Why so many people who are religious are also for prohibition - it could be that religion and drugs are both mind altering

in #life5 years ago (edited)

Prohibition (the religious connection)

Prior to assuming his position as leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis had spoken against recreational cannabis. He stated in 2013 in Buenos Aires: "A reduction in the spread and influence of drug addiction will not be achieved by a liberalization of drug use."[7] The catechism of the Catholic Church states that "The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense."[8]

Many people may notice that some of the same people who take the most strict anti drug (anti-marijuana) stances are also very religious. I have a hypothesis to put forward for discussion.

  • Religion is a mind altering meme. It's like a drug in that it can alter how a person thinks.
  • Drugs can be mind altering substances. Marijuana or LSD for example can alter how a person thinks as much as religion does.

The Arkansas Baptist State Convention voted to discourage medical marijuana in 2016.[13] In 2016, the executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention, Tommy Green, also said that congregations should be encouraged to vote against expanded legalization of medical marijuana in Florida.

Religion if seen as one would see a drug (as an addictive mind altering meme which can be potentially dangerous) then one could make sense of why certain religious institutions might be very much against a drug which can have a similar or perhaps even the same impact on people.

Drugs compete with religion for hearts and minds?

Do drugs such as marijuana and LSD for example (particularly the psycho-active drugs) compete with religion for the human mind? If we take the perspective that it does then would religion as an organized institution have greater ability to grow if drugs are suppressed? At the same time it is possible for religions to co-opt drugs into the religious practices.
Rastafarians for example embrace marijuana as part of the enlightenment process. Some new age religions also embrace the use of mind altering substances.

Are religion and drugs equally danger or beneficial?


If they both are proven to have similar or perhaps even identical effects on the brain (neuroscience) then can a case be made that drugs are a substitute for religion? An interesting fact from history is that the CIA conducted LSD experiments as part of MK Ultra. The CIA apparently back then knew that drugs could alter behavior and thinking in a way which is quite powerful. At the same time we also know that terrorist groups (even today) rely on religion, ideology, belief, to convince members to take on actions which go against their self interest. Individuals will do actions which are irrational and not beneficial to their short or long term interests either for drugs (in the case of addiction) or for faith.

What do you think about this?

  • Do you think religion and drugs are morally equivalent?
  • Should drug use be protected in the same way religion is or should the government police religion as drugs are?
  • Should religious institutions be taxed in the same way recreational marijuana is taxed?

Disclosure: I'm a supporter of legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

References

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_and_religion
  2. https://www.livescience.com/56320-support-for-legalizing-marijuana-linked-with-religion.html
  3. https://www.livescience.com/50484-why-americans-oppose-marijuana.html
  4. https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/29/health/religious-brain-mormon-mri/index.html
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Your hypothesis really got me thinking. I had never thought of how religion basically is a drug. It would be great if marijuana was treated like religion in this country. A separation of weed and state. A constitutional right to use marijuana. I'd like to see religion taxed the same way marijuana is taxed. Thanks for sharing your way of thinking about religion and drugs.

With Catholics it's About Control, Not Cannabis

Seriously. The recipe for Holy Anointing Oil in the bible is made with massive amounts of cannabis. Jesus used massive amounts of the oil himself. He even sent out disciples with it to help heal others.

Great stuff.

The current mis-translation of "fragrant cane" from cannabis to calamus, is a deliberate political move. Yes, the bible is a heavily politically influenced, reader's digest version of (literally) libraries full of documents. So take it with a 50lb bag of salt. ;)

Calamus makes a toxic oil, while cannabis makes a fantastic healing oil for an amazing number of issues. You tell us which you believe the original to be? lol

The way some people demonstrate their religion seems it is a drug to them but very few are like this.

Do you think religion and drugs are morally equivalent?

Yes!

Should drug use be protected in the same way religion is or should the government police religion as drugs are?

NO!

Should religious institutions be taxed in the same way recreational marijuana is taxed?

Absolutely!

HUMANITY is my religion and it has got no institution.

I think drugs have killed far fewer people... and drugs kill many people.

I enjoyed the underlying sense of humour!
Perhaps it is because my moniker is Justjoy and I purposefully look on the positive side and I enjoy a smile.
As a Christian I accept wholeheartedly the premise that because I have the mind of Christ it is changed irrevocably. I have never tried any drug but it somehow tickles my fancy that for free I am 'high' on an on going basis!

I am more for natural drugs such as marijuana, magic mushroom and air (breathing exercises). Religion on the other hand is a man made drug resulting in many deaths across the earth.

Do you think religion and drugs are morally equivalent?

Perhaps in the sense that each person - according to Natural Law - has the right to choose for themselves how to experience their life so long as they are not interfering with anyone else’s such right or inflicting harm on others.

Should drug use be protected in the same way religion is or should the government police religion as drugs are?

I’d say the former - again, based on the premise that it is a human right for an individual to choose their own beliefs and how they experience their own body, including what they put into it.

...

Whether a belief system or substance - either can be used or abused, constructively or destructively...

Religion and natural drugs can both be enlightening. When institutions come in everything is spoiled.

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