Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 Source: South Peace News, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2015 South Peace News Contact: http://www.southpeacenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2261 Author: Joseph L'Heureux Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/spirit.htm (Spiritual or Sacramental) MARIJUANA AND THE GOSPEL We have heard a great outcry for the legalization of marijuana in the past few years. Even so-called experts such as our party leaders and doctors are getting on the bandwagon. Dr. Jurgen Rehm, director at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health states, "Canada's current system of cannabis control is failing to prevent or reduce the harms associated with cannabis use." Consider this logic: he admits it harms people's mental health and yet he would like to make it more accessible. Try visiting psych wards across the country, especially where there are wards just for children and teens, to see how much damage marijuana has done. The children and youth inside there will astonish you. In the past, parents enabled their children to take alcohol. Now, some are feeding marijuana to their children "but not on a school night." Does this make sense to you? When I tried to turn in a father who was smoking pot with his sons, police told me, "This is a matter for social services." Do you know how long it takes for Social Services to get through the legal system and do something about it? They do not have the necessary teeth to intervene in time. There have been countless studies done on the effects of marijuana on an undeveloped adolescent's brain, let alone on a fully mature adult, yet we continue to push the envelope. I have personally fed close to 500,000 homeless people over a 20-year period. How many more stories would you all like to hear? I have many, and they are all centered on the use of marijuana and alcohol. It used to be we would feel a little shame for our discretions, when caught violating any of God's Commandments. Take a look around, how many of us even make an attempt to keep these commandments today: stealing, adultery, murder, abortion, euthanasia, lying, let alone, "thou shall keep the Sabbath day holy." I'm not just talking about homeless people. Just read the smut on some of our politicians. We have created more laws to protect dogs and cats then we have for our own human brothers and sisters. St. Paul tells us, "Now we are well aware that whatever the law says is said for those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world brought under the judgment of God. So then, no human being can be found upright at the tribunal of God by keeping the law; all that the law does is to tell us what is sinful." [Romans 3:19-20] Without the laws against marijuana, abortion, euthanasia, murder, stealing, bearing false witness, we would never think we have done anything wrong. Do you see how far we have already fallen? The laws of our country, supposedly a Christian-based country, should be an extension of God's Laws, not the laws of a permissive society. Marijuana users will tell you, "God created all plants, and He saw that it was good." [Genesis 1:12-13] They will also try to tell you, "That it was good for knowledge of good and evil, or wisdom" if you please. [Genesis 3:5:6] However, everyone likes to forget the consequences of disobedience or sin; banishment from the Kingdom of God, and shame, at being naked. Does all this sound familiar? The Bible calls it death, but I can personally testify that it is a loss of experiencing God's presence. God Bless! May sobriety and sanity reign in our families! - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom