Anxiety Issues

[Yankyal]

That being said, I'd like to state I haven't tried marijuana and I have no intention to. And the thing that bugs me the most is when people try to convince me to try it "just once". I don't need it, I may end up liking it but I don't want to like it as it is illegal, not cheap and I think it's a waste of good money that I could use on more important things... Like clothes! :D

That same logic could be used for video games. You may end up liking them, they're very expensive, and incredibly time-consuming. Marijuana "addiction" is actually virtually identical to video game "addiction".

I would not say virtually identical... Being as I don't play many console games and mostly mmorpg's, I don't have to pay for shit. Smoking marijuana also isn't very time consuming at all, but I also really don't like the smell (can't say that about video games :P ) Also, if you do buy a video game, you can use it over and over again and can last you a life time, you definitely can't say the same t hing about weed. Idk how much $40 of weed will buy you (but I'm sure it's not much), depending how much you smoke, that may last you a week? A video game can last a life-time and can even be traded in for money back or for different games.
This is basically my reasoning as why I don't particularly like spending money on fast food... Because it's a lot of money for less than a day's worth of enjoyment.
I'm not worried about being "addicted" to it, just that I would like it and spend money on it, so I'm not sure how addiction came into play... I just don't feel like it needs to be a part of my life. I've gotten along perfectly fine without it so why should I start now? I have other devices that help to relax me, I don't need drugs for that.

Also I'd like to point out, I have yet to hear of a cop in the US(or at least in Minnesota) that has arrested someone for smoking weed. That's small fish, they really don't care if kids are smoking marijuana, the most they'll do is take any weed you have on you and smash your bowl, then let you walk away. Unless of course you have enough weed on you to be a potential big seller/grower... That's when you get jail time.

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Marijuana#Total

I hear about this shit all the time in Vegas. 750k arrests in 2010 just for possession.

Also not sure why jacking off is bad when eventually you will have a sex dream anyways. "Lust" is built into humans biologically. It also reduces the risk of cancer. Maybe the big man upstairs should've thought the male anatomy through before he started making rules on it. 

[Torch]

@DarkTrinity
Weed is about twice the price in the US and is nowhere near the quality of Canadian weed. $40 of weed here will last a weekend smoker months. Also, my point is marijuana isn't addictive. It can become habitual and a replacement for social interaction, just like video games. If you're not worried about getting hooked on video games, you really should not be worried about getting hooked on weed.

[DarkTrinity]

@Yankyal
That's Vegas though... Big city with cops who have tons of stuff on their plate. I mean, I live close to minneapolis(granted no where near as big as vegas), but I know people who have been caught with weed and they didn't get fined or anything. Just their weed taken away and bowls smashed. I know someone who used to sell weed and he went to juvi and he only got like community service or something along those lines. I think most of the time if you're honest with the police, it'll turn out better for you. If you lie to them and say you haven't been smoking and turns out you were, then they will not be pleased.

@DarkTrinity
Weed is about twice the price in the US and is nowhere near the quality of Canadian weed. $40 of weed here will last a weekend smoker months. Also, my point is marijuana isn't addictive. It can become habitual and a replacement for social interaction, just like video games. If you're not worried about getting hooked on video games, you really should not be worried about getting hooked on weed.

Nono... that's not my point. I'm NOT worried about being addicted to weed, I'm worried about simply "liking" it. Which would then lead to me spending money on something I don't really need, because yes, it costs more here and I think it is a waste of money... especially when i can relax and relieve stress for free via yoga/art/music/etc.
I've seen people ruin their lives over weed... My boyfriend's mom got thrown off her prescriptions because they found THC in her system. I've know people who would rather spend money and time on weed than their own kids(granted that's also addictive personality there). I've known people who've gotten mugged over weed. I know someone who had an anxiety attack and passed out from smoking weed(wasn't their first time either). Heck I even know someone who grows it and their ex-friend threatened to turn them in.
Yeah, there's some extreme cases here I know... but just from people I've met and stories I've heard, it's just turned me away from it. That's just my personal choice. I'm not gonna tell anyone to quit or that they shouldn't do it. I just have no interest in it.

[Mystery]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

[Lingus]

My friend Val does have trichotillomania. I am trying to get her a book she wanted called:

Trichotillomania Physcology by P Paulson

Can any of you help me out? I can't find a working torrent anywhere. Please, someone? It's really important.

