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What Does Bible Say About Smoking Weed

Can Christians Use Marijuana Medicinally Or Recreationally

Will Smoking send you to Hell?

Simply because the world says it is okay to smoke or vape marijuana does not mean God says it is okay. You are a beautiful, important, amazing masterpiece of Gods hands and He does not want you to destroy it with the usage of marijuana.

Similar to other modern-day controversies, such as abortion or tobacco use, the Bible does not specifically say anything about marijuana. There is a recent upward trend of marijuana use across the world and many states in America have already legalized cannabis.

With the recent popularity and legalization of this drug, many people have wondered what the Bible says about marijuana usage. Is it permissible to smoke or vape marijuana or is it a sin?

Is Smoking Marijuana Like Drinking Alcohol

Some Christians are opposed to drinking alcohol under any circumstances. Yet most believe that the Bible teaches that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol with wisdom and not to be drunk is permissible. Some Christians who support the legalization of marijuana liken the using drug to drinking alcohol.

Well-known televangelist Pat Robertson shocked many conservative Christians when he advocated for the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2010:

I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol. Ive never used marijuana and I dont intend to, but its just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasnt succeeded.

Robertsons argument is that Christians should support marijuana use the same way they do drinking alcohol. In his view, like people can drink alcohol and not lose self-control , they can also use marijuana without altering their state of consciousness. Is this a good argument?

How did Christians who disagree with Robertson respond to his argument? Some Christians responded to Robertsons argument by noting that marijuana alters a persons consciousness much faster than alcohol leads to drunkenness . Unlike drinking alcohol, there isnt a period of time before lose of self-control is lost, but its almost immediate.

Also see Is the Law of Attraction A Sin? to learn more about the Bibles teachings.

Is Smoking Weed A Sin According To The Bible

In the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis, there is a clear indication that God surrendered all the natural plants and animals found in the world for humans to consume.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

That means all the plants, including cannabis, were, therefore, on the planet earth for the benefit of humans. Some people argue that God wasnt speaking about all the plants and animals.

But there is little to support this argument. In Genesis, there is no caveat following the proclamation. There wasnt a subsequent line saying that humans were supposed to use only certain plants for specific purposes. Instead, the line encompasses every plant yielding seed, which includes hemp.

During Biblical times, people cultivated hemp for a wide variety of purposes. There is evidence of its use throughout Ancient Egypt. They carved the recognizable leaf into their hieroglyphs. In the Middle East, cannabis also played essential roles as a source of fiber and in religious ceremonies. It seems apparent that hemp as a fiber and cannabis as a ceremonial substance were around throughout the Biblical age.

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Should Followers Of Christ Use Recreational Marijuana

What has grass to do with the gospel?

My father, a pharmacist, was convinced that smoking pot meant going to pot. I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s with the impression that even a casual flirtation with Mary Jane would be my ruin. Consequently, I have no personal knowledge on which to draw to address what for many Americans has become, or is becoming, the new normal: the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Where does recreational use of legalized marijuana fit into Christian ethics and living? Jesus says his yoke is easy , but a toke is easier still. What, if anything, should pastors say? May disciples light up as they take up Christs cross?

Recreational marijuana use has just become legal in my home state of Illinois. It was already legal in several other states. Local counties and communities are divided over whether to allow the sale of recreational marijuana . THC can now be ingested in baked goods, drunk, and smoked .

Those in favor anticipate a boost in revenue those against it worry about the expenses it may incur on health services and the untold personal and social costs to those who become addicted or suffer psychotic episodes.

The Bible is silent on the subject of marijuana . It is not the fruit from the tree of the garden in Eden, and it would be clever but mistaken to see a veiled reference in John 6:10: Now there was much grass in the place.

Bible Verses About Weed

Does The Bible Say Anything About Weed » CBD Oil New Daily

Then set it empty on its coalsSo that it may be hotAnd its bronze may glowAnd its filthiness may be melted in it,Its rust consumed.

Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were.

Water encompassed me to the point of death.The great deep engulfed me,Weeds were wrapped around my head.

Let briars grow instead of wheat,And stinkweed instead of barley.The words of Job are ended.

Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay,That what is made would say to its maker, He did not make me Or what is formed say to him who formed it, He has no understanding?

