATM]

Philosophies and theories are all fine and good. If a duly elected legislature passes a constitutional law that makes something a crime and it's signed into law, it's a crime. Don't like it? There's a process to repeal the law. Whether it should be illegal is a great debate to have and that's where the philosophies and theories come in.

There's a process to nullify laws, too.

This is particularly important to keep in mind for all the legislative "crimes" that don't qualify as crimes at all.

 

[poptab]

2 things

Bacon is mood altering. Should we make bacon illegal?

Oh no not Jury nullification

 

[Woobie]

Philosophies and theories are all fine and good. If a duly elected legislature passes a constitutional law that makes something a crime and it's signed into law, it's a crime. Don't like it? There's a process to repeal the law. Whether it should be illegal is a great debate to have and that's where the philosophies and theories come in.

Well that's the debate we're having. I think most of us understand that it is the current law and we should abide by those laws. The arguments here have been for or against the existence of those laws, not breaking them.

I don't see a moral argument for drug use. I think there are limited uses for opioids and THC, but they should be done under the care of a medical professional. Recreational use seems to be immoral from everything I can tell.

But the government is really bad in the business of personal morality. In fact they make things worse. They create conditions which cause further problems. Government may have the authority to get involved, but that doesn't mean they always should. They do best when they concentrate on stopping people from directly hurting each other, or punishing them if they do. But since their resources are all tied up making sure we don't put needles in our arms, they won't even investigate burglary in many places. "Turn it into insurance." The inflated prices have created a market awash with people willing to break the law, and the greed to do more than just sell drugs so they can maintain their little corner of that market. We have been at this for decades, and not only does the big picture keep looking worse, the stated objective has been a total failure. Police departments have become reliant on federal funding in the protraction of the war. Jail and prison space is limited, and so rapists and murderers find themselves out on parole.

What argument in the affirmative can leave one supportive of what we are doing? It isn't a Biblical one. We can look at the New Testament for guidance on personal conduct or church governance, but it is silent on public policy. We are commanded to be sober, but government is not commanded to make us sober. So yes, in light of this absence in scripture, and the abject disaster that is our current war on drugs, I support a massive overhaul of our drug policy.

 

[MikeBrennan]

I set before you life and death. Choose life.


State has no role in it one way or the other.

 

[ATM]

2 things

You are bad at counting.

Bacon is mood altering.

Truth. I am happier just for reading the word and thinking about it.

Should we make bacon illegal?

If we want more criminals (and the State does), eventually we'll need everything to be declared illegal.

Oh no not Jury nullification

Oh yes! Who will judge the laws? I will! Pick me! Pick me!

 

[ATM]

...but now I am sad. I need some bacon.

 

[Woobie]

2 things

Bacon is mood altering. Should we make bacon illegal?

Oh no not Jury nullification

I'll bet Michelle probably wanted to make bacon illegal.