juantoo3
....whys guy.... ʎʇıɹoɥʇnɐ uoıʇsǝnb
Kindest Regards, Bandit!
Actually, that is what I am attempting to get at.
It is easy to make the assumption, but would He really object if it were not against the law of the land? Considering the crowd He hung out with, I am inclined to think the simple answer is just a bit, well, too simple.
What medicines did doctors have in the time of Jesus? Surely there was use of substance for recreational purposes, afterall Jesus not only drank wine at a wedding, He made a whole bunch of it too for others to drink.
I realize there is no direct reference (that I recall) to the use of herbal relaxants, but I seem to recall a fight between Rachel and another of Jacob's wives over a mandrake root, which as I recall was supposed to be an aphrodesiac (sp?).
And then considering the Church's absorption of local tradition and custom into the various regional churches, it would not surprise me to learn of places where herbs are either toleranted or folded into the regional practice. Haiti, perhaps?
What about the use of peyote by AmerIndians in the South West, and other similar substances in Central America and Africa in the indigenous religions. I am not speaking of the Western materialist tradition of highjacking something for mass consumption and profit (as was done with tobacco), these things were and are still used in a reverent way in the course of the pursuit of the spiritual traditions of many indigenous cultures.
Which raises another point, is the intent and motivation behind the use a determining factor behind acceptability in God's eyes?
I am actually trying to get at the ethical and moral issues per the Bible with this. I realize it is a difficult subject for many, but since it was raised it is one I have struggled with for a long time. Hence my questions.
WWJD?
Actually, that is what I am attempting to get at.
It is easy to make the assumption, but would He really object if it were not against the law of the land? Considering the crowd He hung out with, I am inclined to think the simple answer is just a bit, well, too simple.
What medicines did doctors have in the time of Jesus? Surely there was use of substance for recreational purposes, afterall Jesus not only drank wine at a wedding, He made a whole bunch of it too for others to drink.
I realize there is no direct reference (that I recall) to the use of herbal relaxants, but I seem to recall a fight between Rachel and another of Jacob's wives over a mandrake root, which as I recall was supposed to be an aphrodesiac (sp?).
And then considering the Church's absorption of local tradition and custom into the various regional churches, it would not surprise me to learn of places where herbs are either toleranted or folded into the regional practice. Haiti, perhaps?
What about the use of peyote by AmerIndians in the South West, and other similar substances in Central America and Africa in the indigenous religions. I am not speaking of the Western materialist tradition of highjacking something for mass consumption and profit (as was done with tobacco), these things were and are still used in a reverent way in the course of the pursuit of the spiritual traditions of many indigenous cultures.
Which raises another point, is the intent and motivation behind the use a determining factor behind acceptability in God's eyes?
I am actually trying to get at the ethical and moral issues per the Bible with this. I realize it is a difficult subject for many, but since it was raised it is one I have struggled with for a long time. Hence my questions.