A youth pastor of a large church made a public confession on a private sharing app called Whisper. This young man admitted that he is a stoner that smokes marijuana every day that he is not in service. He said he is in service on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays and has no doubt the Lord still loves him.

Although this may shock some folks, it does not surprise others. As more and more states make the choice to legalize marijuana believers are now being forced to examine where exactly they stand on the issue.

Many have already decided that recreational drugs are not a good idea when it comes to fulfilling their roles as it relates to winning souls for the Kingdom of God. Citing the biblical verse 1 Peter 5:8 which reads, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour,” they simply do not see how it would be beneficial. Marijuana seems to have the opposite effect of alertness and soberness, so these believers feel it should be avoided.

Others do not believe weed has the same negative effects as other recreational drug use. In April a poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service showed that less than 1 in 4 Americans think using marijuana is a sin; this means a mere 23 percent. The study also revealed that while older adults believe it is sinful, younger Americans tend to not see any moral issues with its use.

This unnamed youth pastor joined the likes of many when it comes to sharing secrets; he used the iPhone app called Whisper. Whisper is a secret-sharing application that allows users the freedom of posting their true thoughts, feelings and of course secrets without exposing their identity.

One of the app’s developers, Michael Heyward, said his team developed Whisper as a response to the other social networking options currently available. He said other platforms like Twitter and Facebook are great, but are not necessarily authentic. Many people use social networking platforms to show others how perfect and great they are. Whisper’s developers wanted to give people a platform which would allow them the opportunity to share in a uniquely authentic manner.

Yes there are a few uninhibited souls in the world, but most would not think of confessing secrets about their weaknesses, addictions or even sexual escapades in a tweet or as a Facebook status but are more than happy to “whisper” about them.

There are several studies which reveal many Americans smoke weed regularly; out of more than 75 million American nationwide about 14 million have admitted to regular marijuana use.

Cannabis, the formal name for pot or weed, comes from the Cannabis sativa or indica plant. It grows wild in many different parts of the world and is used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Once ingested it gives the user a sense of relaxation, euphoria and mild pain relief. Marijuana can even create hallucinations and alter one’s mental perception.

Even though many argue that weed does not hurt anyone and is completely natural it is important to also note that it has been known as the premiere drug to greater, more potent drug usage. There are a significant number of cocaine or heroin addicts which say they started off by smoking marijuana.

Will smoking the third most popular recreational drug, behind tobacco and alcohol, separate a person from heaven or hell? Although doubtful that question has yet to be answered, but what is common knowledge is that mainstream rappers and pop stars get high all the time; and so do many Christians.

A youth pastor of a large church made a public confession on a private sharing app called Whisper. This young man admitted that he is a stoner who smokes marijuana every single day that he is not in service. Perhaps if the Christian community begins to operate in a little more grace he will be able to speak publicly about it to someone who can help him deal with his “silent” issues.

By: Cherese Jackson (Virginia)

Sources:

Buzz EEW Magazine

Daily Texan Online

Psychology Today

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