Religious approaches to wine and alcohol

Christianity

1. 'Thou shalt not kill'. Taking drugs and smoking will effect those around you negatively, perhaps putting them in danger. Certain drugs are hallucinogenic and may place those around you in danger.

2. 'Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit'. Taking drugs and alcohol would damage your body.

3. Drugs 'render judgement'. Tranquillisers and LSD are hallucinogenic and  mentally damaging.

4. Christians are taught in the Bible to 'obey' the governing authorities. Therefore one should follow the government's laws on drugs and alcohol.

5. Jesus healed many throughout the Bible therefore he would not be against using drugs for healing purposes.

6. Jesus offered wine to his followers. Alcohol is not prohibited in Christianity but caution must be taken when drinking it. It should not be taken in excess.

7. One should 'love thy neighbour'. Handing out drugs is not a loving thing to do, and one may be indirectly the cause of another death.

8. 'Do not ruin yourself with wine'.

Islam

1. 'Do not make your own hands contribute to your destruction'. Here the Qu'ran is saying one should poison their own body.

2. Allah provided one with a life and only he can take it away. This message is strongly reinforced throughout the Qu'ran. Drug users should not contribute to their own destruction.

3. Drugs and Alcohol are 'harem'. They are forbidden.

4. Do not approach religious matters with a 'mind befogged'.

Judaism

1. 'Wine is a mocker, beer a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.' Do not get carried away with drinking. It is not banned in Judaism yet it should not completely intoxicate.

2. Wine is drunk at the Passover Seder and at the ritual circumcision of a boy. It is utilised in various ceremonies but excessive drinking is not allowed.

Buddhism

1. The first precept of Buddhism is 'do not harm life'. By smoking and taking drugs, you are passively harming others.

2. The fifth precept: 'Avoid intoxicants'. These cloud the mind and render judgement.

Statistics:

1. Alcohol causes 30,000 deaths a year.
2. This ^ causes the NHS 2.6billion.
3. Smoking kills 300 people a day.

Religions such as Christianity and Judaism do not ban the drinking of alcohol yet they emphasise the importance of not being led astray by it. ‘Wine is a mocker, beer a brawler: whoever is led astray by them is not wise’. This epithet reiterates the significance of not conceding into temptation when it comes to alcohol. Other religions such as Buddhism reinforce this as they underline drugs and alcohol as ‘rendering judgement’. Islam conveys a ‘mind befogged’ as a direct result of taking drugs therefore they are ‘Harem’ - forbidden. In Christianity, Jesus conveyed wine as his blood in the last supper whereas in Judaism, wine is vital in the preparation for the ‘Passover Seder’. These religions correlate in the sense that they do not expect their believers to never drink alcohol but they trust them with it. Islam, Buddhism and many other religions do not support this idea and revoke the intake of alcohol completely. It is not only the negative physical consequences that religions associate with drugs and alcohol but the mental effects also. A vast number of drugs including Cocaine, LSD and tranquilisers alter the state of the mind and dull the senses. As a result it is not only the user’s health damaged but the lives of those around them are also endangered. The Bible teaches ‘Do not kill’ yet by smoking and taking hallucogenic drugs, one is passively harming others and may even kill. One is to ‘love thy neighbour’ and supplying drugs and passively harming others are not kind actions. Jesus healed the sick so he would be open to the idea of certain drugs aiding the improvement of health. Taking excess drugs and abusing prescriptions is frowned upon; Jesus preached that everyone should listen to the ultimate authority therefore today that would be translated as everyone should abide by the government’s laws on drugs and precautions and the effects of them. 

Cannabis may be classed as a B drug as it is the ‘gateway’ into taking more, harsher drugs with worse consequences. However, its effects are not as negative as those of other B drugs such as amphetamines therefore it could be considered as a Class C drug.