Should Christians get high?

When I was growing up in the Baptist church, there was a saying, "I do not drink, smoke or chew, nor do I date girls who do." This reflected a stance against alcohol and tobacco. As a long-tenured pastor within the Southern Baptist denomination, I realize that fewer people abstain from alcohol.

My brother-in-law, who grew up in a different religious tradition, asked me when abstaining from alcohol became a belief of my denomination. As I dug deeper into history, I realized that abstaining from alcohol became the standard during Prohibition. Before that, there has always been a warning to avoid drunkenness.

A Baptist pastor friend asked a group of collogues a question about a situation in his church. He had a leader who was considering farming marijuana as soon as it became legal. Some of us were shocked at the idea of a Christian participating in the manufacture and distribution of a controversial drug. It was obvious that abstaining from alcohol was a thing of the past for that church member.

Talking to law enforcement, the closest parallel to legalized marijuana is alcohol. The same rules will apply -- you cannot give it to a minor, and you cannot drive impaired. The problem is that marijuana is a chemical substance that has been altered to the point that it is far more potent than natural cannabis was in the 1970s. Many of the products once consumed are causing otherwise well-behaved citizens to become homicidal.

In my chaplaincy training, I have seen video footage of people on this drug who sounded like they were demon possessed and needed an exorcism. This is not the laid-back sleepy image that many people have of marijuana usage.

Missouri's recent anti-tobacco and vaping campaigns seem ridiculous considering the legalization of marijuana. While we can agree that inhaling tobacco and nicotine into your lungs is bad, why is it now OK to inhale cannabis smoke into your lungs? Have we not learned from firefighters and coal miners that inhaling anything into our lungs is bad for us?

As far as commercials warning of us health risks, why do we not have more warnings about unhealthy eating and obesity?

The Bible helps us to know the difference between right and wrong. The Bible reveals our faults to us so that we can change.

Let us begin with Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise." In other words, do not get addicted to alcohol or it will take over your life and lead you down a path of destruction. The same is true for any drug, recreational or prescriptive.

Ephesians 5:18 gives us an alternative, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." Excessive indulgence will harm your health even if you do not drive drunk or beat your spouse. A better alternative is being filled with the Holy Spirit. Instead of focusing on what you cannot have, rejoice in the fact that you can have peace with God and healthy relationships with other people.

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

1 Peter 5:8 warns, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Patients are advised not to sign legal documents when they are under the influence of medication. It is risky to get drunk or high. Many people have been robbed, beaten, or taken advantage of while they were under the influence of drugs.

Romans chapter 14 goes into detail about how Christians need not fight about differences of opinions about what should be lawful or unlawful to consume. However, we are encouraged to limit our freedoms in order to protect someone who is weaker.

An example is a recovering alcoholic or a drug addict. If that person saw you, a Christian, get high, it could cause him or her to relapse. We are to imitate Christ who sacrificed himself for the salvation of others.