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Ban Christmas?

 

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Christmas was not always celebrated in America. Why?

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MP3 Audio - Ban Christmas?

[Steve Myers] Ban Christmas? Well, did you know that at one time in America Christmas was banned? If you go all the way back to the time of the Puritans you will find some interesting things. In fact, I challenge you. Go back and find out why did the Puritans ignore Christmas? Why did they discourage people from observing Christmas? Check it out.
I challenge you to find out why they didn't celebrate Christmas, and then ask yourself, "Why do I celebrate Christmas? Should I be celebrating Christmas?" Is this a tradition that actually honors God? I hope you'll check it out.
Look at all the reasons why William Bradford and many of the other Puritans did not celebrate Christmas, and compare that to your own practice, and then write us or make comments on this video and let us know what you find and what you find out when you examine what you do. I think you'll find some interesting things.
That's BT Daily . We'll look forward to your comments next time.

Why Do We Need Weed?

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Why Do We Need Weed?



 Voters in Colorado and Washington state approved the legalization of the possession and sale of marijuana for recreational use. What is missing in life that drives people to abuse drugs?



[Gary Petty] During the latest rounds of political elections, a number of states voted to legalize marijuana. Of course this is a great concern for a lot of people—the legalization of a drug that has been proven to be very detrimental to people.



The real question is why are we a nation that needs so much to rely on drugs?



What is it that we're trying to escape from—whether it's marijuana or alcohol abuse or abuse of illegal drugs or even abuse of legal drugs that people get through prescriptions?



Why are we a nation that's trying to hide something that's happening inside of us?



Well, the reality is what we're trying to deal with, that emptiness, that ache, that angst, that anxiety is really an issue between us and God and us and other people. The reason we use drugs is to cover up the fact that inside every one of us is a deep seeded need for a personal relationship with our Creator.



The more we run from that, the more we try to hide from that, the more we try to find that answer in whatever it is, whether it's drugs or money or illicit sex. In the end we end up still empty, still searching.



God wants to heal your life. God wants to change who you are. God wants to fill that hole.



Turn to God. Pick up your Bible. Get on your knees and ask God to come into your life to help you understand and to lead you to where He wants you to go.



You will find you won't have a need any longer for those things. It's going to take some work. It's going to take a lot of work. It's going to be painful, but in the end you will be a child of God.



This is BT Daily . Join us again

Groupthink Affects the Battle Over Marriage

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Groupthink Affects the Battle Over Marriage




 In a self-absorbed world, we are unwittingly influenced by the words and actions of others. From weekend parties, to watching negative TV programs, to texting while driving, many people simply follow the lead of others. After all, how can so many people be wrong? Yet people can be hurt by social norms they don't question. We often go along to get along. This happens in groupthink, and groupthink on a grand scale can be dangerous to our marriages and families!



Groupthink can directly affect the way we view marriage. Groupthink author Irving Janisdefined the phenomenon: "[G]roupthink…refer[s] to the mode of thinking that persons engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive in-group that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action. [T]he term refers to a deterioration in mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgments as a result of group pressures " (Janis, I.L., Psychology Today, 1971, p. 43-46; emphasis mine).



When millions of TV viewers watch shows like The Modern Family or The New Normal , they can eventually water down or dismiss their Christian roots and morals and incrementally absorb the amorality of such shows. Remarkably, groupthink also works on a grand scale.



Over the last 60 years, following World War II and the pervasive impact of television, the institution of marriage has deteriorated dramatically. As Americans became more affluent, they invested in the novel technology of television, which became, to media moguls, more of a business tool than an educational one. Media companies maximize their income by playing on the basest of human passions. Bad news sells better than good news. The result is that more people watch, or are excited by, the basest of human experiences, like illicit sex, violence and corruption.



On a global scale, whole societies can exhibit groupthink just like smaller in-groups. It's based on concurrence-seeking that overrides any realistic appraisal of other good courses of action . God reveals that the entire world is blinded from the glorious gospel of God by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.



See All...). His name is Satan, and his avowed purpose is to destroy humankind from the face of the earth (Matthew 24:21-22 [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.





See All...; 1 Peter 5:8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:



See All...).



In structuring this Good News article—"Who Will Win the Battle Over Marriage? "—I considered the debilitating effects of groupthink as it applies to the battle over marriage. I began with modern TV programs that influence harmful social thinking (through groupthink) while chipping away at the building blocks of society: marriage and family. I then discussed an unseen power who flaunts (through global groupthink) his hate-filled designs against humankind. Finally, I showed that God will win the battle over marriage and the family unit through Jesus Christ our Lord, after His return to this earth (Malachi 3:1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.



