Is addiction a moral failing if it was come by in a "bad" way, but not if it was come by in a "good" way?
Well, I look at sorta like a Venn diagram. Legal and moral outlooks overlap, as does culpability, or individual fault. Suppose a doc prescribes benzos, like xanax, which is highly addictive, to a patient for anxiety. Then, the patient becomes addicted; big surprise. I don’t believe that patient shares, in any way, the moral culpability of a crack or meth addict.
To say that the latter are morally culpable for his addiction is not to say that the addiction is itself a moral failing.
And what about addiction to legal nonprescription drugs, such as alcohol? Are alcoholics "good people"?
Well, you make good points. After I read my post, I realized it was sorta harsh, and I was gonna supplement it, try to tone it down a little. But I didn’t.
Let me just say we all are weak in different areas. I don’t believe addiction is necessarily, or even likely, a moral failure whether we are talking about legal or illegal substances.
Not to be Captain Obvious, but life is sometimes very tough for a long time and people seek to relieve their suffering. These people need help, compassion, and prayers.
And, yes, I think alcoholics may very well be good people.
They, and other addicts, get ostracized and become socially alienated (through their behavior, low self esteem and fears), which hamper hope of recovery. It’s sad.
Thanks for your comment.