Going back to this topic for a sec, I know someone with this as well, and it's extremely difficult to cure. One thing your friend should look into is taking N-acetylcysteine. It has been shown to help with the compulsion to pull. Check this out: http://altmedicine.about.com/b/2009/07/22/supplement-may-help-stop-trichotillomania.htm

[Torch]

@DT
Yeah as with anything illegal you can really mess yourself up if you abuse it. Anyway, you definitely don't need to smoke it's just when people are mislead in the facts they use to make their decisions that it bothers me.

Also yeah weed can make you pass out if you smoke waaay too much but it's not even comparable to alcohol.  You smoke a stupid amount and you pass out and might puke, no hangover. You overdrink and you puke, are at risk of alcohol poisoning, !@#$ up your liver, and have a hangover.

[11clock]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

...Doesn't that go against the Constitution AND the Bible? O.o Goes to show how corrupt the government is.

[Yankyal]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

...Doesn't that go against the Constitution AND the Bible? O.o Goes to show how corrupt the government is.

If the government is corrupt why would you feel guilty for breaking one of its most ridiculous laws?


Also DT, that wasn't "just" vegas. That was the entire US and the number of arrests made for ONLY possession. Your cops aren't following the law if they aren't arresting people with weed(not saying that's a bad thing).

[Scotty]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

...Doesn't that go against the Constitution AND the Bible? O.o Goes to show how corrupt the government is.

The point of all of this, so far as I can tell, is to not blindly follow any and every word that someone tells you to without thinking first.  It just so happens that the Christian Bible is the number #1 publication in the entire world, and has a lot of rules, thus people find it very easy to just accept that and take the cheap way out by thinking they need to live it without question.  Makes their lives easy right? 

I have my own interpretations of how a happy life is achieved.  The bible tells me that marriage is only valid if the female is a virgin, or else she should be stoned by the men of her city (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)... Should I call the police on my girlfriend and tell them to bring the rocks or am I morally obligated to gather the stones myself before their arrival?  Mark 10:1-12 tells me that as soon as I am married, I cannot divorce.  If I divorce and find another, I'm still committing adultery, and I'm fairly certain most knowledgeable people know what adultery means for them.  I've seen many marriages go wrong where health and even lives are on the line over deranged marriages, so what's the lesser evil?  Death by spouse or Death by adulterous stoning?  Heck, many bible thumpers out there have likely already broken several "rules" in Leviticus, be it that you have touched the skin of a pig (any football players here?), eaten shellfish, gotten tattoos, and if none of those, cutting the hair around your temples, or mar (cut) your beard (Leviticus 19:27).  Does that mean I have to make sure I grow it back out before I die so that St. Peter won't know when I try to get through the pearly gates?

I believe in morality, and my code of honor means doing right, regardless of what others might say is "right".  As far as the government, well that's a given.  Their only purpose is to unite everyone under one rule so that they may all be ignored and disregarded equally.

[11clock]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

...Doesn't that go against the Constitution AND the Bible? O.o Goes to show how corrupt the government is.

The point of all of this, so far as I can tell, is to not blindly follow any and every word that someone tells you to without thinking first.  It just so happens that the Christian Bible is the number #1 publication in the entire world, and has a lot of rules, thus people find it very easy to just accept that and take the cheap way out by thinking they need to live it without question.  Makes their lives easy right? 

I have my own interpretations of how a happy life is achieved.  The bible tells me that marriage is only valid if the female is a virgin, or else she should be stoned by the men of her city (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)... Should I call the police on my girlfriend and tell them to bring the rocks or am I morally obligated to gather the stones myself before their arrival?  Mark 10:1-12 tells me that as soon as I am married, I cannot divorce.  If I divorce and find another, I'm still committing adultery, and I'm fairly certain most knowledgeable people know what adultery means for them.  I've seen many marriages go wrong where health and even lives are on the line over deranged marriages, so what's the lesser evil?  Death by spouse or Death by adulterous stoning?  Heck, many bible thumpers out there have likely already broken several "rules" in Leviticus, be it that you have touched the skin of a pig (any football players here?), eaten shellfish, gotten tattoos, and if none of those, cutting the hair around your temples, or mar (cut) your beard (Leviticus 19:27).  Does that mean I have to make sure I grow it back out before I die so that St. Peter won't know when I try to get through the pearly gates?

