Pope's View on Legalizing Drugs: Just Say No (Francis Condemns Legalization)

AP/ABC ^ | Jun 20, 2014 | NICOLE WINFIELD

[xzins]

Pope Francis condemned the legalization of recreational drugs as a flawed and failed experiment as he lent his voice Friday to a debate that is raging from the United States to Uruguay.

Francis told delegates attending a Rome drug enforcement conference that even limited steps to legalize recreational drugs "are not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects."

Likewise, Francis said, providing addicts with drugs offered only "a veiled means of surrendering to the phenomenon."

"Let me state this in the clearest terms possible," he said. "The problem of drug use is not solved with drugs!"

Francis has described drug addiction as evil and met addicts on several occasions. When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, he devoted much of his pastoral care to addicts.

To reject illegal drugs, he said, "one has to say 'yes' to life, 'yes' to love, 'yes' to others, 'yes' to education, 'yes' to greater job opportunities.

[narses]

[ansel12]

Rand Paul knows something about libertarianism and the pressures of them to have him come back to them, when he was trying to get into the Senate he distanced himself from them, something that he has reversed after winning the office.

Rand Paul: "My opponents call me libertarian but I'm pro-life."

[ansel12]

Please don’t bury the thread with your oversize spam cartoons.

[narses]

Really? You want to tell me what to post? LOL!

[ansel12]

Why not respond to the posters instead of posting the same tired giant, spam?

[narses]

Why not?

[ansel12]

I suppose you depend on it in some way since it is compulsive, but you could try actual responses instead, or even reduce their size if you can’t form an actual response.

[narses]

You are clueless.

[Finny]

If you ever actually saw the love of God in action you’d realize... you’ve been doing things the wrong way all along. You’ve been trying to impose through tyranny what freedom was wooing humanity to embrace through love.

BUMP.

A big beautiful bump. WELL SAID.

[varyouga]

Sorcery is obviously referred to in the context of mediums, necromancers, false prophets, magicians, etc. People who misuse the tools He gave us for lies and personal gain. http://www.openbible.info/topics/sorcery

I'm referring to using natural plants for therapeutic and legitimate research purposes that benefit all mankind.

You honestly believe God intended us to not even touch these plants for any purpose? Even poison oak, poison ivy and stinging nettle have proven to be valuable.

[xzins]

There is medicinal use or there is manipulative use.

There is no recreational use.

Each use you have mentioned is medicinal — which I have already stated is acceptable.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well for a supposed member of a church that says it is based on the Holy Spirit in some manner, you sure are full of self congratulatory pride.

That will get you nowhere. I could say “actually, you” to most of your accusations, in fact, but there is a time when pearls must cease to be cast.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You are self congratulatory and you kind of deserve ansel12. 2 peas in a pod. God has just brought you a mirror.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And more particularly about sorcery in the New Testament sense, it is about uses that are intended to reach the evil side of the spiritual world. Trips, as we would call them today.

If a medicine could help you relate to God in a more useful way (useful to His glorification), it would be a good medicine. But most great mystics don’t use medicinal substances to go where they go.

[narses]

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks!! I always thought so.

[Mrs. Don-o]

This needs a courtesy ping to ansel12. Da rules.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Mom Wants A Joint

[OneWingedShark]

There is medicinal use or there is manipulative use.

Not all manipulative use is wrong; humans are, at their core, manipulators (in the sense we use tools).

[ConservingFreedom]

I have sure known plenty of people who avoid or stopped using drugs, or associating with drug users, because of the laws.

The inherent harms of drugs were a minor or non-consideration? Really?

I have sure known plenty of people who avoid or stopped using drugs, or associating with drug users, because of the laws.

Then I can only say that in my opinion most Americans are not as dullwitted as the people you've known.

It isn’t dull witted to avoid trying pot, or to stop using it, or to cut off social association with post users, to avoid problems with laws and the resulting damage to reputation and careers, and employment.

It is dullwitted to set the inherent harms of drugs as a minor or non-consideration.

Shouldn’t you wait until that makes sense, to post it on a thread? To just blurt it out for no reason or context, looks weird.

Nice try. Context restored - in which it makes perfect sense. Any other clumsy games you'd like to try to play?