Doesn't the verse in Gen 1:29 validate the belief that....?

Question

....G-D has given us ALL plants and trees to be used for a purpose. It says, "I give you every tree and herb that doth bear seed, for ye it shall be as meat." in the N.I.V. Version, its says basically the same thing.
So how can people who hold so firmly to the teachings/writings within this book be against things like tobacco, opiates and marijuana? Isn't that a little hypocritical and self righteous?
I believe in G-D, but I don't necessarily believe in any man (or woman's for that matter) interpretation of his word. How does one who holds firmly to G-D's word simply pick and choose what they deem is relevant to themselves or the world? What are your views on this?

Answer 1

My "views" really have little or nothing to do with it. Gods Word, when you compare scripture with scripture, tells us all we need to know.

Scripture tells US to obey the laws of the land. If opiates and marijuana are ilegal, then we follow those laws. One verse "out of context" does NOT a doctrine make.

Also, Gods Word is NOT open for "personal interpretation". We are told how to KNOW what Gods will IS for this present church age.

The question is, do YOU really want to know, or do you just want an excuse to continue "doing what YOU think is right?"

Answer 2

I oppose prohibition, but for different reasons than the idea it is God's gift in the plants. The way to create a black market for anything is to make it against the law to deal in it. When you do this you instantly create a profitable product to control trade in for criminals. This leads, obviously to crime.
The way to regulate something is to license it and set standards to meet for a license to trade in it. This lets you control the use and to profit from it instead of organized crime.
All of the super string hydroponically grown pot is a result of it being illegal. Until prohibition made the trade profitable there was no economic incentive to breed such potent strains or to cultivate them so intensely. In effect, trying to prohibit marijuana only made it stronger.
If you look at Alcohol prohibition from the 1920s all it succeeded in doing was creating the organized crime syndicates (Bugs Moran, Al Capone, etc.) It did not stop people from drinking. The cure for the supposed immorality was far worse than the original problem of drinking for society.
So those are a couple of the reasons I oppose prohibition and the "War on Drugs."
It does not work to prohibit anything. All prohibition does is make the problem bigger.

Answer 3

Inhaling smoke damages your lungs which go's against the scripture informing you not to defile your bodily temple. Reading the scriptures and considering them logically leads me to conclude that God has made your functioning abilities fine and wonderful without the need to consume mind and body altering substances. In the case of inhaling smoke you are damaging your body which leads to death which came into being when man sinned.
As God really has made you and your minds capabilities wonderfully and fearfully, and as he really has guided the writing of the Bible to be precise and sufficient for each individual, i will ask you why would you listen to anybodies interpretation of the Bible besides for your own?
As a Bible believing born again christian i hope that people who interpret scripture falsely, such as in my view, Catholics and evolutionist who believe in the Bible, will still enter heaven as they have interpreted the main points of the Bible correctly (God existing and Jesus to be he's son and representative on earth) and have carried out the actions and made the choices the Bible says you have to to be saved.
I think it would also be relevent to point out that man entering heaven, that man entering hell, that all sin and death, are not ment to be. The world was made perfect with no sin and death, now that these things exist the Bible lays out instructions that if followed would bring the world back close to a garden of eden state. These instructions and results of following them are described as, the kingdom of God.

Answer 4

The bible is not proof of where we come from.
So you believe in the literally interpretation of Exodus 35:2, Lev. 15:19-24, Lev. 1:9, Lev. 11:10, and so forth?

Answer 5

God created fire too but we don't eat it, or I hope you don't. But I digress. I believe you are right to rely on your interpretation but only as God has revealed it to you. Do you know Him that well to know what His will for you is in this matter? Have you spent time in prayer and asked for His guidance, and if so, have you spent time in the Word allowing Him to speak to you there? I was a user for many years and had the same belief you seem to be offering. But I now know that it was bad for me and I can only speak for myself. Search your heart, your body is the temple of God, are you treating it as such?

Answer 6

Well, it's like this, the bible is God's word and it is all true, especially if it gives you an excuse to chastise homosexuals, however if its silly or God did something nasty, then it is not literal, or there is some part of the new testament that over rides the unsavoury bits of the old testament etc...

Answer 7

Again, I think you're right.
I think if someone is going to use a writing as an absolute on one thing, they should tolerate anyone else's interpretation of it, rather than using those teachings to bludgeon and bully others.
I no longer have a faith, but I think in terms of fairness, it's a case of give and take.

Answer 8

You don't believe in man, but men wrote the bible.

There are poisonous plants, such as poison hemlock. In ancient Greece, hemlock was used to poison condemned prisoners. There are also plants man is allergic to like poison ivy.

Feel free to eat any plant that bears seeds.
Eat hemlock, smoke poison ivy, eat the beans of the castor plant to see if you live long enough to report back.

Answer 9

Well then I guess we better start using those poisonous plants to get rid of the people we dont like.

Answer 10

The issue is what people do with all the things that exist in this world - not the fact they do exist.