A Breif Overview of the Use and Reverance of Cannibis

Throughout history, human beings have attempted to use the plants around them to improve their quality of life. Through trial and error we have learned a great deal about what natural resource best serves what purpose. Certain plants ease certain maladies while others supply nutrition or thread. There is, however, one plant that seems to stand out as an amazingly renewable and versatile resource. The various strains of cannabis available to mankind have contributed to such a degree as to become a component of spirituality to many - revered as a blessing.

The book of Exodus, in the Old Testament, records an ancient recipe for anointing oil. This included about six and a half liters of olive oil along with over nine pounds of flowering cannabis tops, Hebrew “kaneh-bosm.” In the Temple of Solomon, 20,000 incense burners were passed around filled with kaneh-bosm, followed by the biggest meal of the week. The title “Christ” is Greek, means “Anointed One”. The title in itself at least implies that Jesus was anointed in the typical method used for Hebrew kings who were completely soaked in the oil.

After the discovery of the Book of Law (1 Kings 23), the holy anointing oil was associated with pagan worship and banned. Some sects of Judaism still practiced the older religion in secret, waiting for another Messiah-king of the line of David. For these people, amongst others, Jesus was the return of the Jewish Messiah-kings, and the holy anointing oil re-emerged. There are many parallels between the anointing of Saul and David by Samuel in the Old Testament and the anointing of Jesus by John the Baptist including “visions” (Herer, pages 232-235). Today we would call it a “high”. To the ancients, it might have been referred to as “being possessed with the spirit of the Lord”.

Hundreds of years later, another social movement invited cannabis into their traditions. After their discovery of cannabis, certain Sufi Muslims came to believe it held the spirit of the prophet Elijah. The legend of the Sufi master Sheik Haidar of Khorasan’s personal discovery of cannabis is one of the earliest known narratives about the intoxicating effects. For Sufis, eating ma’joun, a chewy cannabis confection was part of worship. According to Sufi al-Is’irdi there was a hidden benefit in cannabis use which allowed the user to experience peaks of disembodied understanding.

Scythians probably spread cannabis use along with goddess worship through the Near East on to Europe. Their version of a goddess mother of life and death was Rhea Krona. In Scythian mythology, she would reap her children after their death with a scythe. This agricultural tool, named after the Scythians, had been designed for reaping cannabis harvests. Popular images today depict The Grim Reaper with a scythe stemming from this mythology. Herodotus told of the Scythians use of cannabis in the fifth century BCE:

“On a framework of tree sticks, meeting at the top, they stretch pieces of woolen cloth. Inside this tent they put a dish with hot stones on it. Then they take some hemp seed, creep into the tent, and throw the seed on the hot stones. At once it begins to smoke, giving off a vapour unsurpassed by any vapour bath one could find in Greece. The Scythians enjoy it so much they howl with pleasure.”

One group of ancient worshipers worth mentioning is those of the goddess Ashera. Ashera seemed to be revered even by the Hebrews. Supposedly, King Solomon burned incense to Ashera, Queen of Heaven. Images of Ashera often depict her holding snakes, and her worshipers believed the serpent in the Garden of Eden was sent by her. The Tree of Knowledge was cannabis and brought enlightenment to the earth when the serpent advised Eve to ignore the male god’s command not to partake of it. Worshipers praised her for the knowledge she brought through the Tree of Life.

Although some argue that there may be negative consequences to cannabis use, it has been noted as one of the least harmful medicines available, even today. Ancient Egyptians knew well the ability of cannabis to heal. They were some of the first people outside of Asia to discover the antiseptic and analgesic properties of the plant. However, neither Egypt nor Europe knew of the psychoactive properties of the plant until the middle ages when crusaders and Arabs spread Cannabis Sativa. Both the Egyptian and European climates had yielded mostly Cannabis Indica which contains much lower levels of THC.

The first documentation of cannabis in ancient Egypt was around 2,000 BCE. It was apparently used to treat eyesores and perhaps cataracts. Eber’s Papyrus (circa 1600 BCE) offers a treatment for gonorrhea where cannabis is ground in honey and administered to the vagina. It was also used in simpler maladies such as preparing a compound for in grown toe nails or enema preparations. According to Deodorus Siculus, a Sicilian Greek historian who lived from 90 BCE to 21 BCE, it was used to cure sorrow by Egyptian women as well.

