Are there any truly good parents left in America? Are we doomed with our next generation? Why do I ask? Because I know tons and tons of parents. The truth is, I have some disagreement or another with each and every one of them. I am not talking the “well every parent has there own methods” type of differences either, rather I am talking huge fundamentally moralist differences that truly leave me wondering.
Okay so I am out visiting one of my best friends. She is what I consider to be one of the best parents I know. Nothing in the whole world comes before her daughter. She is a wonderful mother and a great parent. I would not ever have thought I could say anything bad about her. The truth is though that there are things I even disagree with that she does.
The topic the comes right to the top of my head is that of smoking marijuana. Now I understand a lot of people in this country believe marijuana should be legal. I understand a lot of people see nothing wrong with it. I also understand a lot of people are going to raise their children to feel the same. Of course they are, thats the only way to get laws changed. However there is a right way and a wrong way to teach your kids such things.
First of all let me stress that while I do smoke marijuana myself, I am one of the few who don’t think it should be legalized, medically or otherwise. So I am never going to be one of those parents to raise my child to think its okay, but I can understand different people have different beliefs. So in my opinion, the correct thing to do is to teach your child that first and foremost we must respect the laws.
This being the case, we must realize that even though there are some laws we may not agree with and we may fight to get changed, until those laws are changed we must respect and adhere to them to the fullest extent of the law! If we don’t raise our kids to think this way, they grow up thinking they don’t always have to listen to the police, they just can’t get caught. They grow up with a lack of respect for police, for law, and ultimately for democracy as a whole.
If a parent disregards the laws and starts smoking marijuana in front of there children, or a parent allows their children to handle marijuana, or allows them to roll “fake joints” the consequences from these actions can be huge. The most immediate consequence that pops into my mind is, what if your child says something or someone finds out about these practices? Child protective services will instantly come in and call in endangering the welfare of a minor. Regardless of your beliefs is this really worth the risk?
Okay so perhaps you are one of these parents and you are thinking “yeah but thats never going to happen”. Okay then, lets move into the bigger topics. Assume your child is reaching their teenage years and has started smoking marijuana for themselves. They decide the prices are just so outrageous that the only way they can afford to smoke, is by selling a few bags here and there. Not a lot, just enough to supply themselves with some smoke. The police pick them up and they get charged with possession and intent to sell. They are ordered to rehab.
Now they have been convicted of a drug crime. Suddenly they find themselves not able to get jobs because of their background. They find people just don’t want to hire them. Why? Oh thats right its because we spent so much time hiding our actions from the police that we forgot to actually fight the law! So rather then blaming ourselves we blame the police and the laws. The truth is, no matter who you blame, the outcome still happened!
Now logically at this point you as a parent are going to be thinking “if only I could have done things differently”… and “If I could do it over again I’d never let him/her smoke…”. The things is, when it gets to that point its to late. Oh and sure what are the odds this will be the outcome. You can teach your child to be smarter then that right? Well perhaps you can. Is it really worth the risk though? Is it worth losing your children? being deemed unfit? ruining your childs future chances? seeing your child arrested?
To me, no its not! It really bugs the hell out of me just how many parents smoke marijuana in front of their kids or roll it in front of their kids or let their kids handle it! So yes I smoke. I keep it away from my kids. In fact I don’t even do it in places they will be able to smell it. On the weekends when my kids come to visit me, if I do it at all (which I sometimes do and sometimes don’t), I make sure I go outside. I make sure my kids are no where that they will be able to see me or smell the smoke. Sometimes they are on the video games, other times they are playing with friends. However never once have I smoked in front of my kids!
Unless some laws get changed that make it legal, I never will smoke in front of my kids. Truthfully even if laws are changed I won’t do it in front of my kids. Its just not something I want my kids introduced to. I’d rather them live a drug free life not knowing about mind altered states of reality (and this includes alcohol which my kids RARELY see me drink).
