Comments on: The open society and its enemy

By: cynthia curran

cynthia curran — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:10:31 +0000

That’s true about Arizona but since Brewer and MCcain are going to win I doubt that Mary-J will win in Arizona. Granted, there are seom Repubs for them that will support it but usually more of the Dems and the Libertarians support legalization.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 23:22:05 +0000

Seems that Prop 203 to Legalize Mary-J in Arizona is also funded by Mr. Soros.

Also, I have been doing some research. It is very difficult to vote for Libertarians since most have bought into the nonsense that Liberty measn pro-Choice.

I guess the Life part in Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness is just for show. I had such high hopes for Libertarians…..

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:44:48 +0000

In reply to Harry Coin. So does just taking deep breaths, or breathing.

By: Harry Coin

Harry Coin — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:15:19 +0000

In reply to Fr. Johannes Jacobse.

Apropos: A 2008 study was published demonstrating that a component of Frankincense has psychoactive propoerties possibly in the arena of emotional regulation.

http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/abstract/fj.07-101865v1

By: cynthia curran

cynthia curran — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:06:17 +0000

I’ve read that even Democrtaic poltiicans are going against the law since the results of Medicine Pot cause a spike in usage. Jerry Brown who probably is going to be governor of the State a third time opposed it, so the pot heads in California and this is about a 3rd generation problem in that state since Pot first became popular there back in the 1960’s don’t even have many democratic politicians supporting it, so its a losing game.

By: Harry Coin

Harry Coin — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:05:41 +0000

I believe each of us has from moment to moment some total force of will and spiritual resources to muster against adverse pressures. I think there should be more work done in biochemistry to remove such aspects of those pressures that have a physical basis. Drugs themselves have no moral agenda, they have such biochemical effects as they have. Just as anti-biotics can halt a blinding variety of bacterias, I believe there is a drug out there that will remove whatever physical aspects of ‘craving’ there are, as well as the physcial aspects of withdrawal-sickness. That makes the playing field ‘level’ so that those of us with more modest force of will and spiritual resources will not be overmatched. That is to say, lesser spiritually gifted mortals with good intentions can ‘win’ if they don’t have to overcome memories of being high and biochemical craving as well.

Certainly without the will to improve improvement will not come. But I think what chemistry can cause, chemistry can certainly more substaintially address than it has to date. I think the real core of the problem is our society is not structured to reward expensive development of drugs that will not be taken for a lifetime. It’s a real problem.

By: Fr. Johannes Jacobse

Fr. Johannes Jacobse — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:15:43 +0000

When culture gets turned right-side-up again and you don’t have the anti-heroes elevated as heroes. That happens when deviance is seen as deviant instead of normal.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:38:54 +0000

Father – how do we keep “addictive stuff” out of the mainstream without that vehicle then one day keeping us out of the mainstream?

Where does our self-control, discipline, discernment come in? And mind you I am speaking as someone with none of these attributes?

By: Fr. Johannes Jacobse

Fr. Johannes Jacobse — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:26:06 +0000

Harry, if the addiction to a drug could be broken by something that could nullify the euphoria, the addict would simply seek out another drug. The addiction can’t be broken without some kind of interior conversion, and even then it remains a struggle to stay clean. I think drugs are like pornography — something you have to keep out of the mainstream as much as possible. Once accepted, it leads to all sorts of corruption. Maybe gambling is the same way. The generation preceding ours seems to have understood that better than ours does.

By: Harry Coin

Harry Coin — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:33:05 +0000

What poor alternatives we face. Either legalize drug induced intoxication and enable many to die young at great expense but avoid the false ‘narco-drug’ economy. Or on the other hand battle on as presently in the cat-and-mouse mode.

What would taking the opium money away from the Afgani taliban be worth in reduced military life lost and spending? An end to drug-financed gang-bangers. The expense is warehouses full of people taking drugs in ‘safe environments’ and developing illnesses related to habitual opiates and dying young.

So many problems would fade into history if only a miedcation or implant or surgery was found that eliminiated the both the chemically induced false euphoria and the all too real dysphoria the hooked feel when trying to get away.

I wonder, what is the ‘war on drugs’ spending on research into that sort of thing?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:23:43 +0000

I assumed so. Not that the Church needs an official stand. And I have learned the hard way that some of our “liberty minded folk” seem to have mixed up the terms: Libertarian and Libertine. The former requires a set of morals in order to respect others’ Life, Liberty, and Happiness, while the latter requires that you trash respect for self or others at all costs.

But on the theory that legalizing drugs to curb cartel violence due to drug trafficking – I was speaking to an Estonian friend of mine who is huge proponent of the free-market system. Estonia seems to be bucking the trends of the EU.

He believes that the theory that “violence will end with legalization” is a very scant and that trends show that these same cartels move on to other forms of illegal and evil activities like human trafficking, child labor, among other. Does this mean we legalize these as well?

By: Fr. Johannes Jacobse

Fr. Johannes Jacobse — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:29:07 +0000

No Orthodox position on the medical use of marijuana as far as I know. But common sense would guide it I think if it ever became an issue. If some derivative chemicals were beneficial for ameliorating sickness, there wouldn’t be any moral reason not to use it. This, of course, is not the real reason why “medical marijuana” proponents are pushing the issue. They just want legal intoxication.

No position on regulating hard drugs either.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:40:30 +0000

Is there an Orthodox position on the “medical use” of marijuana? What about the legalization of drugs as a theory to curb the drug cartels?