A Rare Rant and Commentary

Scripture:
Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine for those who are in anguish!
Let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Proverbs 31:6-7

Observation: These proverbs offer guidance for kings and leaders, especially warning them to remain focused on their leadership and obligations and not be distracted by vices like 'wine and women'. These two verses allow for the drinking of beer and wine by those who are not leaders, so that they can be distracted from their hardships. In this manner, it is clear that the issue is not that taking of such items are sin (for the bible could not declare 'let them do sin'), but rather that such actions do distract and numb those living in misery, and leaders should not be numbed to life.

Application: I am going to discuss something I rarely do. While I often express frustration with the 'political direction' of our modern society, I almost never discuss what I know about government activities based on my 25 years working in and with governments. If anyone reads this and doesn't want to read a political commentary, I invite you to ignore the rest of this post.

Related to this biblical verse, I will say two things:

1) At least at the local level in the U.S., there is no such thing as a "major conspiracy". Due to both their structure and collective intelligence, government could never, ever pull off a major conspiracy (though individual leaders could cover up their own activities).

2) There ARE actions the government performs that they do openly and publicly, and then convince the people of altruistic reasons they did it, when in fact they did it for more sinister purposes that support their own goals.

(Somehow, "the people" are convinced of exactly the opposite ... that there are huge conspiracies being masterminded by local politicians and leaders, but that everyday policy changes performed openly are generally good.)

I will declare here and now ... the legalization of marijuana falls into #2. Politicians know that marijuana has two side effects. First, it relieves general pain. Second, it affects brain function in a manner that decreases motivation to action. The net result of these is ... if you make marijuana available to those who are struggling in life, they are less likely to be angry toward the government about it because they aren't motivated to action, and don't feel the hardship so acutely. As a result, such people don't take action against local politicians who, instead of addressing issues of homelessness and meth epidemics, legalize marijuana so everyone can just cope with their terrible lives.

Instead of helping the poor and destitute, our local politicians have provided those who are in anguish and are perishing access to the modern chemicals so they can ignore their poverty and misery. They did so because then fewer people complain and they can get reelected. And make no mistake, looking at local political jurisdictions, there is correlation between a) widespread and massive homelessness, b) greatly relaxed policies and laws pertaining to drug use, and c) the dominance of one party - and especially its incumbents - in elections.

I am not saying that politicians were obedient to Proverbs 31 by following its advice, giving such chemicals to the poor and dying while avoiding its use themselves! I am saying that, for 3,000 years, political leaders have understood those who live in hardship can be subjugated through chemical means, and for some reason the majority of people are okay with that.

Prayer: Lord, please forgive my judgment. May your church, myself included, find ways to help and serve the poor and the broken and the destitute more and more, as you have commanded us to love others. This is the work of the church, not the government, so may we be your hands and feet and heart every day. Amen.