During the Dark Ages, the Roman Catholic Church dispersed a number of edicts against scientific research, medical research in particular. Arabic medicine, however, was way ahead of it’s time. Their medical practices were delicate enough to perform cesarean sections as well as complicated eye surgery. Cannabis was used for numerous treatments ranging from swelling and post-partum depression to seizures and mania and was administered in various ways.

As mentioned, for some Sufi Muslims, cannabis holds the spirit of the prophet Elijah. Medieval alchemists such as Paracelsus also refer to Elias, which is equal to Elijah, when discussing Cannabis. A major contributor towards the practical use of cannabis during medieval times was a Benedictine monk and qualified Bachelor of Medicine named Francois Rabelais (1494-1553). He was familiar with the alchemical writings of the Sufis. One of Rabelais’s books, “Pentagruel”, being a metaphor for the good works of cannabis, was greeted with outrage by the Roman Catholic Church who considered it heretical. He was known to have taught common people Greek so that they could translate scriptures directly and prescribed cannabis to those who yearned for enlightenment, noting ignorance as a malady. One can assume this angered the Papacy further, eventually forcing Rabelais into exile and it is mainly unknown what happened to him thereafter. Rabelais even went on to consider cannabis the greatest of plants and spoke in great length about the transcendental properties available. He was completely enamored with the plant, always emphasizing the infinite beauty of it.

One of the most common medical uses of cannabis across the board has always been for labor pains during childbirth. This may be due to the fact that most deities associated with cannabis were female. The goddess Ashera in the Near East was closely associated with the Egyptian goddess Seshat, “Queen of the Seven Points.” However, there may be a more intricate aspect. Some active compounds in cannabis have a molecular resemblance to the female hormone estrogen. Although ancient peoples had no way of knowing this, many did know that menstrual fluid and cannabis were equally good fertilizers. Also cannabis seeds contain gamma linoleic acid which is only found in three other seed oils and human mother’s milk (notendur.centrum.is/~snorrigb/cult-fem.htm). Perhaps the connection between the fairer of the sexes and cannabis is instinctual. One very obvious reason for cannabis use during childbirth was that the only other option at any given point was opium which caused drowsiness among mother and child.

Hemp for textile use comes from the stalk of the cannabis plant. During the Middle Ages, flax was most widely used, but hemp held second place and was less costly. Even with church mandates against it, cannabis grew naturally from the northern Baltic region to southern Italy. It was easily accessible because of this. It was used in Europe for fuel in the form of oil and it was used for underclothing because it could me made to have a silky texture. It could also be used as a coarse fiber. The word “canvas” originates from cannabis and it was common for things such as dish towels to be made of it. Another common use was for cordage, particularly used for long bows since it was both strong and pliable (de Bonnevile, pages 67-78, 117, 312).

There are mass amounts of necessary nutrition in cannabis. Scythians ate it regularly. Throughout Europe it was used for gruel, and most ancients ate the seeds during travel at some point, especially nomads. Aside from the confections of the Near East, Polish, German and Russian natives made it into pies.

There are too many references and too much information about the uses and reverence of cannabis to be mentioned here. It appears that the only opponents of cannabis throughout known history have been those in a position of authority. Proponents of cannabis use in any form have felt oppressed and the common thread between them has been a desire for enlightenment, merriment, and good health. According to many, the oppression of cannabis use is a fight between good and evil. To this day, the fight continues.

To Compete or Not to Compete

Competition has a time and place in which it is appropriate. The one and only circumstance under which a person should compete is when the opponent is themselves. When one competes with their present self in order to see a better self in the future, great things can happen. We should all strive to win in the race for self improvement.

What does it mean if you win a competition at which you are more skilled or experienced? It simply means you are more skilled or experienced. What if the victor is left with the impression that they are the “best”? Where does he or she go next? Perhaps motivation is lost when one competes with others and wins. When competing with ones self, however, there is no limit to “best” because you are in a never ending rivalry with your present “best.”

It seems to me that even competition for food and other resources is a negative concept. It is true that other animals need to compete for necessities even to the point of what some would call violence. Be that as it may, human beings are very different in the sense that we can choose how we obtain resources, how we manage resources, and what resources we use. In this day and age, I feel that the human competition for resources is invalid. Human beings can manipulate the world around them in amazing ways. At this point in globalization, we should be united enough as a species to collectively compete with our present “best” using a conglomerate of our resources.

The idea of solely competing against yourself can be difficult, but it’s something I try to apply to my own life. In college, I have learned to compete academically with myself much more than against others. If my grades are improving, it doesn’t matter to me what grades my peers have. In the long run, I will have to deal with the grade listed under my name, not theirs.

