Marijuana & Christianity

By | 19 Jan 2014

Now that marijuana has been legalized for either recreational or medical use in numerous states, the issue has remained one of the hot buttons in the culture and political wars, with frequent mentions in the news.

Many pro-marijuana folks have tried to support the idea that the Bible is silent on the issue of recreational drug use and that it’s OK for Christians to indulge. “After all, the Bible is OK with drinking alcohol in moderation, so what’s the problem with a little weed?” some have asked.

Actually, the topic of psychotropic (aka psychoactive) drugs is indeed mentioned — and mentioned unfavorably, I might add — in the NT.

Here’s the scoop:

The Works of the Flesh vs. the Fruit of the Spirit

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry,  sorcery , hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:16-24

Look familiar? This same set of verses were the foundational passage for my doctrinal exploration of the issue of homosexuality in a previous article. But in this case, we’re looking at a different word, obviously the one I highlighted: sorcery, a very interesting word in the Greek:

sorcery (pharmakeia)
from pharmakon (a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion)

  1. the use or the administering of drugs
  2. poisoning
  3. sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it
  4. metaph. the deceptions and seductions of idolatry

The use of psychotropic drugs was well-known in ancient times. Here’s what I found on Wikipedia:

An entheogen (“generating the divine within”) is a psychoactive substance used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Entheogens can supplement many diverse practices for transcendence, and revelation, including meditation, psychonautics, psychedelic and visionary art, psychedelic therapy, and magic.

Entheogens have been used in a ritualized context for thousands of years; their religious significance is well established in anthropological and modern evidences. Examples of traditional entheogens include: peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, uncured tobacco,  cannabis , ayahuasca, Salvia divinorum, Tabernanthe iboga, Ipomoea tricolor, and Amanita muscaria.

With the advent of organic chemistry, there now exist many synthetic substances with similar psychoactive properties, many derived from these plants. Many pure active compounds with psychoactive properties have been isolated from these organisms and chemically synthesized … Entheogens may be compounded through the work of a shaman or apothecary in a tea, admixture, or potion…
from the Wikipedia.com article on entheogens

Back in Paul’s day, recreational use of psychotropic drugs was virtually unknown — the consumption of such drugs — especially hallucinogenic ones — have always been conceptually linked with the practices of shamans, witches, sorcerers, and idolatrous temple worship of various false gods.

Here are pertinent points summing up what the Bible has to say on the matter of whether or not believers should be using marijuana and other such drugs:

  • The Bible says to “walk in the Spirit” and that by doing so “we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”
  • The list of the works of the flesh includes a word defined as the use of psychoactive drugs, with or without the the attending practice of sorcery and witchcraft.
  • No matter how you might care to interpret the phrase “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God,” one thing we can all agree on is that whatever it is, it isn’t a good thing, so these are behaviors that God obviously disapproves of and should be avoided.
  • Ergo, the use of drugs, whether for occult or recreational use, is not something we as Christians should be doing.

As for the medical use of marijuana, I have no scriptural basis from which to approve or disapprove the practice. However, my own personal opinion is that each believer facing whatever health challenges for which marijuana might alleviate the symptoms — pain relief from terminal cancer or treatment of glaucoma come to mind — should be led by the Spirit as to whether or not marijuana-based treatment options are a viable option for them spiritually.

Thanks for reading!

4 thoughts on “Marijuana & Christianity

  1. Mark Smith

    I agree whole heartily Steve. Not a whole lot of difference in the abuse of alcohol or marijuana. Both are mind altering drugs, and in my opinion should be avoided at all cost. I for one, will not be moving to Colorado any time soon. It’s bad enough, we have to share the highways with drunks, now we also have to share the road with ‘stoners’ too. Add to this all the distractions drivers have with cell phones, texting, and GPS units,…its getting scarier and scarier to drive down the road.

    Reply
    1. Steve Willis Post author

      Interestingly enough, though, the Bible doesn’t condemn the imbibing of alcohol, only drunkenness and the idolatry associated with alcoholism. I have no idea why God drew a line there, only that it exists.
      But actually, the USA is one of very few countries where there is a controversy in the Body of Christ concerning alcohol consumption.
      My personal opinion on the matter is that alcohol is our modern-day equivalent to the 1st-century church’s controversy on “eating meat sacrificed to idols” and that the same guidelines Paul expressed on the matter definitely apply.
      Again my personal opinion: if someone has to ask the question, “Is is sin for me to drink alcohol?” the answer would be “Yes.” Why? Because if a person has to ask the question, he doesn’t have the faith to imbibe without his conscience condemning him.
      FWIW!

      Reply
  2. Rezin

    LoL Sorcery or pharmakeia includes ALL DRUGS, for medical purposes as well as anti depressants, nicotine and ALCOHOL such as the case with wine which is permissible, IS there any other scripture that you can share that would be a better point of reference for the direct word abstaining from using an herb that grows in abundance from the earth? as spoken in Genesis? And God said, Behold, I have given unto you [a]every herb bearing seed, which is upon all the earth, and every tree, wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seed: that shall be to you for meat.

    Reply
    1. Steve Willis Post author

      The verse you quoted in Genesis predates the Fall of Man. Whether or not psychotropic herbs and fungi existed in their current forms prior to Adam and Eve’s disobedience is nothing more than conjecture and speculation on our part. It is a firm principle of Christian theology that doctrine is never to be based on conjecture, speculation, or personal opinion.

      Moderate alcohol consumption is clearly OK with God, whereas drunkenness and alcoholism (all addictions are a form of idolotry) are not. While alcohol is clearly psychoactive in nature when imbibed in any quantity, I have no idea as to why God draws the line where He does nor frankly does it matter to me. All I know is that the line indeed exists and that’s the boundary we have to work within, period.

      As for a second Scripture reference, the following quote is part of the judgment God pronounces over Babylon the Great in the Book of Revelation:

      The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your phamakeia all the nations were deceived.Revelation 18:23

      Again, here we see the mention of drug use in a non-positive context.

      Though the NT is clearly against recreational or religious drug use, it is totally silent on the issue of medicinal drug use, though one could infer that medicines are OK because all the verses condemning drug use never mention doctors, only sorcerers and magicians.

      In conclusion, you are absolutely entitled to your opinion on the matter and whether you ever agree with me or not is totally a non-issue — I am in no way threatened intellectually or theologically by your disagreement.

      That being said, I would challenge you to seek the face of God on the matter, setting aside your own agenda, asking the Holy Spirit to show you the unvarnished Truth.

      Then obey Him.

      Ultimately, what He tells you to do — or not do — is the only thing that counts!

      God bless you!

      Reply

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