A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
A timely book that is sure to be of interest to many!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: What Is Marijuana and How Does It Work?
Chapter 2: The Risks of Marijuana Use
Chapter 3: The Christian and the Law
Chapter 4: The Bible and Marijuana
Chapter 5: Discipleship and Marijuana
Chapter 6: How Does Medical Marijuana Work?
Chapter 7: Thinking Biblically About Medical Marijuana
Selected Quotes
- “A little wine does not intoxicate; it is not clear that marijuana can be smoked in moderation without effects. Therefore, simply substituting marijuana for wine will not work. To determine if we can apply the biblical teaching on alcohol and drunkenness, we must understand what marijuana is and how it works.” (20)
- “THC has been proven to interfere with brain development, and the losses created by that interference cannot be restored. This is not a matter of opinion, nor is it the subjective prejudice of a few doctors. The evidence is overwhelming, and there is no credible disagreement with that conclusion.” (39)
- “To be mastered by an activity or substance is to deny the lordship of Jesus Christ.” (79)
- “Being high on pot and drunk on alcohol both impair cognitive abilities, judgment, and physical capacities. Those are the exact reasons the Bible roundly and repeatedly forbids drunkenness.” (83)
- “The Christian life is to be lived intentionally, with no divided loyalties and no double-mindedness. It takes the totality of who we are—body, mind, and heart—to follow Jesus in a way that honors him.” (89)
- “Lack of holiness clouds our ability to see God. The human predicament is one of spiritual blindness and death caused by rebellion and sin. It is not the result of not having the right psychoactive chemical introduced to our brains.” (105)
- “Sometimes you will have to deny your desires. But the path on which Jesus leads you is a path to eternal life.” (114)
- “Despite the claims advanced by advocates for medical marijuana, the medical evidence, at this point, does not indicate significant demonstrable benefits. In fact, in many instances, the data moves in the opposite direction.” (124)
- “Eternal suffering is not the destiny of the Christian.” (136)
- “What if those Christians who are now addicted to opioids had thought about the consequences of taking a highly addictive, mind-altering drug for chronic pain relief? Perhaps the questions Christians are asking today about the legitimacy of the medical use of marijuana have opened the space to consider the implications of taking other addictive mind-altering drugs. In other words, maybe the question of medical marijuana is prompting Christians to think biblically when it comes to prescribed drug use more generally.” (145)
About the Author
Todd Miles (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Professor of Theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and Teaching Pastor at Gresham Bible Church. A former research engineer, he is married to Camille, with whom he has six children and five grandchildren.