It is true that competing against others can motivate a person to improve on a skill or ability. However, it is more productive to combine skills, abilities and talents for a common goal. At some point in evolution (both physical and mental), competition amongst humans was necessary not only for daily survival, but also as a platform on which to learn about the essence of competition. Today, I find it inefficient and immature in an evolutionary sense.

Love and the Plane of oneness

What is love? Where does it come from? Who and what are worthy of love? Is love positive, negative, neutral or a combination of the three? Is it even possible to explain love in earthly terms? I will attempt to answer some of these questions, but I make no promises.

Love, as far as I can tell, is the ability to project yourself and your connection with Allah into wanting the best for someone. Allah exists on a plane of oneness. It goes beyond mere connection. Everything (which also equals nothing, by the way) exists as one. Energy is still energy in any form. Love is what leads you to understand this oneness. Love taps into the connections that we all have to each other and the rest of existence (and non-existence, by the way).

As to whether love is positive or negative depends on one’s definition of positive and negative. If positive is all that’s “good” and negative is all that’s “bad” then love is positive. However, if your definition of positive and negative include the concept of balance then love plays a role on both ends. Without negative, there is no positive. Movement in either direction is positive in terms of the first definition because it equals balance which is a “good” thing. Love is balance- the way Allah holds the oneness together.

People often question, ‘who is worthy of love?” Well, since positive and negative are actually “positive” and we all exist on an infinite plane of oneness which is Allah, we are all equal and important and we each have a specific role in the balance that holds it together. Therefore, all forms of energy deserve love, the pathway to understanding the oneness and accepting it.

Seperation of Earth and State

There are not many Americans left who can live on the land. At some point, someone figured out that regulating, processing, and packaging our food would be an efficient way of controlling the human race. If we couldn't DEPEND on the supermarkets, the FDA, the government, the trucks, planes, freezers, plastic packaging, and slave labor, how would we know what to eat or how to get it? Do you smell the sickness yet? What if we only ate the foods that grew naturally on the land we claimed? For one thing, maybe we could slow the deforestation of places life west Africa for peanut farming and South America for coffee and cocoa. We could also recognize all of the ingredients in our food for a change since we could potentially see it growing. If we knew the land that the Lord has provided us, we wouldn't have to rely on the FDA to alert us about harmful foods across the country. If you ate something bad, it couldn't have spread far, right? If we only ate local foods, we wouldn't have to rely on plastic packaging that just ends up in a landfill and crazy artificial preservatives. Admit it, you don't know where your food or "food product" has been, or even what it is sometimes. You wonder why you don't feel well? We were made to eat real food within a reasonable amount of time after death. This whole thing is sick. A lot of people make a lot of money and earn a lot of power through this exploitation. Since we don't know how to grow or even forage for our food, there is no way for us to be independent of the industries and politicians taking advantage of our ignorance. They think they are God. We must arm ourselves against this regime with knowledge and a sincere desire to connect with the Lord and the blessings He bestowed upon us through the earth.

Evolution vs. Creationism

Did we evolve? Were we created? The answer to both questions may be yes. The arguments against both ideas are not worth debate. Neither disproves or negates the other. The Lord created us and that cannot be disputed. The theory of evolution seems to make a lot of sense. The Lord never said we weren't made in that way. The only thing to remember is that evolution is just a theory at this point whereas the Lord has made it clear to us that He is the creator. The Lord said we came from the dust, from clay. Perhaps this is a reference to the minute organisms He spawned us from. In that case, He made the minute organisms and the circumstances in which they would grow. Still, He is the creator. The seven days refered to as the time it took to create the earth is debatable in interpretation. However, the point of the story of creation isn't how long it took for Him to create us. Time is irrelevant since the Lord is infinite. How He created us and how long it took should be on the back burner as questions we would like to understand in an effort to further prove His glory. The main point to remember is that He made us in whatever miraculous way He chose. Being that He works in ways we can't always understand, one cannot rule out evolution altogether.

Medicine and such...