See All...; John 14:3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.



See All...). This is positive groupthink (Hebrews 8:10-12 [10] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

[11] And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

[12] For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.





See All...).



The Good News is dedicated to imparting spiritual understanding to any who hunger and thirst for God. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.



See All...). We are dedicated to helping you to satisfy that hunger and thirst!



Thank you for allowing us to share godly principles about how to have a happy marriage and also to explain the conventional wisdom of groupthink that directly affects the battle over marriage. We invite you to share with others The Good News , which is free and without obligation or follow-up.







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What was Jesus doing for you in the fall of 30 A.D.?

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

What was Jesus doing for you in the fall of 30 A.D.?

Source: Photos.comNearly 2,000 years ago this October, our Savior Jesus Christ set us an example of power and courage. Despite living in a world that rejected Him, He openly celebrated a timeless Festival that is established forever. What is this joyous event and what does it mean for you?



If one reads about an event in the Bible that all nations would one day be required by God to observe, wouldn't it make sense to find out more about it now? Here's a sometimes overlooked biblical fact: The Bible tells us in Zechariah 14:16And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.



See All... that everyone in the coming Kingdom of God will observe the biblical Festival of Tabernacles and worship Jesus Christ there as King.



And no surprise, as Jesus Himself observed this Festival while living on the earth nearly 2,000 years ago (John 7:2-52 [2] Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

[3] His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

[4] For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

[5] For neither did his brethren believe in him.

[6] Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

[7] The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

[8] Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

[9] When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

[10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

[11] Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

[12] And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

[13] Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

[14] Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

[15] And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

[16] Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

[17] If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

[18] He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

[19] Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

[20] The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

[21] Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

[22] Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

[23] If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

[24] Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

[25] Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

[26] But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

[27] Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

[28] Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

[29] But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

[30] Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

[31] And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

[32] The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

[33] Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

[34] Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

[35] Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

[36] What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

[37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

[38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

[40] Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

[41] Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

[42] Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

[43] So there was a division among the people because of him.

[44] And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

[45] Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

[46] The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

[47] Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

[48] Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

[49] But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

[50] Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

[51] Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

[52] They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.





See All...).



So what exactly is this Festival of Tabernacles?

The biblical Festival (or Feast) of Tabernacles occurs in the fall (as reckoned in the northern hemisphere), and serves as the capstone of the seven annual Holy Day seasons revealed by God (Leviticus 23:24Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.



See All...). As the seventh chapter of John eloquently and powerfully confirms, Jesus observed this Festival Himself, setting an example for His 21st century disciples.



Jesus declared that His Church—people who actually followed His commands and example—would never cease to exist (Matthew 16:18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.



See All...). That declaration continues to be fulfilled today, as a "little flock" (Luke 12:32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.



See All...)—multiple thousands of Christians—are gathering this fall. They are assembling to observe the same biblical festival that Jesus kept in a very high profile way just a few months before His crucifixion.



Why Keep the Festival in the 21st Century?

As these Christians observe the Festival of Tabernacles today , you may wonder why this ancient event is relevant in a digital age. When the Holy Day seasons were first openly revealed to humanity, the Israelites would take palm and tree fronds to build temporary dwellings (Leviticus 23:30And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.



See All...). In Hebrew, the Festival of Tabernacles is literally called "the Festival of Booths" ( Sukkot in Hebrew).



Today, in the spirit of those temporary dwellings, Christians observe the Festival outside of their regular homes, travelling to cities and meeting places around the globe. There they celebrate the fact that our fragile lives are but temporary, and that we look to a new life of eternal service beginning in the coming Kingdom of God!



This joyous Kingdom of God, which Jesus and the apostles referred to more than 100 times in the New Testament, will be a time of great peace and prosperity. What is your priority as a Christian in your day-to-day affairs? Your Savior and future King declares to you and me: "Seek first the Kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.



See All..., emphasis added).



So if this Festival of Tabernacles pictures the coming Kingdom of God, when Jesus Christ will have returned to this earth to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:15-16 [15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

[16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.





See All...), what about the other six Holy Day seasons of God?



A personal prophecy for you

The entire seven Holy Day seasons of God represent nothing short of God's amazing and wonderful plan for all of humanity! The incredible truth? These biblical seasons represent a personal prophecy for you, your family, your friends—literally all who have ever lived or who will live. (This is all explained in detail in our free booklet God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for all Mankind . If you don't have a copy, order one today, or download it free).



The first three—the Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost—have collectively opened the door to salvation and spiritual understanding for Christians today. The four remaining holy day seasons –the Festival of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Festival of Tabernacles and the celebration of the Eighth Day (also known to some as the Last Great Day) —represent an intense and happy vision for us. They picture a time of profound "gladness and joy" when God will directly intervene globally in human affairs, "and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.



