California Council of Churches, "IMPACT", Endorses Prop 19

[Roose]

This really surprised me. Usually religious folk take the conservative point of view on marijuana.

California Council of Churches IMPACT Endorses Proposition 19

Representing 21 denominations and 1.5 million members, Council of Churches calls initiative to control and tax cannabis “the moral choice”

(Sacramento, California) — Today, the California Council of Churches IMPACT, which represents 21 different denominations and over 1.5 million members within the mainstream and progressive Protestant communities of faith, endorsed Proposition 19, the initiative to control and tax cannabis in California.

“Proposition 19 is the moral choice for California,” said Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director of the California Council of Churches IMPACT. “The prohibition of marijuana has failed. It’s created a culture of criminality around a substance that is less harmful than both alcohol and tobacco, which are both legal, controlled, and taxed. Let’s control marijuana like alcohol by passing Proposition 19 in November.”

You can join the California Council of Churches IMPACT and a host of other interfaith leaders by pledging to vote YES on Proposition 19.

The initiative has also gained support from law enforcement, doctors, Latino community leaders, labor, business leaders, elected officials, political parties, and more. Click here for a full list of endorsements.

Since 1913 the California Council of Churches (CCC) and California Church IMPACT (CCI) have labored to create a world that cares for all of its citizens regardless of economic class, ages, gender, race and ethnicity, religious belief, or sexual orientation. Together CCC and CCI operate a Sacramento-based public policy office representing 21 different denominations and over 1.5 million members within the mainstream and progressive Protestant communities of faith.

Similar to current alcohol and tobacco laws, Proposition 19 will give state and local governments the ability to control and tax the sale of small amounts of cannabis to adults age 21 and older. As the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which provides non-partisan fiscal and policy advice, confirms, Prop 19 includes significant safeguards and controls: It maintains strict criminal penalties for driving under the influence of marijuana, increases the penalty for providing marijuana to a minor, expressly prohibits the consumption of marijuana in public, forbids smoking marijuana while minors are present, and bans possession on school grounds. [1][2]

California’s tax collector, the Board of Equalization (BOE), which currently collects alcohol and tobacco taxes, estimates that marijuana taxes could generate $1.4 billion in revenue each year, available to fund law enforcement, healthcare, and other critical needs.

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) also says Prop 19 would enable California to put our police priorities where they belong, in that it “could result in savings to the state and local governments by reducing the number of marijuana offenders incarcerated in state prisons and county jails, as well as the number placed under county probation or state parole supervision. These savings could reach several tens of millions of dollars annually. The county jail savings would be offset to the extent that jail beds no longer needed for marijuana offenders were used for other criminals who are now being released early because of a lack of jail space."

source

 

[w01fg4ng]

This really surprised me. Usually religious folk take the conservative point of view on marijuana.

The use of Cannabis in religion does occur with a lot of religions though.

SHINTOISM (Japan) Cannabis was used for the binding together of married couples, to drive away evil spirits, and was thought to create laughter and happiness in marriage.

HINDUISM (India) The God Shiva is said "to have brought cannabis from the Himalayas for human enjoyment and enlightenment." The Sardu Priests travel throughout India and the world sharing "chillum" pipes filled with cannabis, sometimes blended with other substances. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna states, "I am the healing herb" (Ch. 9:16), while the Bhagarat-purana Fifth Canto describes hashish in explicitly sexual terms.

BUDDHISTS (Tibet, India, and China)From the 5th Century B.C.E. on ritually used cannabis; initiation rites and mystical experiences were (are) common in many Chinese Buddhist Sects. Some Tibetan Buddhists and lamas (priests) consider cannabis their most holy plant. Many Buddhist traditions, writings, and beliefs indicate that "Siddhartha" (the Buddha) himself, used and ate nothing but hemp and its seeds for six years prior to announcing (discovering) his truths and becoming the Buddha (Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path).

ZOROASTRIANS or Magi (Persia, circa 8th to 7th Centuries B.C.E. to 3rd to 4th Centuries C.E.), it is widely believed by many Christian scholars, commentators, etc., that the three "Magi" or Wise Men who attended the birth of Christ were cult references to the Zoroastrians. The Zoroastrian religion was based (at least on the surface) on the entire cannabis plant, the chief religious sacrament of its priest class, and its most important medicine, (e.g., obstetrics, incense rites, anointing and christening oils), as well as lighting or fire oils in their secular world. The word "magic" is generally considered derived from the Zoroastrians "Magi."