Here in America, we supposedly have one of, if not the, best health care systems in the world. This would make sense since a large part of our society is based on making us sick in one way or another. We act as though alcohol, sex, and other harmful diversions are natural ways of dealing with stress. We are thoroughly convinced that "quick-fixes" are the answer to all our problems. When you get sick, you take medicine so you can go to work. Your immune system is low, fighting off the sickness, you add drugs to your body, and you don't get rest. You never truly recover. Your body doesn't get what it really needs, which is rest. The drug companies get what they want when you feel you need the medicine to survive. The big ugly corporations we work for get what they want when they can squeeze every last penny out of your time and body. We are encouraged to use up all of our strength so that we are in a state of weakness. Weak people can't rise to their full potential. When you don't have a lot of money, a dollar loaf of "white bread" and a ninety-nine cent package of bologna go a lot further than grilled chicken breast on whole wheat bread. In this way, the poor are kept even weaker. So far, we have no recovery time and no nutrition. In this state of weakness, we cannot rise up against the oppressors. The FDA is only good for making sure we have access to non-food products so that the real food can cost more in comparison. Last year, they approved teflon as a food additive. Artificial colorings and preservatives and "meat products" are the "soilent" of our time. First rule of thumb; if you can't identify something, you shouldn't eat it.
Have you noticed that there are always drug commercials on? We are always being told we are sick. There's always a new pill for a new problem. Depression, although a real problem, is given an identity when you give it the name "depression." Everyone is told they need some kind of drug to care for them. At the same time, marijuana, which serves an immense amount of purposes both medical and non-medical, is oppressed as though it were satan himself. The drug industry knows that if marijuana were allowed to rise to it's full potential there would be almost no need for them. The tobacco industry realizes the competition as well. The two are joined again when you take a look at the fact that without the health problems associated with cigarettes the medical industry would lose out financially as well. The medical industry wants you to be sick so they can pretend to fix it, meanwhile making you sicker in another way so you will always be dependent on them. THEY ARE NOT THERE TO MAKE YOU WELL! If they were, medical professionals world wide would work against the oppression of marijuana and work towards preventative methods such as access to nutritious food. Even in a hospital, you may see people sipping "nutritional supplements." Perhaps people who are in recovery should have ACTUAL NUTRITION as opposed to something artificial. Then, maybe, they can experience actual recovery as opposed to artificial recovery.
Maybe teenage girls shouldn't be handed out hormones (i.e. birth control pills) like they are candy. Most people don't realize the way they are playing with their bodies when they take these kinds of drugs. Unfortunately, there are almost no parents left in this country so the kids are left to fend for themselves. However, there are other non-hormonal birth control methods that seem at least less risky. Health professionals with morals should at least encourage those methods instead. By the way, children should NEVER be on anti-depressants and I'm pretty sure adults shouldn't either. We need to stop drugging our children.
In summary, we need to learn how to grow our own food and heal our own bodies. Drug companies, hospitals, pychologists, the oppressive government regimes, the tobacco industry, the alcohol companies, etc, etc, want us to believe that they are the only ones with the power to cure us of our ailments weather they are physical, mental, emotional, or social. They've tricked us into dependency by keeping us ignorant to reality. They are pretty good at telling us we are stupid and they can perform miracles. This sounds a lot like the so called "anti-chirst," don't you think?

Evolution and Homosexuality

Darwins theory of evolution makes it very clear that evolution does not select FOR a trait, but rather against a trait. Evolution supposedly selects against any trait that hinders procreation. If procreation is hindered, the passing of the gene causing the problem is either limited or dies out altogether with the inability to breed.
Some genetic engineers suggest that homosexuality may be caused by a gene. I have no clue as to whether or not this is true and I wouldn't be surprised either way. However, let's deal with the assumption that homosexuality is caused by a certain chromosome on a strand of DNA. If this is true, then Darwin's theory would demand that the gene be selected against since it most certainly hinders ones ability to breed. I know it's not what people want to hear, but this line of thinking also suggests that homosexual DNA is less evolved since natural selection has not selected against it yet.
The question arises as to why this supposed homosexual gene has not been selected against as of yet. The fact is that, until our modern era, homosexual lifestyles have not been accepted by most societies. There isn't a physical problem with copulation just because one is homosexual, and some people "swing both ways." Also, because of the lack of acceptance of homosexuality, many people have gotten married and had children in an effort to either cover up their sexuality or deny their feelings. Of course, in this case the offspring necessary to pass on the gene are available.
Perhaps the homosexual gene is a product of natural variation. It would make sense that this would occur and be USEFUL in an overpopulated world BECAUSE it hinders procreation and provides more foster parents for the children not cared for.
There is only one judge, and it's not me (remember it's not you either). The only thing I know for sure is that, good or bad, every occurance is part of His plan and not ours. Everything serves a purpose, even "evil" and we, as humans, are not capable of understanding it all and maybe we shouldn't. We should remember that there is a general respect that everyone and everything deserves simply because He made it or them