Sabbath 290228120
Dear Friends
This Sabbath we will visit the question of drugs in our society and the effect it is having on our youth. We are being systematically destroyed by the introduction of mind-altering drugs as well as by the usual narcotics such as morphine and cocaine.
The Bible is silent on drugs except for that which it permits. The Bible directly condones the use of alcohol and states that it is a blessing to be enjoyed at feasts and Sabbaths (e.g. Deut 14:26) and that it is part of the fat and the sweet of the land (Neh. 8:10).
We know that addiction to any form of drug is a problem and alcohol is no exception. We are expected to be able to handle alcohol and not the reverse. We are not to let it handle us.
That does not mean we are to misinterpret the Bible and try to claim that alcohol is not permitted by the Bible. Such a view is arrant nonsense. The position of alcohol in the Bible is examined in the paper Wine in the Bible (No. 188). For years we have watched the Adventists wrest Scripture to their own ends trying to introduce temperance and vegetarianism (see Vegetarianism and the Bible (No. 183)) under false pretences and twisted Scripture and its misinterpretation. Indeed, we have even had their bizarre nonsense intrude into the Church by people trying to limit the use of wine in the Passover celebration. Such views are unbalanced and the product of unbalanced minds.
What then are we to deduce from the Bible’s silence on the other forms of drugs? The Bible is not actually silent at all. The doctrine is embraced in the Sixth Commandment: “Thou shalt not kill” and in the sub-ordinances of that Commandment regarding poison. The Bible says that you shall not suffer a witch to live (Ex. 22:18). The term is kashaph (SHD 3784) meaning whisperer. A whisperer is a person who casts spells or enchantments. The reference is to an enchanter or a practitioner of magic. Thus, the use of poison, under the magic arts for spells and to acquire death or incapacity by magic or poison, carries the death penalty on a number of grounds.
The responsibility to make alive is incumbent on the entire society. Thus, drugs that cause death are forbidden except under strict medical supervision.
Thus, the tobacco company boards of directors and officers are all eligible for the death penalty in their production and sale of a known carcinogenic product.
This responsibility carries on to all aspects of the society where the responsibility to make alive is vested on those within the society as an obligation upon the individual and the corporations. A corporation cannot be executed, only an individual, and so the directors of the corporations are the ones that must bear the punishment.
The implementation of the Sixth Commandment is explained in the paper Law and the Sixth Commandment (No. 259). This text will be explained in full at the Reading of the Law at Tabernacles 28/120 or 2005.
The society has a responsibility to act on the Laws of God within its structure to ensure that the society is protected and that forms of drugs that are poison, and all drugs are poisons to some extent or another, are regulated and their distribution is controlled.
This issue raises a number of questions regarding the control of drugs. Some countries carry the death penalty for drug trafficking while others do not. A country that enforces the death penalty for drug trafficking is not a draconian state. It is doing what is authorised by the Bible in the control of what are dangerous substances and their unregulated distribution and unlawful use.
Each state has the responsibility to enforce the control of the use and distribution of all dangerous substances within its borders and areas of responsibility.
All officials in that state are responsible for the exercise of the laws of the state and the proper execution of those laws within and by the administration. Thus, corruption leading to the unlawful distribution and sale of dangerous drugs is a capital offence under biblical law.
From this line of reasoning, all corrupt police officers and customs, judicial and other officers that are involved in drug trafficking or in facilitating its distribution to traffickers are themselves liable to the death penalty.
At this moment there are some ten Australians in Indonesia on trial for their lives over alleged drug trafficking. The Indonesians are very serious about this offence and have carried out the death sentence on drug traffickers, and will indeed do so again.
Each year 350 people die from drug overdoses in Australia. That is the good news in that it is down from 1000 deaths per year some four years ago. The US makes those figures pale by comparison. In Thailand there is not one family that has not been touched by the war on drugs. This is also so throughout Asia.
In the nineteenth century, under the unequal treaties in China, the West inflicted on China the most dreadful forms of opium addiction in order to redress their balance of payments problems with China. These wars were called the Opium Wars. It was a scandal and the West is now eating the fruits of their own evil.
The AMA has recently called for the introduction of much stiffer penalties for Cannabis consumption. It is causing mental instability among our people on an increasing basis. Drugs like ecstasy and other mind altering drugs, are causing mood swings and inducing mental instability and emotional control problems. They are destroying Serotonin and the chemicals that help control emotions in the brain.
How then do we stop this systematic destruction of our people?
The answer is simple. We have to adopt a no tolerance approach to dangerous drugs. We have to repent for our misuse of such drugs and we have to stop the use of the drug trade at the highest levels in our society.
How do we do that?
We make people accountable at all levels.
We can start with the Church. Alcohol is permitted in the Church, but other drugs are not permitted. Do not allow them and report breaches.
In your work place do not accept drug abuse. A drug-affected worker is a dangerous liability. Report them.
Support an administration that makes officers accountable. Police who have high levels of drugs in their areas of command and responsibility are targeted for supervision, retraining and assistance.
If they can’t eliminate the problem, move them to other areas and demote their leaders.
Ruthlessly punish corruption at all levels, and the higher the levels the greater the penalties.
Introduce corporate penalties for boards that proliferate drugs and traffic or engage in false and misleading information on production. Make the board members do gaol time and the companies pay big penalties.
Close the companies down.
Make it unlawful for any pension or superannuation fund to invest in a tobacco or other drug company that produces dangerous drugs.
Stop the misuse of trademark and copyright over drugs that have passed normal expiry. Control their distribution.
Hunt down drug traffickers and inflict the severest penalties on them.
The easiest way to deal with all of these social problems is to enforce quarantine laws on addicts.
If a person is addicted to morphine or heroin take them out of the society and put them in health farms and detoxify them. Let these institutions be treated as cities of refuge under the law.
There are major civic programs that can be undertaken using these people. Without the populace from which to feed, the traffickers are starved.
Institute the death penalty for corruption of and by the officers. Execute large-scale traffickers.
With the introduction of quarantine regulations in this problem we can get it under control at the base level and the corruption is more exposed.
Above all, educate the populace in drugs and their control from the earliest ages.
The control of drugs is a very serious problem in our society. Drugs are killing and maiming many of our people. They are destroying the long-term genetic stability of our societies and their unlawful trafficking must be stopped.
Pray that God gives our leaders the wisdom to deal with these problems and the determination to implement and enforce just laws in their control.
Wade Cox
Coordinator General
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