World Views

Toad-ally Stupid

 I have had a long time interest in psychedelics, not from the perspective of wanting to experience their effects but  trying to understand why people have a desire to escape reality using them as a means to do so. Lately it has become quite fashionable to smoke a toxin excreted by a species of toad, the Sonoran Desert Toad (Bufo Alvarius) The toxin is a defense mechanism secreted by the toad to ward off predators. Predators who indulge can find themselves succumbing to the toxin and dying. Dosis sola facit venenum, "only the dose makes the poison," is an adage attributed to Paracelsus and is the classic toxicology maxim. Man has found that the dose of the neurotoxin that kills predators does not poison them but offers them a psychedelic experience. The toad's venum is milked  from glands which contains 5-MeO-DMT, the psychoactive ingredient, a paste is made from it, dried and then smoked. Effects occur within 30 seconds and last approximately one hour. The user will be incapacitated, time, vision and sound may be distorted. Some relate the feeling of being connected to a higher power, dying and being re-born to a new awareness. Some people call it the "god molecule" because of these aforementioned effects. The toxin is smoked in a group setting in the presence of a Shaman who collects the fee which is upwards of $250.00 and performs a ritual. Celebrity testimonies endorsing the drug have added to its popularity and abuse. Both Mike Tyson and Hunter Biden, hopping "Mad-Hatters,"  in their own right, have claimed beneficial effects from its use. 

Ancient societies were no strangers to mind altering chemicals. Archaeologists note the presence of opium, hemp and many other substances in Bible-era cultures. Mood-altering substances were also used in connection to ancient religious practice. Greek temples used mind-altering drugs in fortune-telling and oracles. The Apostle Paul's list of the works of the flesh appear in (Galatians 5:19-21), are grouped by similar offenses. He begins by mentioning sexual sin, idolatry and then "sorcery" or pharmakeia. His reference of pharmakeia is closer to idolatry and sexuality in context and hints at the use of drugs in ungodly spiritual practices. Similarly the the Hebrew word kesheph  is translated "charms" in Nahum 3:4 . The same word in Kings 9:22 and Isaiah 47:9 is translated as "sorcery." Combining these contexts suggests biblical "sorcery" is not  akin to Harry Potter's super powers but about abusing drugs for idolatry, recreation and/or oppression of others. The Bible says we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 10:12) not the deadening of our minds with drugs. We are to be sober minded about the devil's schemes (1 Peter 5:8-9) not to be incapacitated and flopping around like a fish out of water. We are to be filled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) not baked, wasted or blasted on drugs. Smoking toad venom is idolatry and is not a practice any Christian should have any part of period. We become more like God through sanctification led by the Holy Spirit in a lifelong process, not a sixty minute drug "trip." Smoking toad venom is toad-ally STUPID.

The Silent Pandemic

In 2020, The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine published a report entitled, "Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults." Two facts that show the significance of the threat to public health as outlined in the study are as follows:

Social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of mortality from all causes, a risk that may rival the risks of                smoking, obesity, and physical activity (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2017);
Being socially connected in a variety of ways is associated with having a 50 percent greater likelihood of survival, with some indicators of social integration being associated with a 91 percent greater likelihood of survival (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010)

Loneliness is not a new problem nor is it exclusively a problem of just the elderly, it affects all age demographics and has been particularly been exacerbated by the covid-19 induced isolation as a public health measure. In 2018 the UK acknowledging the problem and appointed a Minister of Loneliness citing a study that documented approximately two million people over the age of 75 across England reported going  weeks without any meaningful social interaction.

Man is gregarious by nature because that is how our Creator made us to be. We are not meant to live apart from meaningful community. The life of faith always takes place within a community, the body of Christ. C.H. Bullock made the following observation about the Psalms, "The Psalmist could not see himself as an individual apart from Israel. His self-identity was bound up in his participation in the community of faith." What is your self identity bound to? Have you even reflected upon it? Do you have a meaningful community? One of the positive outcomes from the covid -19 pandemic was that it forced us as a Church to reflect on the importance of the community of faith and worshiping together as believers We concluded that worshiping in person amongst the community of believers was our priority and we acted with that in mind.  Watching a service on line leaves much to be desired as a realistic long term substitute for worshiping in person. Yet, some churches are considering going online exclusively. That is akin, from my perspective, to going through a drive by viewing at a funeral home.

The American lifestyle has fostered the ideal of the "rugged individualist," neighborhoods have lost their sense of community and are becoming more isolated from their neighbors, soaring divorce rates, broken and scattered families, and the loss of the church as a meaningful part of people's lives, all contribute to the loneliness problem today. Mother Teresa  purportedly said, "The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved." The church has the answer, the Body of Christ, it is the most meaningful answer to loneliness. It is a community where we pray and worship together, grieve and rejoice together and love one another. 

Spiders From Mars, Chicken Sandwiches and S.C.O.T.U.S.

Spiders from Mars? Take me to your leader. The Pentagon will be releasing a report on UFO's later this month. Do you expect the truth or will we just get to see what the government wants us to know? The UFO phenomena,  Area 51,  captured aliens and flying saucers have been  a topic of much interest, speculation and conspiracy theory over the years. If I had invested in the tin foil hat industry 35 years ago I might be as rich as Bezos, by the way I take an XL hat size. Kidding aside, what do we know and how will this "revelation" from the government affect the Christian worldview? What we know is that military pilots over the years, have seen and recorded what we call UFO's while flying routine missions. We know, that we don't know what they are. Scripture, is what we as Christians can hang our hats on. Beginning in Genesis 1, the creation and the existence of the entire cosmos, we know, is for the drama of redemption, where by a holy and righteous God  saves through the atonement accomplished by his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. The most important issue for Christians is not what we don't know, but what we do know, and thanks be to God for his Word. We know all what we need to know.

Chicken sandwiches are in the the news again! Who knew that something as mundane as a fast food sandwich could be so controversial? Leave it to Burger King to create one! In honor of Pride Month, Burger King announced that for every Ch'King sandwich sold, it would donate 40 cents to the Human Rights Campaign (An LGBTQ+ civil rights organization), and it would do so even on Sunday. This was an obvious snipe at Christian owned Chick-fil-A, and an attempt at claiming woke kudos over their competition. Once again the left is shown to be relentless in its attacks and denigration of  Christians who stand on the opposite side of an issue whether overtly or perceived. In this case it is over the LGBTQ+ Revolution against a company that is owned by a Christian, doesn't conduct business on Sunday, and because of their faith they are perceived as homophobic, transphobic, bigots,etc. Their aim is obvious, by stirring up hate and bigotry against a Christian company, they can sell more chicken and destroy Chick-fil-A. Kill two birds with one stone, if you will. How's that working out for B.K.? Not so good as I see the long lines at Chick-fil-A and nada at B.K.. This is yet another example of the persecution of Christians, expect more to come.

Next year the Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the state of  Mississippi regarding a law restricting abortion in their state. This is a clear opportunity for the Supreme Court to reverse the Roe v. Wade decision. Recently Democrats have drawn up legislation to codify abortion into U.S. federal law. In the past this would have been a fool's errand and never would have had a chance to pass. This is a knee jerk reaction to the upcoming Supreme Court hearing by Democrats and thankfully won't pass either. Christians should keep a keen eye on Congress and pray that legislation like this will never pass.