Therefore, thus says the Lord God,Woe to the bloody city,To the pot in which there is rustAnd whose rust has not gone out of it!Take out of it piece after piece,Without making a choice.

O my God, make them like the whirling dust,Like chaff before the wind.

Out of his nostrils smoke goes forthAs from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

Before your pots can feel the fire of thornsHe will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

They surrounded me like bees They were extinguished as a fire of thorns In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.

For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot,So is the laughter of the fool And this too is futility.

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Why Is Smoking Weed A Sin

What did Paul say in the Bible? He said, I will not be brought under the power of any. The sole purpose of marijuana is for you get high and receive the effects of the strain of cannabis that you are smoking. With marijuana you are yielding up control to an external force and releasing self-control.

1. 1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Was Cannabis Purposely Removed From The Bible

The possibility exists that the ceremony of anointment with Holy oil played a central role in early Christianity. A collection of lost Biblical texts was discovered in Egypt in 1945. These books had been sealed in a jar and buried around AD 367 when the church disallowed any tellings of Jesus story that were not included in the official New Testament. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were actually among many existing accounts of Jesus life. These books, in particular, were handpicked by the church for inclusion in the Bible, as they presented uniform accounts of the narrative Christianitys leaders wished to present.

The non-canonical texts tell of sects that became known as Gnostics. This name comes from the Greek word for knowledge. The Gnostics believed that they achieved a higher degree of enlightenment and understanding of their religion through first-hand use of Holy oil, versus relying on the words of the Scriptures and priests. These texts indicate that this sacramental rite of anointment would have indeed been a psychoactive experience.

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How Does God View Weed Smoking

Many people wonder, how does God feel about marijuana? What does the Bible say? The Bible warns against intoxication and altering your mind. You might say, thats for alcohol, but intoxication is not only for alcohol. You can drink a glass of wine and you will be fine, but the purpose of smoking is to alter your mind. You smoke for the purpose of getting high.

Proverbs 23:31-35 Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. Afterward it bites like a snake, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will speak perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging. You will say, They have struck me, but I am not harmed! They beat me, but I did not know it! When will I awake? I will look for another drink.

Advice To Christian Disciples

The Harms of Marijuana

Two biblical considerations the contrast between being lawful and being expedient, and the reminder to keep watchprovide pastors with a framework for addressing recreational marijuana use in terms less of morality than of discipleship .

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful . Exactly! Paul is here probably quoting, and qualifying, a Corinthian slogan. He argues that what we do with our bodies is part of our Christian witness, because it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me .

Paul makes his meaning even clearer by what he goes on to deny, All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything. . . . All things are lawful, but not all things build up .

Being filled with the Spirit leads to more self-control , whereas getting high leads to a loss of inhibitions. Note the difference between drinking alcohol and smoking pot: a glass of wine complements food but doesnt result in intoxication, whereas the whole point of consuming cannabis for recreational purposes is to get high.

A glass of wine complements food but doesnt result in intoxication, whereas the whole point of consuming cannabis for recreational purposes is to get high.

Much like the spell the green lady cast over Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum in Lewiss The Silver Chair, marijuana clouds our ability to perceive the world clearly and dulls our sense of urgency about what disciples should be doing.

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Smoking Damages The Body

Smoking cigarettes . . . has been scientifically proven to harm nearly every organ in the body and to increase morbidity and mortality, says The Tobacco Atlas. It is well-known that smoking causes noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and lung ailments. But according to the World Health Organization , smoking is also a major cause of death from communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis.

You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.Matthew 22:37

Are you showing love and respect for God if you abuse your God-given body by indulging in a defiling habit?

Through his Word, the Bible, Jehovah God teaches us to have a proper view of our life, our body, and our faculties. His Son, Jesus, pointed to this when he said: You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind. Clearly, God wants us to make good use of our life and body and to treat them with respect. As we learn about Jehovah and his promises, we come to love and value all that he has done for us. This motivates us to keep free from anything that defiles our body.

Did God Create Weed

There are some people who might say, God made weed to enjoy! However, He also made poison ivy, there is a reason why we are not trying that! God created the tree of knowledge, but commanded Adam not to eat from it.

Genesis 2:15-17 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the Lord God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.

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What Does Judaism Say About Cannabis

Very, very early in the Old Testament, God made it clear that he likes to share his herb.

