Are mind-altering drugs "bad"?

[sock puppet]

Certain drugs alter perception and give a euphoric experience to the user. Tensions are relieved that might otherwise be manifested through violence. Such drugs calm the beast and thus spares others that would be victims of the violence. Users like the experience, they want to repeat it. Their dependence on the drugs we call addiction.

And so it is with religion. A percentage who partake get a euphoric sense that the peddlers convince them is "god". The dopamine is released. Those that buy into it are left with a distorted perception of reality. Society suffers it, some segments even applaud it, as some sort of civil greasing. The peddlers encourage these users to use over and over and over again, particularly weekly on Sundays. But the dopamine wanes with time from this same only trigger. When some religion users finally break free, they can then see what had them in its clutches. For example, some refer to themselves as recovering Mormons.

If the dopamine trigger is self-induced, it's a religious experience. Society accepts it, even encourages it. If the dopamine trigger is the infusion of chemical into our bodies, it is denounced as an evil, an addiction,

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

I’ve found that tradcons don’t like anything that reduces a worker’s ability to work and be productive. So, perhaps it has less to do with altering one’s mind (and thus altering one’s spirituality), and more to do with being ready to slave away for the sake of productivity.

- Doc

[drumdude]

I think mind altering drugs should be viewed as a tool and not as a recreational activity.

They should be used to promote health, with the warnings like any other drug that there may be serious side effects.

Most people probably don’t need them to be able to live life to their fullest, but I’m willing to see evidence that contradicts this.

[Tator]

If I had to choose I would choose the drugs over religion, I tried both.

[KevinSim]

If I had to choose I would choose the drugs over religion, I tried both.

Advocating abandonment of religion due to experience with religion in 2022, is like advocating anarchy due to experience with governments in 1600. Just because current models have serious flaws does not mean that future models won't be better.

[KevinSim]

If the dopamine trigger is self-induced, it's a religious experience.

Dopamine didn't tell me that there is a God. I have other reasons for believing that. In a universe with God controlling it, I asked God if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. If the answer I got was created by a dopamine rush, it still follows that that answer was the one God wanted me to have.

[sock puppet]

If I had to choose I would choose the drugs over religion, I tried both.

Advocating abandonment of religion due to experience with religion in 2022, is like advocating anarchy due to experience with governments in 1600. Just because current models have serious flaws does not mean that future models won't be better.

So you are saying government has improved over the last 422 years but religion has not?

[sock puppet]

If the dopamine trigger is self-induced, it's a religious experience.

Dopamine didn't tell me that there is a God. I have other reasons for believing that. In a universe with God controlling it, I asked God if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. If the answer I got was created by a dopamine rush, it still follows that that answer was the one God wanted me to have.

That's called a non-sequitur, Kevin. Just because your dopamine rush followed your praying, it does not logically follow that your dopamine rush was triggered by "God".

[Tator]

If I had to choose I would choose the drugs over religion, I tried both.

Advocating abandonment of religion due to experience with religion in 2022, is like advocating anarchy due to experience with governments in 1600. Just because current models have serious flaws does not mean that future models won't be better.

My experience with religion time frame was from 1952 to around '85 or '86.

I don't want to live in a model past, present or future, I want reality.

Maybe I'm not getting your meaning of 'advocating' not sure if I'm not getting it from my experience with religion or drugs.

Alex, I need 'governments in the 1600s' for $1000

Hey does anyone out there have a lighter.

I lost my power of discernment, shame.

Bottom line, Kevin, ya lost me.

[High Spy]

For every good drug there are dozens of bad ones.