I have a feeling there's a
little church in New Mexico that's going to see an explosion in its membership.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A small branch of a South American religious sect may use hallucinogenic tea as part of a ritual intended to connect with God, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
In its first religious freedom decision under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court said the government cannot hinder religious practices without proof of a "compelling" need to do so...
The tea, which contains an illegal drug known as DMT, is considered sacred to members of the sect, which has a blend of Christian beliefs and South American traditions. Members believe they can understand God only by drinking the tea, which is consumed twice a month at four-hour ceremonies.
Look among the left for a sudden resurgence of 1960s hippy churches.
Hattip to Echo Talon for image.
I have a feeling there's a little church in New Mexico that's going to see an explosion in its membership.
6 comments:
Do you dismiss the peyote use of the Native American Church, too?
I haven't dismissed anything. I was remarking on the backflips certain people will perform to drug themselves up. If they need to belong to some Brazilian corruption of Christianity, then that's what I'm predicting they will do. I think the court's decision was perfectly correct. The Constitution says nothing about drug abuse. But it quite clearly states that the government has no business poking its nose into religion.
OK.
Sigh...
And I was hoping that the '60s drug culture hippies were about gone...
Don't get me wrong. If it weren't for Government Assistance for the disadvantaged, I would say that Drugs should be legalized.
But as long as the consequences of Drug Use can be passed along in any way to the Taxpayers, Drugs must remain illegal.
The other thing that bothers me about Illegal Drug Use is that I believe that it leads to Liberalism.
I'll give these people their excuse that this tea makes them feel closer to "God" but it's still illegal. I'm sorry but I'm kinda black and white on certain issues.
"Need drugs to get closer to GOD"
Uh huh.
This is an extremely complex issue. On the one hand, there are things groups should not do in the name of religion. On the other hand, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." What do you do with a religion like Islam, where it is the DUTY of husbands to beat their wives if they get out of line? And how do you determine what is a valid religion and what is not? The Mormons and the Nation of Islam are just as much cults as the Scientologists and Branch Davidians. Of course, this would be much simpler if Bill Clinton were still President. He could just send in tanks and slaughter them down to the last child.
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