What's your position on the morality of altering ones state of mind recreationally?

[LuisDantas]

I’m more interested in people’s core feelings regarding the subject of drug use, and what you think are the reasons behind the way you feel.

I am quite firmly in the anti-drug camp, with a vengeance, and having entered the inscription queue twice for emphasis. The very existence of psychoactives bothers me greatly. It takes the utmost effort for me to have respect for anyone that I know to be an user of anything from marijuana or alcohol up. Even tobacco is difficult at times. I actually have more respect for suicidal people.

I like to think that I feel so because to me there is no more precious thing than one's own mental balance. Wanting to intentionally upset it is quite absurd to my sensibilities.

Come to think of it, the existence of psychoactives and of people who want to use them is one of the reasons why I don't believe that there is a creator god. It seems obvious and intuitive to me that a creator god wouldn't allow that to be.

So for the sake of clarity, concern yourself with drugs that offer some form of mental altering effect, be it sensory, cognitive or emotional alteration. (So don’t focus on heart medication for example).

The question relates to the recreational use of such substances. I’d like to know if you are particularly anti-drug, pro drug, indifferent or perhaps relative in terms of what drug we are in fact talking about, or whether you are hypothetically talking about yourself or commenting on others that use.

I don't think I make any distinctions between myself and others in this regard. I find psychoactive drug use demeaning by definition. It is not a personal or relative thing far as I am concerned.

As health (ill)effects will naturally enter the discussion, I’d like you to acknowledge such reasons, but also think beyond them regarding the morality of use, imagining a situation where there are perhaps no negative health effects to justify a given position. (i.e. i want you to focus more on why the process of 'mental alteration' might be considered immoral or not )

I’d like to know why you hold the particular position you have, and whether you’re religious belief (or lack of) plays any role in your held position.

It is true that the five main precepts of Sila do advise against drug use, but this is more a matter of my chosing the faith by that criteria than of it convincing me.

It’s a subject that seems to have people holding fairly strong rigid views, and a subject I have my own thoughts on. Why would faculty altering capabilities be morally wrong in principle?

My gut feeling is that I must have misunderstood the question, quite frankly. It sounds like asking why red is considered a different color than blue.

Or rather, to whom would it really matter?

To anyone who wants to be respected as a sensible and sentient being, and to anyone who is connected in any significant way to any of those.

Which is to say, to everyone.

And as a bonus consideration, perhaps we can think about why people use such drugs in the first place?

Far as I can tell, to reach mental and corporal states that they enjoy, to find relief from certain unpleasant or just boring mental states, and as part of some kind of rituals of social bonding or of identity search.

 

[SageTree]

A real question.

OK, cool, because we all know about Rule 6, right?


Always better to be safe than sorry in these discussions.

There are other websites for that if you need to tell everyone that stuff.

 

[Jainarayan]

Smoking it in and of itself? I don't have a problem with someone doing it any more than I have a problem with someone having a beer or two or glass of wine or two. It's the misuse and the problems that come with misuse of any of those I have a problem with. Ironically, a legal substance has probably caused more harm and deaths than all those illegal substances combined. With either of those categories, the genie is out of the bottle, and he ain't a-goin' back in.

 

[Me Myself]

OK, cool, because we all know about Rule 6, right?


Always better to be safe than sorry in these discussions.

There are other websites for that if you need to tell everyone that stuff.

Arent there countries in US where marijuana is legal now?

 

[Titanic]

OK, cool, because we all know about Rule 6, right?


Always better to be safe than sorry in these discussions.

There are other websites for that if you need to tell everyone that stuff.

I thought pot was legal in some state's?

 

[LuisDantas]

I thought pot was legal in some state's?

Far as I can tell, this is actually a very confused matter. The Federal Laws stand forbidding it and there were very public statements from Federal authorities that essentially claim that the State-level decisions are worthless.

 

[idav]

Drugs can be good or bad depending on the intended purpose. Even legal drugs can be abused. Best to just stay away from addiction regardless of what it is.

 

[Titanic]

Far as I can tell, this is actually a very confused matter. The Federal Laws stand forbidding it and there were very public statements from Federal authorities that essentially claim that the State-level decisions are worthless.

Okay thank's for your reply. I guess I need to quit talking about drug's.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

How do we know that legalizing drugs would make more people start? I think a lot of social mischief is due to making things taboo. It makes it a thrill for some, and that's what attracts the youth. Anything thrilling.

 

[SageTree]

Arent there countries in US where marijuana is legal now?

I thought pot was legal in some state's?

At this stage of the game the rules on the forum haven't changed.
And at this point we're not doing a state to state check on where people are posting from.

 

[Me Myself]

At this stage of the game the rules on the forum haven't changed.
And at this point we're not doing a state to state check on where people are posting from.

So if it is illegal anywhere in the US it is treated as illegal in the US per forum rules?

Interesting...

 

[Titanic]

At this stage of the game the rules on the forum haven't changed.
And at this point we're not doing a state to state check on where people are posting from.

Okay that is good to know.

 

[LuisDantas]

How do we know that legalizing drugs would make more people start? I think a lot of social mischief is due to making things taboo. It makes it a thrill for some, and that's what attracts the youth. Anything thrilling.

I want to answer, but doesn't this deserve a separate thread?

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Well why don't you start it? I'm game

 

[Me Myself]

So if it is illegal anywhere in the US it is treated as illegal in the US per forum rules?

Interesting...

Wait a second, how can we discuss and support gay marriage and not legal use of marijuana? What is the difference between the two?

 

[LuisDantas]

Well why don't you start it? I'm game

Ok, try this:

http://www.religiousforums.com/foru...-do-you-believe-effects-drug.html#post3353351

 

[LuisDantas]

Wait a second, how can we discuss and support gay marriage and not legal use of marijuana? What is the difference between the two?

Gay marriage is a strictly personal matter, or at least no less so than heterosexual marriage. Marijuana has health effects, including mental, and therefore transcends individual rights.

 

[Me Myself]

Gay marriage is a strictly personal matter, or at least no less so than heterosexual marriage. Marijuana has health effects, including mental, and therefore transcends individual rights.

I am not following.

Marriage doesnt affect health or mentality and health and state of mind are not a personal matter?

They are both things that are legal in some states and illegal in others, and also things that a lot of people support to legalize to the point where discussion about it is engaging.

 

[Almustafa]

everything is divine, they are qualities of mother nature that have effects on other qualities or aspects of God.
so no thing is inherently bad, it is how you use it... that said dangerous chemicals are often considered negative to the human condition.. however things like hemp are a sacrament from the soil and it should be cherished as such.

 

[LuisDantas]

I am not following.

Marriage doesnt affect health or mentality

It actually does, but that is just as true of hetero marriage as of same sex marriage.

and health and state of mind are not a personal matter?

No, they are not. At least in my opinion. Particularly state of mind.

They are both things that are legal in some states and illegal in others, and also things that a lot of people support to legalize to the point where discussion about it is engaging.

From a legal perspective, you mean?

If I am not mistaken, same sex marriage may not be recognized as valid under some jurisdictions and perhaps by the Federal government itself, but that only means that it does not "exist", not that it is in some sense an offense or crime.

Not so with marijuana use.