Now some of the things I have mentioned above are things my friend does with her daughter. I have tried to talk to her about it, but we just don’t see eye to eye on this topic. It truly upsets me too because in every other way I think she is a perfect parent. So instead I am left to contemplate just where our world is headed!
As one who avidly enjoys cannabis I find your take on parenting strange. If you know that marijuana just a plant, and that it can be used responsibly, why would you teach your children any different?
If you were a parent during times in this country when segregation or slavery was legal would you still teach your children that it is important to follow the law? The fugitive slave act made it illegal to help a runaway slave. Do you think that law should have been followed and taught to children? I hope not. How then can you say unjust marijuana laws should also be followed until they are changed? You obviously don’t think that applies to your own personal life. I get irritated at those who personally use cannabis but don’t advocate its full legalization. If its good enough for you, shouldn’t everyone have the freedom to enjoy it?
I do wholeheartedly agree that cannabis should not be used around children. But, this is only because of its legal status. Its the LAW that puts both parents and children at risk. Otherwise it would be just another household herb, like basil or rosemary. Cannabis is less toxic than Tylenol, which is frequently given to infants to reduce fever. Any person arguing that cannabis is dangerous to children does so out of complete scientific ignorance.
Teens should be protected from the harm of draconian drug laws. If I was the parent of a teen it would be very important to discuss cannabis use with my teen, including the risk of getting caught while procuring the substance. Its important to be truthful because when teens find out that cannabis doesn’t cause the harm that most adults say it does, it causes them to become mistrusting of authority. I think miseducation could lead to the use of harmful narcotics, when the consequences of those heavy drugs aren’t differentiated from the effects of cannabis.
I think one of the most important lessons to instill in a child is the restraint of force. We teach toddlers that its never ok to hit, bite, kick. As they get older, we may teach them that self-defense is justified under extreme circumstances. We would never teach a child that it is ok to brutalize someone for not living the lifestyle you expect of them. For some reason, when it comes to drug use, we don’t hold our government to the same standard that we hold to our family. And this sends a very conflicting and dangerous message to them.
Sorry for the rant on your blog, but you touched on a subject close to me. Checkout my Cannabis Freedom blog.
By: Ganja Blue on May 19, 2008
at 4:15 pm
Oh the comments I have for you. First of all, I am not angry annoyed or anything else at your comments here. I am always up for opposing viewpoints. Its what makes the world go round.
First of all, I should inform you the parents I refer to in this article have children who haven’t reached age 10 yet. So when I am saying children should be taught to respect the law, I am talking about at a young age.
Next let me stress I don’t knock others views and what you described was a good parent. You teach a child at a young age its against the law and following the law is important, and then teach them how that rule can sometimes be broken to stand up for your beliefs as they get older and understand more.
The people I am talking about are introducing there children to majijuana as young as 12 months old. I saw a small child old holding it!
Now let me carry on with MY beliefs. My children will be and are raised to believe any mind altering substance used for recreation no matter how much responsibility is taken, is still wrong. This doesn’t end with marijuana. I would also include alcohol, prescription drugs (for recreation), tobacco, and even caffeine.
Do I use alcohol, yes. Do I smoke marijuana, yes. Do I use caffeine, not often but yes.
However I will be the first to admit that I am an addict of marijuana. I will be the first to admit that mind altering drugs will do nothing to benefit you in life. I will be the first to admit that drug use of any sort creates a altered state that makes you think you are having a good time, when in fact you would have a better time if you learned how to be happy without the use of drugs.
I say this drug is harmful to everyone not just children and I don’t say so out of scientific evidence. You wish me to speak about scientific facts? Okay sure.
Its a fact that nearly all benefits that come from the use of marijuana only happen after long term use. This is true when using it for glaucoma, when using it for weight gain, and most other thing. The only time this falters is when used as a tension reliever in cases such as headaches and chemotherapy.