I believe in morality, and my code of honor means doing right, regardless of what others might say is "right".  As far as the government, well that's a given.  Their only purpose is to unite everyone under one rule so that they may all be ignored and disregarded equally.

I do not wish to go into a religious debate on this topic, so I'll PM you my answer to this. Here is one thing I'd like to say, though: You missed the point of Jesus Christ.

It looks like we went way off topic (my bad :P), so how about we try to get back on topic now?

EDIT: I noticed that I ALSO missed the point of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself says that we don't have to follow everything the Bible tells us, and it's okay to break the rules, due to our sins being forgiven and all of that. Thank you for your arguments, everyone. I still wish to stay away from drugs, though. Like Mystery said, I just don't want to get into that stuff.

[DarkTrinity]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

...Doesn't that go against the Constitution AND the Bible? O.o Goes to show how corrupt the government is.

If the government is corrupt why would you feel guilty for breaking one of its most ridiculous laws?


Also DT, that wasn't "just" vegas. That was the entire US and the number of arrests made for ONLY possession. Your cops aren't following the law if they aren't arresting people with weed(not saying that's a bad thing).

I was referring to the part where you said "I hear about this shit all the time in Vegas", not about the actual statistics themselves.
I think a lot of the cops here just realize that there are a ton of people who smoke weed and they're not all bad kids... Yea it's their duty to stop drugs, but carting a single weed smoker off to jail just for small possession is a waste of their time when they could be catching people who are selling/growing or people doing worse crimes. Stopping one kid in the long run is virtually ineffective.

[Scotty]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

...Doesn't that go against the Constitution AND the Bible? O.o Goes to show how corrupt the government is.

The point of all of this, so far as I can tell, is to not blindly follow any and every word that someone tells you to without thinking first.  It just so happens that the Christian Bible is the number #1 publication in the entire world, and has a lot of rules, thus people find it very easy to just accept that and take the cheap way out by thinking they need to live it without question.  Makes their lives easy right? 

I have my own interpretations of how a happy life is achieved.  The bible tells me that marriage is only valid if the female is a virgin, or else she should be stoned by the men of her city (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)... Should I call the police on my girlfriend and tell them to bring the rocks or am I morally obligated to gather the stones myself before their arrival?  Mark 10:1-12 tells me that as soon as I am married, I cannot divorce.  If I divorce and find another, I'm still committing adultery, and I'm fairly certain most knowledgeable people know what adultery means for them.  I've seen many marriages go wrong where health and even lives are on the line over deranged marriages, so what's the lesser evil?  Death by spouse or Death by adulterous stoning?  Heck, many bible thumpers out there have likely already broken several "rules" in Leviticus, be it that you have touched the skin of a pig (any football players here?), eaten shellfish, gotten tattoos, and if none of those, cutting the hair around your temples, or mar (cut) your beard (Leviticus 19:27).  Does that mean I have to make sure I grow it back out before I die so that St. Peter won't know when I try to get through the pearly gates?

I believe in morality, and my code of honor means doing right, regardless of what others might say is "right".  As far as the government, well that's a given.  Their only purpose is to unite everyone under one rule so that they may all be ignored and disregarded equally.

I do not wish to go into a religious debate on this topic, so I'll PM you my answer to this. Here is one thing I'd like to say, though: You missed the point of Jesus Christ.

It looks like we went way off topic (my bad :P), so how about we try to get back on topic now?

EDIT: I noticed that I ALSO missed the point of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself says that we don't have to follow everything the Bible tells us, and it's okay to break the rules, due to our sins being forgiven and all of that. Thank you for your arguments, everyone. I still wish to stay away from drugs, though. Like Mystery said, I just don't want to get into that stuff.

My point, as poorly written as it may have been, is to just let yourself decide what's right and wrong, what to follow, and what to avoid.  If Christianity is the way for you, all the power to you.  If atheism or agnostic beliefs are the way, all the power to you.  What will piss me off quicker than anything is someone trying to force others to their side.  If someone wants to be atheist, do not discriminate against them, do not crusade against them, and do not waste your time trying to convert them.  That gives you a bad name, and makes your religion the evil one.

