Pubdate: Fri, 01 Feb 2002
Source: Christian News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 Christian News
Contact:  http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/bc.cgi?bc/index
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1697
Author: Helmut Boehm
Note: Helmut Boehm is executive director of Wagner Hills Farm Society, an 
addiction recovery Christian community in Langley.

DRUGS: JESUS AND THE 'FOUR PILLAR' APPROACH

Following is a response to an interview with Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen, 
which was featured in the January issue of BCCN.

FIRSTLY, I am very grateful for a mayor who attends church, and who cares 
enough about the citizens he governs to walk the streets of East Vancouver, 
as Jesus might do, "seeking to help the poor and those in need."

Mayor Owen says, "You can't just go handing out free cocaine or heroin to 
everybody; you can't ignore it [the drug problem], so you've got to manage it."

Donald MacPherson, Vancouver's drug policy coordinator, has formulated A 
Framework for Action, which is about managing people and drug problems.

No management plan, not even one with broad support, can change a person's 
heart. Only Jesus can take away our guilt and make it possible for us to 
choose life. Jesus is about changing people from the inside through 
forgiveness and new life.

The drug problem in Vancouver, and in all of our communities, is revealing 
our need for God. This is the time for those of us who are called 
Christians to make a difference in our communities, by being the hands and 
the feet of Jesus -- and serving those in need as Jesus would do. I believe 
we are being called to get involved with A Framework for Action in order to 
bring the living Lord Jesus into the 'Four Pillar' approach.

Some of us should become knowledgeable and involved with Pillar One -- 
Prevention. We can affect our community for good with truth. Focus on the 
Family has a new program called 'How To Drug Proof Your Kids.' This is a 
good place to start. But be aware: all prevention programs have an 
underlying philosophy or belief system.

We should also become more involved in Treatment -- Pillar Two. Christians 
continue to make a major contribution towards treatment and recovery in 
virtually every community. Much more can be done. The 'drug problem' is 
also a 'God opportunity.'

Donald MacPherson writes in A Framework for Action that "The environment 
has changed and the same old approaches do not, and will not work.". During 
my 27 years in addictions treatment, seeing more than 1,000 
brothers/clients in recovery at Wagner Hills Farm, I have seen that only 
Jesus can set a person truly free from addictions -- and he is freeing more 
people today than ever before.

Pillar Three is titled Enforcement. Enforcement has been and remains the 
normal mandate of government and the rule of law. Mayor Owen recognizes the 
limitations of enforcement in changing people's lives. Generally, I am 
supportive of the six action plans for enforcement in A Framework for 
Action. We can do much to support police and those in authority by praying 
for them and by telling them we support them.

Transformation and renewal is possible and I believe it is happening and 
will happen more in Greater Vancouver. The examples of transformation in 
various communities are testimony to the fact that God is still answering 
prayer today.

What about Pillar Four, the controversial Harm Reduction section? Donald 
MacPherson says quite a number of things in this section that I can't agree 
with. For example: "Abstinence-based strategies are often impractical and 
ineffective in dealing with the street-entrenched drug scene. . . . Harm 
reduction is a key component of national and provincial drug strategies. . 
. . Abstinence is an unrealistic goal for many chronic drug users and can 
lead to greater harm."

I do agree with MacPherson when he says, "The primary purpose of 
low-threshold harm reduction programs is to continually build relationships 
with those on the margins." I believe Jesus calls us to build relationships 
with drug users, the poor and those in need.

I believe it is possible to build relationships by talking with, walking 
with, eating with, praying with, living with, laughing with and helping 
those on the margins. My compassion and my conscience have not released me 
to give a user money, or a free clean needle, or to offer him methadone, in 
an effort to build a relationship.

I believe we cross a clear barrier when we partially condone a harmful 
activity or provide a slightly less harmful drug (but still harmful and 
dangerous, as a recent methadone overdose confirms) in place of heroin.

A person without moral absolutes will have a hard time seeing the dangers 
of this approach, especially if money can be saved and health costs and 
even deaths appear to go down.

In spite of God's power, he didn't create robots when he made people. He 
left us with the ability to choose him and life -- or to reject him, 
thereby choosing death.

Harm reduction, in my opinion, begins to undermine the basic dignity of 
every human being, because it can encourage them not to take responsibility 
for their actions.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D