However what it does do in fact is it creates memory loss problems both while using and when not. It does cause your depth perception to be significantly altered. It can create anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. All these things are fact. The funny thing about marijuana is it can also cure some of these same problems in other people. These are facts not misleading truths.
So do you really think its a good thing for people to smoke marijuana? You think its good to even risk any of the side effects of it? Especially when talking about your child, not yourself? I respectfully disagree!
By: ShatteredSoul on May 19, 2008
at 4:55 pm
Sure, I think a lot of people find it beneficial to incorporate cannabis into their daily lives. I just posted on Moms who enjoy marijuana.
I think a lot of people unknowingly self-medicate with cannabis. In doing so they often avoid taking dangerous drugs like lithium, prozac, zoloft, valium, and xanax. These meds are often physically addictive and frequently come with black-box suicide warnings.
After trying several different anti-depressants and amphetamines, as well as self-medicating with alcohol, I found that the best way to treat my ADHD symptoms is to regularly smoke marijuana. It relaxes me and helps me focus. I don’t have to be “high” to see this benefit either. I have a much more productive day if I’ve smoked the night before.
I’ve had friends to swear by their cannabis use as a method to treat fibro-myalgia, bi-polar disorder, and PTSD. BTW, why would anyone deny a shell-shocked veteran the freedom to treat his PTSD with cannabis? These people are professionals, veterans, mothers and fathers, and people that go to my church.
Barry Cooper of http://www.nevergetbusted.com is an avid cannabis user. He is also a married father of four children. He runs several businesses and spends time advocating for the re-legalization of cannabis. He talks frequently about a time in his life when he was a law enforcement officer, drinking heavily, and having anger management issues. When his wife turned him on to cannabis, his life was altered, he stopped being angry, he stopped kicking people’s doors in. He started to realize he was using his authority to fuel his adrenaline addiction. Eventually he quit law enforcement and joined the peace loving cannabis culture.
The regulation of cannabis is the source of its harm. According to a UCLA study, there’s no known cancer risk from smoked marijuana. Its impossible to overdose with it. It simply does not cause the long-term problems that tobacco or alcohol use do.
To call cannabis “mind-altering” doesn’t really do it justice. People that haven’t used marijuana may associate the feeling with a strong pain pill, or being drunk. That’s not at all how cannabis effects people. People that responsibly use cannabis can hold conversations, make critical decisions, and experience normal emotions. That’s quite different from being an irrational, belligerent drunk, which I have been before. I’m simply much better behaved while I’m smoking when compared to other substances, including prescriptions.
I’ll agree that you should not allow a child to handle marijuana. Not because the plant can harm them, but, because people will badges and guns will take them away from you, and that’s not good for anyone involved.
By: Ganja Blue on May 19, 2008
at 6:25 pm
A rational and autonomous decision maker has the right to decide for oneself what he or she does to ones own body, and has the right to make rational decisions and have a say in things pertaining to them self and in their own home. In the case of an addictive substance, the person no longer can rationally decide to choose to use the substance, and is not a rational decision maker and cannot make that choice. Drugs should be classified by the harm they inflict and the level of addiction, not by social norms or socially relativistic views upon a drug. Cigarettes are much more addictive than marijuana, as are other drugs (caffeine, and alcohol). Marijuana is not physically addictive. It is controversial for philosophical reasons that arise because of the psychoactive type of properties of the substance marijuana. Any smoke that enters the lungs is harmful, and yet cigarettes are legal when marijuana is not? (and cigarette smokers are highly physically addicted!). You can die from overdose of nicotine, but there is not one documented case of death by overdose of marijuana (in fact I am reading it is far safer than many prescription drugs). I can understand imposing sanctions in specific cases, for instance drivers risk more than their own lives with their ignorance and irresponsibility, they risk the lives of others as well. This would be reason to impose sanctions upon drugged or drunk driving. However, this does not justify to disallow responsible use, or to dictate what one can or cannot do in their own home. (in the current set up, any “use” is “abuse”). If one wants to rationally decide to harm themselves in their free time, or to waste their life away and not work towards something productive, that is their decision (addicted to internet, etc.). Children cannot make a rational decision, they are not yet rational decision makers, and they are extra vulnerable to harm as they are mentally and physically developing. Of course children must be protected from drug abuse, and it must be ensured that their parents are looking out for their well being. However, do you know how much money is wasted each year on the “war on drugs”? Not only do tax payers spend billions of dollars to catch (in the case of marijuana) victim less crimes (other than harming themselves), but we lose a working member of society (sent to jail), and in addition we must pay in taxes to keep that person behind bars. I do not smoke anything because I like to run, because I know better and I choose to be healthy. (and I do not drink but I do like coffee…). But why is the punishment imposed so disproportionate to the crime? Families are broken, and one will never again be able to find a reasonable job, even after earning an education. This is not justice, it is not fair and it is not right. A crime should be proportional to the punishment. I can understand perhaps this much tax money to fuel correction centers and promote the right public opinions, but the current situation is truly ridiculous. We should make room in the overflowing prisons for violent criminals.
