-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Theists, why did god create these plants/fungi?
- Thread starter Father Heathen
- Start date
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
Creation is not like a machine, designed with a specific purpose in mind. Creation is like art. It is created for it's own sake.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
Interesting way of looking that it. From your perspective, would the artist object to a Native American eating some of his artwork (peyote) for spiritual reasons?
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
Why don't you just ask me what my position is on recreational drug use? I have no problem with use of non-addictive drugs, whether for religious reasons or otherwise. I do have a problem, however, with non-NAs deciding that they want to practice NA spirituality as an excuse for drug use.
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
Who else WOULD be? Only FH knows why he asked the question. Who is more qualified than him???Well, I really don't think you're a very good judge of what you were implying.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
Because I was more curious about (what people believe to be) God's position.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
I'm not aware of God having stated a position on every little aspect of creation.
BucephalusBB
ABACABB
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
Well then, why don't we also discuss what (people believe to be) God's position on cotton candy, cable television, size 13 shoes, and golf balls while we're at it.I think that's why he added the "(what people believe to be)"
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
BucephalusBB
ABACABB
Well then, why don't we also discuss what (people believe to be) God's position on cotton candy, cable television, size 13 shoes, and golf balls while we're at it.
Because those are stuff we made from stuff he made
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
So? What if God doesn't approve of cotton candy? If so, He might not take kindly to you using the stuff He made in order to make the stuff you make.Because those are stuff we made from stuff he made
MY POINT was that there is no way to know what God's position is on every little thing. So asking people what they think God's position is on recreational drug use is the same thing as asking people what their own position is on them. So why the pretense?
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
No, but do you not ever speculate and ponder about the nature of god?
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
My God cares about oppression and injustice, not about some suburbanites wanting to get high.
Magic Man
Reaper of Conversation
Magic Man
Reaper of Conversation
But the question is why does the God of some people care about such things as getting high?
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
I can only speak from my perspective: The God I worship wants everyone (actually, all things) to actualize their full potential. (Hence, being against oppression and injustice as these things prevent people from actualizing their full potential.)
To the extent that someone overuses recreational drugs, such that it interferes with other aspects of living like school and work and relationships and community involvement, then God would be against it (but not in a "you're going to hell" kinda way). This would be true for everything tho, not just drugs. For example, spending too much time in online discussion forums might be considered a "sin."
But to the extent that it's done just occasionally and doesn't dominate one's life, and responsibly (ie - don't toke and drive), by my understanding of God, God has no problem with recreational drug use. Honestly, there are much more pressing things to get mad about in this world, like oppression and injustice.
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
Hempo plants produce excellent fiber, and require cross pollinization to produce hallucenogens.
Salvia provides excellent ground cover.
Ajahuasca is really a brew of mixed plants which has over three hundred known variations.
Wikipedia:
"While non-native users know of the spiritual applications of ayahuasca, a less well-known traditional usage focuses on the medicinal properties of ayahuasca. Its purgative properties are highly important (many refer to it as la Purga, "the purge"). The intense vomiting and occasional diarrhea it induces can clear the body of worms and other tropical parasites,[7] and harmala alkaloids themselves have been shown to be anthelmintic[8] Thus, this action is twofold; a direct action on the parasites by these harmala alkaloids (particularly harmine in ayahuasca) works to kill the parasites, and parasites are expelled through the increased intestinal motility that is caused by these alkaloids."
Any drug in abuse or overdose can have harmful effect, especially naturally produced drugs: foxglove, for instance--quinine for another instance.
Mushrooms are saprophytes and therefor part of nature's recycling process--some saprophytes are outright poison as well, but they still serve a purpose.
Abuse is done by people, not the plants.
Regards,
Scott