See All...). They represent a time of great globe-encircling peace!



No wonder Jesus was unafraid to openly keep the Festival of Tabernacles some 2,000 years ago, despite open death threats. No wonder He assertively made breathtaking declarations (John 8:58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.



See All...) and performed stunning miracles (John 9:1-11 [1] And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

[2] And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

[3] Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

[4] I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

[5] As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

[6] When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

[7] And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

[8] The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

[9] Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

[10] Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?

[11] He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.





See All...). If you truly understand God's plan for you, then you too can say with confidence: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.



See All...).



As you read this, thousands of members of the United Church of God are keeping this Festival in many locations around the world . There may be one near you. If you'd like to see what this celebration of the coming Kingdom of God is like, you are welcome to see for yourself. Jesus set an example for all of us in 30 A.D., pointing us to the final victory of God pictured in the joyous Festival of Tabernacles.







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Ecstasy! A Hug Drug or the Kiss of Death?

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Ecstasy! A Hug Drug or the Kiss of Death?

article by Cecil Maranville





Millions of teens and young adults around the world are getting high on ecstasy. They believe it to be the ideal drug, bringing out the best in them with virtually no side effects or danger. But evidence is mounting that there are both side effects and danger--and much worse than initially thought.



Ecstasy, also known as "e," "Adam" or "XTC" is the latest fad drug among youth. That's not to say that is new--it was developed nearly a century ago by the German pharmaceutical company Merck and was used by psychotherapists briefly in the 1970s. It was popular for a few years in the 1980s as a street drug and then faded from the scene until recently. Now its use among youth is endemic.



How widespread is it? British police estimate that 500,000 Brits take the drug each weekend. Of the half-million young tourists visiting the Spanish island of Ibiza every summer, one in eight takes ecstasy nearly every night. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says the drug is available in at least 21 states, as well as in Canada, and that it's especially popular with college students and young professionals.



E is called a "club drug," because it sold and used in dance clubs. Club drugs are popular with high school seniors and college students at all-night underground parties with techno music, which are called "raves." Commenting on a recent ecstasy bust in Phoenix, Arizona, police estimated that up to 90 percent of youths who attend rave parties take e.



Its street name stems from the belief that it creates a sense of blissful elation or ecstasy. Users believe it to be a "hug drug," a drug that lowers the user's inhibitions and makes him experience feelings equal to those brought on by the sweetest success or the achievement of a lifetime.



Hug Drug

Users think that it is nonaddictive. Unlike any other drug, it heightens feelings of empathy, understanding and acceptance of other people. Probably the principal focus of users in this pleasure-pumped culture is ecstasy's reputed ability to amplify the delights of sexual intimacy. The crowning attractiveness of e is that it doesn't do anything harmful to the user--at least that has been the hype surrounding it. And young people are accepting the pitch by the millions. They pay $20 to $40 per hit/pill, which gives them a 6-to-8-hour high.



"Eight percent of U.S. high school seniors say they have tried it at least once, up from 5.8 percent in 1997.... [U.S.] customs officers have already seized more ecstasy this fiscal year, more than 5.4 million hits, than in all of last year. In 1998 they seized just 750,000 hits" (Time, "The Lure of Ecstasy," by John Cloud, June 5, 2000). No one can say with certainty how many hits made it onto the streets.



A multibillion dollar "industry"

60 Minutes II reported on its August 8 program that Amsterdam is the primary source of e coming into the United States. Reporter Vicki Maybrey interviewed a Dutch criminal investigator, whose special unit has closed down 35 ecstasy production labs in just the last five years. However, given the incredible profit margins involved, 10 labs pop up for every one that is put out of business.



Users believe it to be a "hug drug," a drug that lowers the user's inhibitions and makes him experience feelings equal to those brought on by the sweetest success or the achievement of a lifetime.



An ecstasy-producing machine from one of the closed down illegal labs was shown on the program. It was capable of producing 300 pills per minute at a cost of 20 cents each. That's 1.2 million pills a week, assuming that the machine operates for 10 hours every day. For a manufacturing cost of $240,000, criminals produce drugs with potential market value of $24 to $48 million per week. Calculating the annual output for 50 weeks (do criminals give their employees two-week holidays?), that translates into $1.2 to $2.4 billion annually, per lab.



