CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A Bible study group in Colorado has literally gone to pot, inviting its members to smoke marijuana together while discussing the Scriptures.
The group is called the “Stoner Jesus Bible Study” and was formed after Colorado legalized the use of recreational marijuana. It was formed by Deb Button, who first posted her invite on Craigslist. Only one person attended at first, who told reporters last month that Button was “so baked out of her head she forgot that she’d invited me over.”
“Many people have a thirst for spiritual connection that is lacking in the traditional church setting and we aim to learn from the wisdom of His word and teachings,” the group writes on its website. “And yes, cannabis is welcome as it can bring clarity of thought and a sense of connectedness that we often only find in a small group of fellow stoners.”
The stoner study has now grown to several people, including a Mormon, a Catholic and an atheist, according to New York Magazine.
“Jesus didn’t hang out with the Pharisees,” attendee Cynthia Joye told the outlet. “If somebody passed Him a pipe, He wouldn’t say no.”
JeTaun Brown told CBS Denver this past week she reading the Bible while stoned “enables people to relax and focus.”
“I think you have a deeper thought process, which makes you better understand,” she claimed.
Button told the outlet that she didn’t see a problem with mixing weed and the word as some congregations have small group studies with wine and cheese.
However, many Christians nationwide remain opposed to the smoking of the plant out of their belief that the substance interferes with the Biblical command to be “sober-minded.”
“Sorcery/witchcraft is from the Greek word ‘pharmakia’ the same word we get pharmacy from. It means the general illicit use of drugs (same application as today) and the use of drugs to cast spells,” writes Steve Rudd in “Drugs and the Bible: E, Shrooms, Cocaine, Crack, Marijuana.” “Psychologically, drugs can cause us to lose all sense of control. We switch our entire dependence and reason for living to the chemical.”
“The Bible teaches in I Corinthians 6:19-20 that God has given us our bodies; our bodies belong to Him,” he continues. “We are also told in Romans 12:1 that we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God. Can we do this and be drug dependent?”