By: Chris on June 4, 2008
at 3:21 pm
In studies alcohol has shown to cause brain damage, where marijuana has not. Scientific studies have shown marijuana to be less harmful than current legal drugs (when the studies are permitted).
By: Chris on June 4, 2008
at 3:43 pm
First of all, as far as I am concerned you are compairing apples to apples. I no more agree with drinking then I do with smoking marijuana. This is why I would like my children to do neither.
Second, I can only speak of my own personal experiences. Forget all the scientific facts I know exactly what I have been through and I know what is real and what is not.
That being said, the idea that marijuana is non addictive is totally bogus. Perhaps its not easy to get addicted to, but by all means it is addictive. Not just mentally either, physically as well. I can tell you that at one point in my life if I went 24 hours without smoking I would have physical symptoms as well. My body would start shaking uncontrolably.
Now ultimately this may also have been part of a phycological addiction as well as our nervous system can do all sorts of weird things when we screw with it. I say that because I ultimately stopped smoking for over a year because it started causing me to have violent anxiety and panic attacks. At the time I smoked about 2 and a 1/2 oz a day. There was not a one second time span over the course of about 14 months that I wasn’t high.
Sense I restarted smoking, I find I can only smoke the best of the best type stuff. Anything that comes in a brick will cause anxiety attacks that hospitalize me.
This being my experience, no one can ever convinse me that marijuana should be legal, or that my children should be allowed to make that decision for themselves. Honestly thats how I feel about it.
By: ShatteredSoul on June 4, 2008
at 4:19 pm
Facts and scientific studies should deem the harm. What is your answer? They should all be illegal? Alcohol and cigarettes and marijuana and caffeine? Because you deem them harmful? Because you abused them in your experience? Just because some are irresponsible does not mean that it can be over generalized that everyone is. Some people like to speed their cars, and it is highly dangerous. Should all cars be illegal? Or speeding? Some are addicted to wasting time on the internet, and then they don’t fulfill their social obligations. Should we punish them for wasting time, or not reward them when they don’t work (and then don’t get paid?). It is your right to decide if you are responsible and make a informed choice, and then you face the consequences and results. (and if a drug is indeed addictive or harmful either to society or an individual, it is a disadvantage to the person and a punishment in itself, and the person needs help). The consequences should be proportionate to the crime. Should you be put in jail forever because speeding is very harmful and your going 10mph over the limit? No. If you speed and kill someone then you are responsible and deserve a proportionate punishment, but in all cases the law should be proportional to the crime.
