I have never felt my usage effected my realtionship with the Lord. According to God, there aren't levels of severity within sin, so for one Christian to tell another they are going to Hell for smoking pot is something that never once bothered me, knowing that we all sin.
This is why I stay away from church, and I just sit at home with my family and read the Bible together, discuss our thoughts on the subject, etc. Too much evil has grown within organized religion since the beginning and I have a hard time being a part of it. Besides, Christ never meant for "church" to be a building. The "church" is the body of Christ, his believers, walking his path as best they can knowing He will lead them to the Father. But now and for many centuries its been more of a way to control and tax people once more, and it's been disgustingly gruesome through so much if it all.
I dont think people realize that if Jesus were around today, He wouldn't vote Democrat, He wouldn't vote Republican.....he just wouldn't vote at all! But yet you have so many religions, "voting" in the name of God when He would never participate in our earthly elections. He'd offer up advice and words of wisdom, but He wouldn't cast a vote and force anyone to do anything. Think of how many Christians put people like us in prison with their beliefs and voting backing it up. They put their own brothers and sisters in prison and say it's in the name of God, when it's just their opinion locking many of their own up, keeping them from their own families and responsibilities.
I've changed my stance on many things over the years, even this year as well and continue to bounce things around in my head, because I just don't think trying to carve out of this world what we think God wanted it to be is anything like what we are suppose to be doing. I'm too the point of live and let live, follow the Lords path and take any who want to know Him along with you as well.
One of the only issues I can't get my head around is abortion. I just honestly believe that it has a soul at conception, and that life has begun. But how can I force that on my neighbor? Is it immoral to sit idle and do nothing, or is it immoral to force their hand? Not asking, just stating.
This is why I stay away from church, and I just sit at home with my family and read the Bible together, discuss our thoughts on the subject, etc. Too much evil has grown within organized religion since the beginning and I have a hard time being a part of it. Besides, Christ never meant for "church" to be a building. The "church" is the body of Christ, his believers, walking his path as best they can knowing He will lead them to the Father. But now and for many centuries its been more of a way to control and tax people once more, and it's been disgustingly gruesome through so much if it all.
I dont think people realize that if Jesus were around today, He wouldn't vote Democrat, He wouldn't vote Republican.....he just wouldn't vote at all! But yet you have so many religions, "voting" in the name of God when He would never participate in our earthly elections. He'd offer up advice and words of wisdom, but He wouldn't cast a vote and force anyone to do anything. Think of how many Christians put people like us in prison with their beliefs and voting backing it up. They put their own brothers and sisters in prison and say it's in the name of God, when it's just their opinion locking many of their own up, keeping them from their own families and responsibilities.
I've changed my stance on many things over the years, even this year as well and continue to bounce things around in my head, because I just don't think trying to carve out of this world what we think God wanted it to be is anything like what we are suppose to be doing. I'm too the point of live and let live, follow the Lords path and take any who want to know Him along with you as well.
One of the only issues I can't get my head around is abortion. I just honestly believe that it has a soul at conception, and that life has begun. But how can I force that on my neighbor? Is it immoral to sit idle and do nothing, or is it immoral to force their hand? Not asking, just stating.