The ESSENES (ancient Israeli sect of extreme Hebrewites approx. 200 B.C.E. to 73 C.E.) used hemp medicinally, as did the THERAPUTEA (Egypt), from whom we get the term "therapeutic." Both are believed by some scholars to be disciples of, or in a brotherhood with, the priests/magician of the Zoroastrians.

EARLY JEWS As part of their holy Friday night services in the Temple of Solomon, 60-80,000 men ritually passed around and inhaled 20,000 incense burners filled with kaneh bosm (cannabis), before returning home for the largest meal of the week.

SUFIS OF ISLAM (Middle East)Moslem "mystical" priests who have taught, used, and extolled cannabis for divine revelation, insight, and oneness with Allah, for at least the last 1,000 years. Many Moslem and world scholars believe the mysticism of the Sufi Priests was actually that of the Zoroastrians who survived Moslem conquests of the 7th and 8th Centuries C.E. and subsequent conversion (change your religion and give up liquor or be beheaded).

COPTIC CHRISTIAN (Egypt/Ethiopia)Some sects believe the sacred "green herb of the field" in the Bible ("I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more." Ezekiel 34:29) and the Biblical secret incenses, sweet incenses, and anointing oils to be cannabis.

The BANTUS (Africa) had secret Dagga Cults,* societies which restricted cannabis use to the ruling men. The Pygmies, Zulus, and Hottentots all found it an indispensable medication for cramps, epilepsy, and gout, and as a religious sacrament.
*Their "Dagga" cults believed Holy Cannabis was brought to earth by the Gods, in particular from the "Two Dog Star" system that we call Sirius A and B. "Dagga" literally means "cannabis." Interestingly, the surviving Indo-European word for the plant can also be read as "canna," "reed" and "bi," "two," as well as 'canna,' as in canine; and 'bis,' meaning two (bi) ß "Two Dogs."

The RASTAFARIANS (Jamaica and elsewhere) are a contemporary religious group that uses "ganja" as its sacred sacrament to communicate with God (Jah).

http://www.thc-ministry.net/cannabis-religion.html

 

[Newbierock]

This really surprised me as well. It's good to see (and not just cause they wanna legalise) but because they seem to be trying to spread what religion is actually about. Generally being a nice/good/caring person, you ain't hutin nobody getting high and theres certainly no malicious intent when people spark up a bowl...

Either way, this will make a big difference methinks, I ain't no politician though

 

[weekend addiction]

For Christians who are curious about how the bible feels:

As a christian myself I can say that I 100% support marijuana legalization. The bible says that "god made wine to make men glad." Jesus himself made and drank wine. But the bible speaks out against drunkenness quite often. Since alcohol is one of the most harmful drugs known to man and the bible says its ok to use but only in moderation....we must assume that cannabis is acceptable as well. But only in moderation.

 

[w01fg4ng]

For Christians who are curious about how the bible feels:

The bible is an inanimate object which has no "feelings". It amazes me how some people view a book as if it has life of it's own. I guess some people need to be told how they should feel.

For a political cause such as Prop 19, why should anyone look to the bible for the answer? After all, it is politics on debate here. Nobodies church is on trial. The California Council of Churches has made a decision to support legalization by their own accord. It's not like it's a modern part of their religion to use cannabis. I believe they have other interests on their agenda. Mainly the same interest the rest of California has on Prop 19; money.

 

[Chainer]

For a political cause such as Prop 19, why should anyone look to the bible for the answer? After all, it is politics on debate here. Nobodies church is on trial.

You do realize what country, under god, we are talking about, right? Make sure you swear on the bible before you respond to this post as well.

 

[w01fg4ng]

You do realize what country, under god, we are talking about, right? Make sure you swear on the bible before you respond to this post as well.

Sorry, I wouldn't do it.




Not even once.

NSFW:

 

[klinklonfoonyak]

Wonderfully said and so true