Considering the Dutch investigator's sober acknowledgment that 350 labs have sprung up in the last five years in his jurisdictional area of South Holland alone, the potential for ill-gotten gain staggers the imagination. Small wonder that organized crime is heavily involved in the distribution and sale of e. Maybrey said law-enforcement officials believe Israeli and Russian organized crime rings are responsible for most e brought into the United States.



If that is true, offshore organized crime is working hand in hand with U.S. crime families. Salvatore Gravano was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, early this year for his involvement in peddling as many as 30,000 ecstasy pills a week. Gravano is better known by his nickname as "Sammy the Bull," given to him when he was a hit man for the mob, before he turned informant on the John Gotti crime family. The case is still in trial, but Gravano's ecstasy organization is said to include a white-supremacist gang known as the Devil Dogs (because, believe it or not, gang members "bark" when they assault their victims).



Unsavory merchants, to say the least. Why are young adults by the millions willing to sample their wares? Undoubtedly there is an element of antiestablishment daring so often a part of youth. "If my parents don't like it, I do! If my parents don't want me to take it, I will!" Further, e use is now a fad. It's what "the in crowd" is currently "into." And, ecstasy has a glowing reputation among the party culture for its many positive attributes and its reputed low downside.



What gives ecstasy its glowing name and reputation?

What causes those "positive attributes"? The chemical name for ecstasy is methylenedioxymethamphetamine, known by the acronym MDMA. It's "a synthetic, psychoactive (mind-altering) drug with hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties," according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) (www.drugabuse.com , MDMA (ecstasy), p. 1).



E users argue that the drug is not hallucinogenic, but rather "an acute antidepressant." That's a misrepresentation of what ecstasy does, as we will show. The ecstatic feelings created by MDMA are the result of a neurotransmitter known as serotonin. Although science does not fully understand the role of this neurotransmitter, serotonin is thought to help create positive moods. MDMA has a double force effect that infuses the brain with large amounts of serotonin.



First, it orders neurons that store serotonin to empty themselves.



Some of these short-term effects have been fatal.



It takes about an hour for receptors to bind with the serotonin and begin to cause feelings of empathy, happiness, increased sociability, enhanced sensation of touch and responsiveness to light. (Due to the powerful impact of light on the senses of e users, raves commonly have light shows. Rave dancers will wave glowing colored wands as they party, because of the highly pleasurable sensation it gives them. Parents need to be alert to teens who own brightly colored light wands, an indication of e use.) The pleasurable feelings, called "rolling" in the drug culture can continue for several more hours.



How is MDMA able to evoke sensory responses greater than what the body normally produces? The amount of serotonin chemically "ordered" to be released by MDMA is a greatly increased level over what these neurons would release under normal conditions.



But that's only the first line of coercion by e on the brain's normal functions.



A normally functioning brain is designed to take some of the released serotonin back into its storage neurons. So, not all released serotonin binds to receptors--usually. However, MDMA chemically blocks the re-uptake of serotonin, forcing more to bind to receptors, thus further amplifying the positive sensations associated with this marvelous neurotransmitter.



Only in this way does MDMA mimic an antidepressant, which also blocks the re-uptake of serotonin. However, antidepressants work only with the serotonin naturally released by the brain--a much smaller amount than that "kicked out" by MDMA. It's therefore a distortion of fact and a serious misrepresentation to claim that ecstasy is "an acute antidepressant."



Okay, what's the downside?

What's wrong with ecstasy? If the only affects were the hazards that we've already described, it sounds like little more than a harmless "rush." If only that were true. The NIDA reports that short-term effects of "MDMA are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and cocaine. They are:



* Psychological difficulties,including confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, severe anxiety and paranoia, during and sometimes weeks after taking MDMA (even psychotic episodes have been reported).



* Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth-clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movements, faintness and chills or sweating.



* "Increases in heart rate and blood pressure, a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease" (www.drugabuse.com , NIDA Infofax, p. 1, emphasis added).



Some of these short-term effects have been fatal. MDMA raises the body temperature and causes profuse sweating. Caught up in a drug-induced euphoria in the crowded and chaotic environment of a rave (with up to 2,000 partygoers at a time), e users who did not realize what was happening to them have died from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Others have died from drinking too much water in an attempt to counteract the drug's negative effects.



"Between three and 10 percent of the white population (statistics are unavailable for other groups) have a genetic defect which causes them to produce less of the main enzyme which metabolizes MDMA. This means that if they take a normal dose, they can overdose. In Europe, there have been dozens of deaths related to this problem" (NewsWatch.org, "News You Can Abuse?" by Maria Szalavitz, Dec. 8, 1999, emphasis added).



