Magic mushrooms

Originally posted by FMF
What is the purpose of something like magic mushrooms?

Mushrooms are there to "open" your mind and get you to see more of reality.
It is supposed to be used as a catalyst for learning and not as a habitual habit forming drug like alcohol or heroin.

I guess the best answers would come from taking some, which can be done safely if you know what you're doing.

Originally posted by kd2acz
What do you know about them, have any experiences with them?

You're a religionist, clearly. Do you believe that all flora and fauna were created deliberately and with intelligence?

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Mushrooms are there to "open" your mind and get you to see more of reality.
It is supposed to be used as a catalyst for learning and not as a habitual habit forming drug like alcohol or heroin.

I guess the best answers would come from taking some, which can be done safely if you know what you're doing.

A long time ago I took mescaline and I saw these onions in my refrigerator that had been left inside too long and were growing shoots out of it. I felt an overwhelming love of life and those onions in particular, growing in spite of really harsh conditions inside my fridge! I wasn't feeling god or anything like that, just feeling the love of life here on earth.

Originally posted by sonhouse
It just twists my jaw to read those damning verses in the bible that says a man is worth 50 shekels but a woman is only worth 35.

It might twist your jaw to read them, but obviously you have no problem repeating them ad infinitum.

These were pre-technology times. Male slaves could work fields, providing food for the owners, even enough to sell to others. This is where the profit was. Males could work longer hours and produce more goods than women. The Mosaic laws were not rife with social commentary, that wasn't their purpose. Judah and Israel were new then, with a smaller population. The laws were set forth to provide for the maintenance and growth of a people, using concepts of right and wrong that they could understand. Slavery was a way of life then, and any religious law that did not account for it was doomed to failure. God isn't stupid.

Originally posted by Suzianne
It might twist your jaw to read them, but obviously you have no problem repeating them ad infinitum.

These were pre-technology times. Male slaves could work fields, providing food for the owners, even enough to sell to others. This is where the profit was. Males could work longer hours and produce more goods than women. The Mosaic laws were not rife ...[text shortened]... n, and any religious law that did not account for it was doomed to failure. God isn't stupid.

It's good to know that you know your place Suzi, lol 😉

I want all my laundry done by 8 am.

Originally posted by FMF
You're a religionist, clearly. Do you believe that all flora and fauna were created deliberately and with intelligence?

I believe everything that is created is by design, and so with a purpose. Will you now answer my question? Do you have experience with magic mushrooms?

Originally posted by kd2acz
I believe everything that is created is by design, and so with a purpose. Will you now answer my question? Do you have experience with magic mushrooms?

I don't see how my experience is relevant. I am more interested in this issue of the "purpose" and "design" of something like magic mushrooms, at least according to religionists like yourself. I note that you said "...they would fall into the category of pharmakeia, sorcery [and] are used for hallucination purposes to achieve some altered state of consciousness and contact with the spiritual realm." Do you think their "purpose" is to trip humans up by being what they are - and available in the way they are - and then condemn them as "pharmakeia" if consumed [i.e. a test or temptation], or do you think their intended "purpose" might be the "contact with the spiritual realm" that you mentioned?

Originally posted by FMF
I don't see how my experience is relevant. I am more interested in this issue of the "purpose" and "design" of something like magic mushrooms, at least according to religionists like yourself. I note that you said "...they would fall into the category of pharmakeia, sorcery [and] are used for hallucination purposes to achieve some altered state of consciousness ...[text shortened]... ded "purpose" might be the "contact with the spiritual realm" that you mentioned?

I don't see how my experience is relevant. I am more interested in this issue of the "purpose" and "design" of something like magic mushrooms, at least according to religionists like yourself.

By understanding your experience with magic mushrooms, I would be better able to make assumptions of you like you have done with me.

Do you refer to me as a religionist because I made a quote from the Bible, or do you have some other reason?

As far as things like ‘purpose’ and ‘design’, beats me… I already stated what I know and don’t have anything to add. As I previously stated “I have not investigated their use in the whole grand scheme of things, my knowledge on them is very limited”.

But I do know magic mushrooms is a term used by hippies (grateful dead followers mainly) to describe Psilocybin mushroom. In this sense magic mushrooms... are used to induce hallucinations, trances, visions and grooving with Jerry. People who do such things are in some pretty interesting company, see Revelation 21:8… according to the Bible.

Do you think their "purpose" is to trip humans up by being what they are - and available in the way they are - and then condemn them as "pharmakeia" if consumed [i.e. a test or temptation], or do you think their intended "purpose" might be the "contact with the spiritual realm" that you mentioned?

Already answered.

Originally posted by kd2acz

By understanding your experience with magic mushrooms, I would be better able to make assumptions of you like you have done with me.

If you think you need to ask me about my personal experiences, then you are missing the whole point of the question. The OP is about theology and "creation", not about me.

I am not really all that interested in discussing the effect or the experience of eating them. My OP question is about the "purpose" and "design" of such a plant in the eyes of - in your case - a Christian in the context of your theology.

Do you refer to me as a religionist because I made a quote from the Bible, or do you have some other reason?

I didn't want to restrict it just to Christians like yourself, so I used the world "religionist".

FMF: Do you think their "purpose" is to trip humans up by being what they are - and available in the way they are - and then condemn them as "pharmakeia" if consumed [i.e. a test or temptation], or do you think their intended "purpose" might be the "contact with the spiritual realm" that you mentioned?

Already answered.

Oh? The question is whether, in your theological terms, this particular flora is a trap/temptation or a 'tool' that was designed as such. I don't see where this is "Already answered". Apologies if I've missed it.

I don't think mushrooms are flora.

Originally posted by tim88
I don't think mushrooms are flora.

Flora is the plant life. Fauna is animal life.

Originally posted by FMF
Flora is the plant life. Fauna is animal life.

Flora' or 'fauna'? Mushrooms are a very diverse group of organisms. Neither flora (they cannot manufacture their own food from chlorophyll and sunlight) nor fauna (no stomachs, to digest food, no brain), mushrooms are given their own classification, 'fungi'.

http://www.voy.com/203821/5.html

Originally posted by tim88
Flora' or 'fauna'? Mushrooms are a very diverse group of organisms. Neither flora (they cannot manufacture their own food from chlorophyll and sunlight) nor fauna (no stomachs, to digest food, no brain), mushrooms are given their own classification, 'fungi'.

http://www.voy.com/203821/5.html

OK. Thanks. Well then, I should have said "For religionists who believe that all plants, fungi and animals were created deliberately and with intelligence..." in the OP. The question stands, nevertheless.

Originally posted by FMF
[b]By ...[edit]...I've missed it.

Already Answered

If you think you need to ask me about my personal experiences, then you are missing the whole point of the question. The OP is about theology and "creation", not about me.

You are right on this point, I withdraw the question.

Oh? The question is whether, in your theological terms, this particular flora is a trap/temptation or a 'tool' that was designed as such. I don't see where this is "Already answered". Apologies if I've missed it.

I previously stated I believe everything that is created is by design, and so with a purpose.

I do not believe anything created is a trap/temptation.

For religionists who believe that all flora and fauna were created deliberately and with intelligence, what is the purpose of something like magic mushrooms and are there any theological reasons for the eating of them to be forbidden?

If I take a crack [no pun intended] at this question, you'll have to be willing to read more than 25 or 30 words of my response.

Its a good question. I can tell you how I think of the issue. But I don't want to be too brief. If I do that then someone will only say "But you didn't think of this, and that, and this other matter, or that matter. How shortsighted of you Mr. religious person. "

Can you read through longer post on a response ?