You criticize that endorsing something that is against the law teaches your kids to not respect or hold value for the law and justice, (for ‘democracy as a whole’), that it teaches of inconsistency. (what if the law is not ideally perfect?). What is so undemocratic about wanting laws that are pro freedom? It is best to teach them by example, otherwise they will see a discrepancy in what is said and done. What does that say if you do something and then tell others that they are not supposed to do it in the same situation? Is that really any different of a lesson about inconsistency? Kids want to be like and learn from their parents and role models. Eventually, like it or not your children are going to get out there and experience the world on their own one day, just like you, just like everyone. If they do something because it is rigorously enforced, and not because they internally decided it, that will only support them not doing it when the enforcer is present. The truth stands for itself, it is consistent in all cases and is supported by the evidence. The truth is the best reason. I think it is by far the best being open and telling them the truth they can learn from your experiences. It is your right to raise your children as you want, its your right to decide what you do. Show them they should respect the law, but tell them the truth about your experiences and the true facts based on evidence. The current state of marijuana prohibits the scientific facts from coming out. Uncertainty is not a reason. But if you do not think they should do it you should not do it. Kids look up to and learn from and want to be like their parents and role models. A principle has to be universal for it to be valid, it has to be consistent in all cases. If you have an argument and it is truly valid, it can be argued with others, not just in one’s own head, and it is consistent with and supported by the scientific facts and evidence, and with one’s actions.
Alcohol was illegal during prohibition. The law was in good intention, however the law was not consistent with what people wanted. Alcohol has been a part of human culture for a very long time, and it is not immoral or wrong when used responsibly for fun. People wanted alcohol, and felt they had a right to make their own personal decision. Many people currently use the currently deemed illegal substance marijuana for its euphoric properties (everything looks sounds and feel’s beautiful feeling) for fun with friends every once and a while. The intoxication level of marijuana is very similar to that of alcohol, and in studies it is less harmful than alcohol. (look it up). With alcohol during prohibition, if they couldn’t get it legally they turned to bootleggers. They felt that it is not up to the government what you decide. With harder drugs, highly addictive and deadly drugs, you can’t decide, and intoxication levels are close to deadly levels. But drugs like alcohol caffeine and marijuana are different, a whole other class of drugs. You cannot overdose on marijuana (it is believed its lethal dose is about 1000 times the dose to be intoxicated , where alcohol is like 20. But not one documented case has resulted in death directly from marijuana overdose). Scientific studies should determine the harm and the classification. It is the best for society. The government was with good intentions with alcohol, but was unintentionally supporting bootleggers, and put them in the business of being able to provide the people what they wanted via criminal activity. The people will find a way to get it if they want it, and in the end it only unintentionally endorsed crime. The current “drug war” does not work, and is a huge waste of government funds that could be much better spent. A huge fraction of the population still uses it, and if anything its rate of use in the population is increasing. They had to amend the original constitution to say people can’t drink! And then had to amend it again because the people didn’t support it! The question is, is the excessive harm from the ignorance of zero tolerance really in the community’s best interest? Is it moral to have the decision made for you? Is it right for a rational adult to make their own decisions in their own personal matters? Is the right to attempt to connect a criminal image with marijuana instead of research or the facts? With the alcohol example the intention was good, but in the end it was more harmful than helpful. It just isn’t right for the government to make that decision for you, even if drinking alcohol is not the best decision. The government defines what is a crime. Wouldn’t it be more helpful if the government spread the truth and facts, and instead of putting people in prison and manufacturing criminals? If they spent the money currently used for treating free people like criminals, and instead helped them with rehab and such? The current order of the classification of drugs is wrong. Marijuana is the number one used deemed illegal drug. The punishments designed to shape attitudes and values about marijuana is disproportionate to the harms marijuana causes. It is clear the current punishment is disproportionate. In some countries, its use is a lifetime sentence in a third world country prison, even if you are a tourist and your local law is not a lifetime sentence.
There are two distinct questions here.
1.) Should you do or endorse the use of marijuana when it is illegal, knowing that a disproportionate punishment will harm your children?
2.) Should Marijuana be legal? Does the government have the right to shape your values and make your decisions for you?