The absence of normal amounts of serotonin in the brain as one comes down from an e-induced high translates into a seriously depressed state of mind, called "terrible Tuesdays" by users. Ignorant of what they have done to their bodies, some users attempt to counteract their depression by taking another or even several more hits of e. The first additional dose may be able to squeeze a little more serotonin from their storage neurons, but the effect is minimal. Any further hits will do nothing to relieve depression. Normal brain functions require up to two weeks for serotonin to be replaced.



Serious as they are, these short-term problems constitute the best of the downside problems of taking MDMA. The long-term problems are worse, much worse.



Brain damage

Several factors cause damage to the brain. To understand, we need take another look at what MDMA does to brain neurons. We looked at the fact that it forces the release and use of large amounts of the neurotransmitter serotonin. We also saw that it prevents the re-uptake of serotonin to its storage areas. MDMA also causes the release of another neurotransmitter, dopamine.



A Christian youth respects the fact that his or her body is "the temple of the Holy Spirit," belonging to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 [19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

[20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.





See All...).



MDMA allows the dopamine to return to the neurons that previously stored serotonin. The result is catastrophic, because the dopamine is toxic to those neurons. Their ability to store serotonin again is greatly diminished, if not ruined. Without serotonin, a person would suffer from clinical depression. Duke University pharmacology Professor Wilkie Wilson warns of the possibility of permanent brain damage to ecstasy users. "The drug is spreading so fast among so many people that I'm really afraid that we're going to have a generation of depressed people" (ibid. 60 Minutes II, emphasis added).



Where does the neurotransmitter dopamine come from? It is stored in its own neurons, which are "ordered" open by MDMA in the same way that it forces the release of serotonin. When forced open, dopamine's storage neurons are damaged in a way that affects motor control. "Damage to these neurons is the underlying cause of the motor disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease" (ibid. NIDA Infofax, p. 1).



The NIDA also reports that recent findings link MDMA use to long-term damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought and memory. It cites research on monkeys exposed to MDMA for only four days that suffered brain damage that was evident six to seven years later (ibid.).



It's too soon to tell with absolute certainty what all of the long-term consequences of taking MDMA will be. But, it's fair to say that ecstasy is no "hug drug."



Evidence "against the safety of MDMA has mounted to a point were even those who once thought the drug safe are getting anxious" (op. cit., Szalavitz). Szalavitz quotes Dr. John Morgan, a City University of New York pharmacologist who initially believed that most people had little to worry about toxicity of the drug. Dr. Morgan has changed his mind. He now says, "at this point there is really not much criticism possible [of the human neurotoxicity data on MDMA]...the time to worry is now" (op. cit. Szalavitz, emphasis added).



Christian youth just say, "NO!"

For the Christian, to use or not to use ecstasy is a no-brainer. People who allow their appetites, social pressures and fads to determine their behavior, will use drugs. Listed with other common behaviors of people who "go with the flow," is "sorcery" (Galatians 5:19-21 [19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

[20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

[21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.





See All...). The Greek word used, pharmakeia, encompasses other meanings, but one is drug use. Our English word pharmacology comes from it. Given the fact that human nature has a penchant for drug use, and that our present world has a multibillion dollar drug market that panders to peoples' desires, only young people of sound mind and character will have the strength not to use drugs.



A Christian youth respects the fact that his or her body is "the temple of the Holy Spirit," belonging to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 [19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

[20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.





See All...). Health is something to be jealously guarded and maintained, for our bodies are not ours to trash. We need to learn to manage life. Read about some of those ways in our booklet Making Life Work.



Apart from the physical considerations, there are legal ones. It's a serious crime to manufacture or sell ecstasy. That's enough to warn off a Christian youth, who lives by the creed, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God.... For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.... Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath [legal consequences] but also for conscience' sake" (Romans 13:1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.



See All..., 3, 5).



Since June 1985, DEA regulations put ecstasy in the Schedule 1 classification of the Controlled Substances Act--a classification generally used for dangerous narcotics that have a high potential for abuse and no medical usefulness. (Other Schedule 1 drugs include heroin and LSD.) Manufacturers and sellers of Schedule 1 drugs are subject to fines of up to $125,000 and 15-year prison terms, but legislation has been proposed that would strengthen these penalties.



Dead End

Hopefully, anyone who is drawn to the alluring reputation of ecstasy will think twice in light of these cold, hard facts. Parents of high school and college students should realize that their children regularly receive flyers inviting them to raves, with an "e" printed on the flyer that announces to all that ecstasy will be available. Talk with your children about e.



Is ecstasy a hug drug? The ecstasy it delivers is only a tempting illusion. So much hype. Such a big lie. And such a terrible price to pay for believing it...

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