Thanks so much for your words of wisdom. I always appreciate how you make me think.abijah` wrote: ↑November 28th, 2021, 12:13 pm
- 1 Enoch 7-8
And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants...
And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, 'Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven . . .
Like it or not, if you went back in time to either New Testament era, or more-ancient OT Israel with a substance like cannabis, ^this is the scriptural and theological category they would place it in.
They would place in it the same category as botany/medicines/herblore in general, as well as under the broader umbrella of Techne largely speaking, which includes everything from music & the arts, to metallurgy & craftsmanship, to perfumery & makeup.
Applied knowledge (or what it produces) that -- in of itself -- is not wicked or righteous, but rather, that depending on how you use it.
Christians who look upon the use of cannabis as something inherently, and of itself sinful or unwholesome - it seems its along the basis that cannabis produces a psychoactive effect.
Well, just because something is psychoactive doesn't convince me that its inherently sinful. I know its not a very TBM take, but before Section 89, there is never, in any scripture I'm aware of, banning the use of psychoactive substances, such as wine for example. Wine is never banned, and its psychoactive effect is directly referenced, and even attributed as the reason for God creating it:
- Psalm 104
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.So just on the basis that something has a psychoactive effect doesn't persuade me its inherently wrong.
- John 2
Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.
Now, marijuana is seriously misused by most users I agree. Largely it has a negative effect, just like users of alcohol and many other things etc.
All I know is that for me personally it has its use and virtues when contained in both its proper season and context, yet becomes a snare for me if I stray from that.
Mike