By: Chris on June 5, 2008
at 6:01 am
Okay lets forget about law for a few minutes, because that is the least of important issues to me. I could give a flying shit about the laws of the world. You can make a law that say the majority of people want to be able to commit murder if it is in fact what the majority want, it doesn’t make murder correct and I wouldn’t teach my children they should murder just because we have a law that says they can. Thats for starters.
You are misunderstanding my point in this post. I teach my children whats right and whats wrong. The real question to ask yourself is… does using mind altering drugs change your way of thinking from the first time you use them, till the day you die? The answer is a flat out yes! Its impossible for it not to. You have learned what its like to have your mind in an altered state, nothing can ever take that back.
Its not about health, its not about law, its about right, its about wrong. Very simple. Would God want us using a mind altering substance for the sake of the “high”? Simply put, no. God tells us not to drink for the sake of getting drunk. Why would marijuana be any different?
Have I mentioned caffine yet? Because really, it is the most accepted and abused drug in the world and I try to keep my kids away from that also.
So now there are two different and more correct questions here.
1.) Would it be in the worlds best interest according to God to legalize marijuna?
2.) Do you care about all mankinds souls, or just your own, or none at all?
Now onto other topics. You don’t teach your children to ignore laws that are in place. Thats a juvinial thought in my opinion. If you want laws changed you teach your children you don’t always agree with the laws but you must follow them. If you want them changed you try to do that through special interest groups and by building communities. Not by breaking the laws that are in place!
Now about democracy and freedoms. I am american and I will say I am proud of america for introducing democracy to the world. However make no mistake about it, Democacy may be the best form of government ever introduced by man to the world, but by no means is it Gods way. When God comes, democracy will not survive. I would rather my kids know God then know the ways of man.
By: ShatteredSoul on June 5, 2008
at 4:59 pm
What is right and what is not is not simple. However, it is clear there are no “thal shal nots” in the constitution. I do not believe it is our government’s responsibility to use our tax money for the ineffective and inefficient “drug war”.
“This being the case, we must realize that even though there are some laws we may not agree with and we may fight to get changed, until those laws are changed we must respect and adhere to them to the fullest extent of the law! If we don’t raise our kids to think this way, they grow up thinking they don’t always have to listen to the police, they just can’t get caught. They grow up with a lack of respect for police, for law, and ultimately for democracy as a whole.”
We agree you should follow the law. However, it also should be implicitly held and believed, and reflected upon, and always improved when discrepancies with the evidence and current policy are found. One should follow the law because it is the right thing, just as law should be based on the truth and the right thing. You should not follow the law just because one is seeking self interest, or merely following the law to avoid getting caught and avoiding punishment inflicted upon the self. Is it truly moral if one does the right thing only to get into heaven, to avoid hell? That is not morality, that is just a self fulfilling empty shell of morality. I do not see what is so moral with treating addicts as criminals instead of helping them to see the truth, or with letting people do what they want in their well earned free time. Studies should determine the harms of marijuana. The law was created for common interests, ensuring all cases are treated equal, to protect the people and their rights and freedoms, the laws which are created by experts in their field of law. But my point is that law experts are not necessarily experts in all fields, they are experts in their field, not in the science of health. They should be advised by experts in their corresponding fields, and the classification of drugs should be based upon scientific studies. I for example, am a Mechanical Engineer, and I sometimes on behalf of my company go to court to advise on the workings of a mechanism concerning public welfare or patent and copyright infringements and rights, etc. There should be multiple sources of experts and they should be cross referenced.
I like to design things and build things that are for the best interests of the community. I believe in God but I also believe this is besides the point. Jesus was a carpenter and he worked for a living. You have to make something before you can give, and be efficient at what you do to be taxed. The drug war is grossly inefficient! If you just do good because you are told, it is not really from you. You should do good because it is the right thing, and not just following orders with a gun to your head. If God said “don’t smoke marijuana ever, don’t have parties or enjoy life ever”, that is your right to believe that (he never said that). I believe the government doesn’t have the right to tell you can’t drink alcohol or smoke. Democracy is the best, competition ensures quality is up and prices are down. I would rather have everyone know the good and the bad, for a complete and well rounded perspective you know both sides and the full picture you can truly understand and make the best choice based on facts. You study everything, even if it might be contrary to your belief. But you are accountable for the decisions you make. (children are not personally accountable hence laws children can’t drink). Jesus drank wine by the way (fermented grape juice was socially acceptable then as wine is now). The problem came with abuse and excess. No drug, marijuana, alcohol, caffeine etc. should be abused.