Genesis 1:29-30 reads then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the groundeverything that has the breath of life in itI give every green plant for food.

This could be understood to include cannabis, at least in its most natural, unprocessed forms.

But cannabis makes much more explicit cameos in the Bible, including in the book of Exodus, where in chapter 30 verse 23, a number of holy anointing oils are described, including a very familiar-sounding one named kanei bosem. Literally translated as reed and fragrant , the plant is mentioned in instructions God gives Moses for anointing the Hebrews tabernacle.

These mentions in the liturgy, along with archaeological finds from the Kingdom of Judah mentioned above provide evidence of an honored place for cannabis in ancient Jewish ritual, but where do things stand in modern times?

In Israel today, tens of thousands of people receive legal medical marijuana on a regular basis, and the country has a remarkably vibrant illicit recreational marijuana market. And it would probably not surprise the late former president Richard Nixon to know that there are many Jews in the legal cannabis industry today.

The Healing Power Of Cannabis

What The Bible Says About Cannabis Oil And Blessed Herb

Cannabis, when absorbed into olive oil, quickly absorbs into the skin. This method is still used today in balms, salves, and massage oils to treat a variety of illnesses.

Some postulate that people healed through the miracle of Christ may have been healed through the gift of marijuana. The most common ailments treated in the Bible, including epilepsy, eye issues, skin diseases, and menstrual problems, are some of the same illnesses treated with cannabis today.

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Is Smoking Forbidden In The Bible

This is a hard question that some people may struggle with. The short answer: it depends. The Bible never says specifically, dont smoke weed, yet most people have been told time and time again that smoking is a sin. Stigma has a lot to do with what is considered sinful.

In Romans 14:14-15, it is said that, nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. This verse states that nothing is inherently sinful by itself, but becomes sinful if it hurts someone close to you. Some might say that this would make smoking weed sinful, especially if those around you do not condone the consumption of cannabis.

But in Romans 14:19 it says, So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. If smoking weed brings you peace and helps you to become more understanding of those around you, then it wouldnt be considered sinful.

Saying weed is or isnt sinful would be a blanket statement, but the truth is that it depends on the person. Smoking weed can become sinful if it causes you to stumble in your values and morals, but smoking weed isnt sinful on its own. If you are trying to decide whether or not to smoke weed because you feel conflicted on the morality of it all, I say give it a shot. God and weed can go hand in hand when done right.

So What Does The Bible Say About Cannabis

At first glance, it actually appears that cannabis is never mentioned in the Bible, as there are no specific references to it by name. However, many Biblical scholars agree that cannabis does appear quite a few times, in the Old and New Testaments, and has simply been mistranslated possibly on purpose. These probable cannabis references in the Bible carry a sense of respect for the potent power of this plant. From the Holy oil of Moses to the healing miracles of Jesus, its possible that cannabis played a critically important role in the original versions of some of Jewish and Christian Scriptures best-known stories.

Q: Is marijuana mentioned in the Bible?A:Though cannabis by its proper name is never mentioned in the Bible, many Bible scholars believe that numerous references to a plant called calamus are actually mistranslations of cannabis. One of these references is to calamus/cannabis as a primary ingredient in a Holy oil recipe given directly to Moses by God.

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What Does The Bible Say About Smoking Weed

Feb 4, 2022 | Smoking |

The Bible doesnt explicitly condemn marijuana smoking. It doesnt even refer to weed by name, so Christians are left to rely on analogical reasoning to determine whether it is wrong. As with alcohol, however, the Bible does warn against the dangers of drinking and consuming alcoholic beverages. It also warns against the harm that a habit of intoxication can bring. Therefore, smoking weed is also a sin.

According to the Bible, it is not good for a Christian to get high. The book of Romans warns against intoxication and a weak mind, and it applies to marijuana as well. Although marijuana doesnt have a direct correlation to the effects of alcohol and drugs, its still best to keep the Bible in mind when deciding whether or not to smoke weed. Besides, this drug is much easier to quit than alcohol or other harder drugs.

While marijuana usage and alcohol consumption are largely taboos, the Bible does warn against destroying Gods creation. For instance, in Romans 14:20, God commands Christians to stop sacrificing the work of God for food. In this case, marijuana is not only a vice, but also a reflection of a persons values. Using the drug can even lead others to justify their own behavior.

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