When I say "you", don't read that as me directing it towards 11clock, it's a broad generalization, not any particular person here.  If I could sum up my view towards modern Christianity though, with all the discrimination, oppression, and what not, I dare say that if the Messiah were to make his second coming, he would be disappointed if not outraged at the majority of Christians and what they've become.

[11clock]

@Mystery True, there is no point in following rules unless there are consequences for breaking them. I count the feeling of guilt as a consequence, though.

You're not getting what I'm saying.

You need to distinguish between rules that have merit and should be enforced, and rules that are stupid (even criminal) and shouldn't be a rule in the first place.

For example, did you know many states in the US effectively forbid atheists from holding office for no reason other than 'because we say so'? http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm

...Doesn't that go against the Constitution AND the Bible? O.o Goes to show how corrupt the government is.

The point of all of this, so far as I can tell, is to not blindly follow any and every word that someone tells you to without thinking first.  It just so happens that the Christian Bible is the number #1 publication in the entire world, and has a lot of rules, thus people find it very easy to just accept that and take the cheap way out by thinking they need to live it without question.  Makes their lives easy right? 

I have my own interpretations of how a happy life is achieved.  The bible tells me that marriage is only valid if the female is a virgin, or else she should be stoned by the men of her city (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)... Should I call the police on my girlfriend and tell them to bring the rocks or am I morally obligated to gather the stones myself before their arrival?  Mark 10:1-12 tells me that as soon as I am married, I cannot divorce.  If I divorce and find another, I'm still committing adultery, and I'm fairly certain most knowledgeable people know what adultery means for them.  I've seen many marriages go wrong where health and even lives are on the line over deranged marriages, so what's the lesser evil?  Death by spouse or Death by adulterous stoning?  Heck, many bible thumpers out there have likely already broken several "rules" in Leviticus, be it that you have touched the skin of a pig (any football players here?), eaten shellfish, gotten tattoos, and if none of those, cutting the hair around your temples, or mar (cut) your beard (Leviticus 19:27).  Does that mean I have to make sure I grow it back out before I die so that St. Peter won't know when I try to get through the pearly gates?

I believe in morality, and my code of honor means doing right, regardless of what others might say is "right".  As far as the government, well that's a given.  Their only purpose is to unite everyone under one rule so that they may all be ignored and disregarded equally.

I do not wish to go into a religious debate on this topic, so I'll PM you my answer to this. Here is one thing I'd like to say, though: You missed the point of Jesus Christ.

It looks like we went way off topic (my bad :P), so how about we try to get back on topic now?

EDIT: I noticed that I ALSO missed the point of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself says that we don't have to follow everything the Bible tells us, and it's okay to break the rules, due to our sins being forgiven and all of that. Thank you for your arguments, everyone. I still wish to stay away from drugs, though. Like Mystery said, I just don't want to get into that stuff.

My point, as poorly written as it may have been, is to just let yourself decide what's right and wrong, what to follow, and what to avoid.  If Christianity is the way for you, all the power to you.  If atheism or agnostic beliefs are the way, all the power to you.  What will piss me off quicker than anything is someone trying to force others to their side.  If someone wants to be atheist, do not discriminate against them, do not crusade against them, and do not waste your time trying to convert them.  That gives you a bad name, and makes your religion the evil one.

When I say "you", don't read that as me directing it towards 11clock, it's a broad generalization, not any particular person here.  If I could sum up my view towards modern Christianity though, with all the discrimination, oppression, and what not, I dare say that if the Messiah were to make his second coming, he would be disappointed if not outraged at the majority of Christians and what they've become.

Don't worry, I'm not one of those Christians who tell others that they're wrong. While I believe that they are wrong, there's no point to telling them that, it doesn't change anything. I have a best friend who is Atheist (Mystery), and while I wish that he could see the light, I don't bug him about it. It's not a Christian's job to save people, it's a Christian's job to share the Gospel and let people know of the option to become a follower. If they choose not to follow Jesus, that's their choice. I don't hate those who aren't followers. Sadly, there will always be Christians that make us look bad, and give others more reason to hate us. This concludes my rant.

I've made my decision: I will not get into drugs and masturbation, not because of my religion, but as Mystery said, I just don't want to get involved. My solution to my anxiety will always be my video games.

[Titan]

Good for you, at least you don't fall into peer pressure easily.  :P

[Jake]

Good for you, at least you don't fall into peer pressure easily.  :P

I would argue that anyone that is a Christian is falling into peer pressure.