You have not shown how it is in God’s best interest to abstain from marijuana or alcohol or caffeine. Some priests abstain from enjoyable sex, that is their choice. Your belief is not supported, only affirmed. And believe me, in history beliefs were enforced without reflective endorsement quite a bit in history by tyrant rulers, but I just don’t think that it is right to ignore the facts.
In addition, there is separation of church and state, what one believes about their religion should not be enforced on all others. Police enforcing laws is not to coarse your beliefs, it is to protect you, or to protect others from you.
We agree on my number 1, that the law should be followed. We agree on your number 2, that we care about all mankind souls. I believe we highly disagree with my number 2 and your number 1, regarding if marijuana should be prohibited according to law and according to God.
I do not break the law, and I do not abuse drugs. No one should. But you have not shown how a rational adult decision maker does not have the right to make a choice to substitute the less harmful marijuana for currently legal drugs like alcohol.
By: Chris on June 6, 2008
at 2:53 am
First according to God…
So, where are the drugs mentioned in this verse? Actually, the word translated “witchcraft” is the Greek word pharmakeia, from which we get the English word “pharmacy.” The main meaning of the word pharmacy is to administer drugs.
Being as how these verses are a list of things that if practiced exclude one from inheriting the kingdom of god (are not both heaven and earth the kingdoms of god? even those who shall inherit the earth are subject to this?), this should be evidence enough that Christians should try to not practice drug use. In addition, the book of Revelation lists drug use as one of the things for which the unrepentant will suffer the wrath of God.
Now about separation of church and religion. This was done for one very specific reason, to stop the tyrany that man brought to religion. It WAS NOT done just to say religion doesn’t and can’t directly affect our laws and morals.
Yes you have the right to freely practice any religion you wish to practice. The only thing your religion can’t do is break our laws. What are our beliefs based upon?
Christianity is what this country was founded and based upon…
What more do I really need to say?
By: ShatteredSoul on June 6, 2008
at 4:47 pm
I just drove from Chicago to northern Wisconsin and spent the last couple days fishing with my parents and my family at a log cabin off a lake. Me and my dad drank wine while fishing off the boat for a day. And it was fun. And I don’t see anything immoral about it. We didn’t abuse alcohol, we just used it. At one point alcohol was illegal under US law. I have never done let alone abused an illegal substance like marijuana as you have described. But your implication that there should be laws to prevent what appears in scientific studies to be less harmful and less addictive substance than alcohol (marijuana) for philosophical reasons because of its psychoactive properties, or that alcohol should be illegal for religious or philosophical reasons, well, the only thing you’ve proved is that you’re compassionate. You state facts that everyone agrees with, and repeat your belief. Facts and scientific studies should deem the harm, not racist court cases in the past (propaganda was used to decide that marijuana should be illegal). I believe abuse is the problem, not the use of alcohol. And the punishment for using marijuana should be proportional to the crime, and drugs should be classified according to addiction and harm. Justified knowledge, not beliefs should be the basis of laws.
-Chris
My belief is that pharmacy and witchcraft is against God’s way, it is not natural, and if a person was meant to die they should not be able to take medicine or use black magic, that was invented and done by man and not God. And America should represent God’s ways.
-Mark Twain
By: Chris on June 14, 2008
at 12:05 am
That is a perfect quote in my opinion, but what the quote says and what your words say are very different things.
By: ShatteredSoul on June 19, 2008
at 3:40 pm