Was Jesus a Stoner?

After my firsts joints (decades back, all come under the statute of limitations by now!), I didn't go to mass anymore.

I must admit, however, that both incidents were not connected directly.

I've always thought that all the great old religions were somehow connected to what is now called 'drugs'.

To answer your question: I don't mind.

[I don't mind about the beers drunken by some presidential daughters or the drugs used by sons of some crown prince either.]

Doesn't bother me at all.

It is interesting that many religions and cults use substances to induce an altered state of consciousness. As freedom of religious expression is guaranteed in many countries, does that mean if you managed to show how cocaine was central to your religious beliefs, you would be free to use it?

......................................

I agree with you Walter, that individual drug users do not bother me in the slightest. In an ideal society, everyone would be free to take what they want BUT no one would, because everyone would be too sensible.

The problem is that we don't live in an ideal society. (Or at least I don't).

We have the anomalous situation where legislators who have a duty of care towards the vulnerable, allow the sale of dangerous substances (alcohol and tobacco) because they can raise tax. Governments become addicted to the tax revenue and the people become addicted and suffer the harmful affects of legally available products.

Meanwhile the mere possession of a small amount of cannabis is still a serious offence in many places. There is no quick fix solution.

for what its worth here are my ideas

1. Reduce Government addiction to tax from harmful substances.
2. Spread education about drugs not propaganda.
3. Registered addicts should receive a supply of cheap pure drugs, conditional on co operating with drug rehabilitation schemes. Extend this scheme to tobacco and alcohol.
4. The secret intelligence agencies must tackle the illegal drug trade as they would fith columnists in time of war.

What ? ! ? ! ?

Are you crazy ? ! ? ! ?

That would be the sensible, just thing to do. Now what on earth made you think that such a proposal, being sensible and fair, would ever get a hearing from any body of politicians. You musta been smokin' a little too much yerself, Boss, when you wrote that.

heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee . . .

It is what ought to be done. It ain't what's gonna happen.

Setanta

You must understand him: he's from Stockport, where they recently closed the first British 'coffee shop' (Dutch style).

Yes just day dreaming again.

Actually I've had another idea but.....


Oh well perhaps I should just concentrate on my New Year's Resolution and hobby...to try all narcotic substances at least once before some damn fool makes them legal.

All true Walter.

They closed it because the coffee was absolutely terrible. (British style)

the Native American Church legally uses Peyote in religious ceremonies.

Dyslexia,

Can anyone join?
Do church leaders buy it on street corners?
Do they sell it to other churches?

Fascinating stuff

Leaders in the Native American Church of North America are warning that the shortage of peyote, a sacrament used in worship, is reaching critical levels (Author unlisted, "For Indian Church, a Critical Shortage," New York Times, Mar. 20, 1995, p. A10).

Members of the church say they are seeking new methods of obtaining the cactus plant, including alternative cultivation methods and importation from Mexico.

Peyote grows wild in one area of southern Texas, but changing agricultural patterns are wiping out that supply. Farmers have been taking over the land where peyote was growing and using the land for pasture. The shortage has been made worse by increases in church membership.

Texas law allows Native Americans to harvest the plant and distribute it to licensed dealers. Under Public Law 103-344, amendments to the "American Indian Religious Freedom Act," Native Americans can possess, transport, and use peyote as a part of traditional religious ceremonies (see "Peyote Bill Signed," NewsBriefs, Nov. 1994). While peyote use is legal for Native Americans, cultivation remains illegal.

Well you only have to do a little research and you can find all sorts of stuff:-

What is it?

Mescaline
(C11H17NO3)
(3,4,5-trimethoxy-ß-phenethylamine)

What did Robert Boyll do?

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff,


v.


Robert Lawrence BOYLL, Defendant.


Crim. No. 90-207-JB.


United States District Court,
D. New Mexico.


Sept. 3, 1991


Non-Indian member of Native American church was indicted for
importing peyote through mail and possessing it with intent to
distribute. He moved to dismiss. The District Court, Burciaga,
Chief Judge, held that: (1) permitting Indians' nondrug use of
peyote in bona fide religious ceremonies of Native American
church, but prohibiting such use by non-Indians, would violate
free exercise and equal protection clauses; (2) compelling
interest test applied to free exercise challenge to prosecution
of non-Indian member, and (3) prosecution would violate free
exercise clause.


Motions granted.

What so peyotists think?

The positive, life enhancing benefits of the peyote
medicine are probably as diverse as the many people
who have found it to play an extremely important role
in their lives.

And can you have too much of a good thing?

Effects of Overdose:
Longer and More Intense Trip, Psychosis, Death

My only problem with cannabis is that it's illegal to smoke it, however it's ok to drink alcohol, which in my mind is worse!

Knowing that it has medical benefits and some physicians dare to prescribe it, I wouldn't be surprised that Christ would use it! Why wouldn't he? That was long before the Christian Religion modified his teachings to suit their own needs.

Anon

Anon

Yes can picture it now. The Guy in the long white robe, laid back, smoking the spliff with his bros, strokin dat beard...man he Son of Evryfin man.

Makes me quite nostalgic for Christianity.

S

This country's drug policy is really perverse when you consider that someone can lose his belongings and be sent to jail for having a little pot in his possession.

What gets even more surreal is that hemp isn't legal in this country. Could be that Christ's robe was made of hemp.
Here is a couple of paragraphs from an organization called Hemp Car:
======================

History of Hemp:

Researchers trace hemp's history as an industrial crop back some 10,000 years when the fiber was first utilized by the Chinese to make ropes and eventually paper. Hemp's wide array of industrial uses first rose to prominence in America during the colonial era when many of the founding fathers espoused its versatility. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were strong advocates for a hemp-based economy and both cultivated the crop for its fiber content. Most of the sails and ropes on colonial ships were made from hemp as were many of the colonists' bibles and maps. The early settlers also used hemp seeds as a source for lamp oil and some colonies made hemp cultivation compulsory, calling it's production necessary for the "wealth and protection of the country."

Hemp continued to be cultivated in America until 1937 when Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act outlawing marijuana. Although not a bill specifically aimed at industrial hemp production, legal limitations posed by the legislation quickly put an end to the once prominent industry.

Hemp production briefly re-emerged in 1942 when the federal government encouraged hundreds of American farmers to cultivate hemp for the war effort. Armed with a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) film entitled "Hemp for Victory," thousands of farmers grew hundreds of thousands of acres of hemp for wartime needs. Unfortunately, when World War II ended, so did the government's allowance of hemp cultivation. By 1957, prohibitionists had reasserted a total ban on hemp production. That federal ban remains in effect today.

My answer to your poll question would be:
Just because this guy said he knew the ingredients of anointing oil is hardly enough for me to be convinced. I'd like to see his evidence. Must be some grainy footage.

And, I subscribe to the "but it doesn't make any difference to me."

I was about to take umbrage if you had meant Jesus threw stones at people. :wink:

and jesus said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone, and mom put that rock down!"

Was Jesus a stoner? I don't think he needed drugs to get high.

Canibus was not a drug back then, it was a product of the good fertile earth. Man used what was grown when and where it was needed.

In the future, they will look back on this time as barbaric because of our treatment of marijuana. It is pure silly, we still have people in jail for simple possession. There is an attempt to get a young lady who got 40 years because she was driving a car her boy friend was in with pot and she "didn't know it". She has already done 12 years. This is truly sad!