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The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

5 facts about marijuana addiction

Recent surveys show that about 6 in 10 Americans (61 percent) say the use of marijuana should be legalized. Along with the increase in permissive attitudes and legislation involving marijuana, there is an increase in the perception that the drug is harmless and is nonaddictive.
The reality is that the rise in the prevalence of marijuana use—usage more than doubled between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013—has led to a large increase in marijuana use disorders.

“Cannabis is potentially a real public-health problem,” Mark A. R. Kleiman, a professor of public policy at New York University, recently told The Atlantic. “It wasn’t obvious to me 25 years ago, when 9 percent of self-reported cannabis users over the last month reported daily or near-daily use. I always was prepared to say, ‘No, it’s not a very abusable drug. Nine percent of anybody will do something stupid.’ But that number is now [something like] 40 percent.”
Here are five facts you should know about the rising problem of marijuana addiction:

This Week at the ERLC

ERLC vp of communications Dan Darling was on Morning Joe this week promoting his new book, The Dignity Revolution. He discussed how the gospel of Jesus Christ requires each of us to treat everyone we encounter with dignity and respect we are all image-bearers of God.

ERLC president Russell Moore wrote an op-ed this week encouraging the Senate to support the bipartisan, Trump Administration-supported First Step Act, the prison reform bill that overwhelmingly passed the House.

“[P]reparing inmates to return home can make us all safer. Most Americans want prison reforms that improve public safety, reduce costs, and foster human dignity. When 43 percent of federal prisoners reoffend after release from prison, something isn’t working. Only a government program can fail 43 percent of the time and continue to operate without accountability or change. President Trump and Congressmen Collins and Jeffries are right to press for reform in the federal prison system, and the First Step Act will do just that.”

What You Need to Know

Our technologically connected society has, in some ways, led to an increased pressure to be perfect—in school, work, and our personal lives. Many people, as a result, are turning to drugs to enhance their performance. Mary Wurster, a former ERLC intern, wrote about this phenomenon in her article, Should Christians take “smart drugs?”

“We as human beings need rest, and often. . . . Our bodies have distinct and clear signals which let us know that it is time to rest. To ignore or artificially delete these signals can and will lead to harmful and even unforeseen consequences. And to recognize these signals is to recognize that we are not God, and that God sustains the world without our help. Rest can be an act of worship.”

Can you make a moral judgment about someone you don’t know? One writer argued that you can’t. But Andrew T. Walker addresses this question in his latest article and looks at what the Bible says.

“Christian morality does not exist for its own sake. It exists because it reflects God’s character. The unchanging, immutable nature of a holy and just God means that Christian morality reflects those attributes as well. Christians must speak humbly, knowing that the ethical standards we hold others to are the same standards we are accountable to as well. In this sense, Christian morality is always personal.”

News From Capitol Hill

We are hiring a new policy director to join the team in Washington. If you or someone you know is interested in engaging the culture with the gospel of Christ and speaking to issues in the public square, learn more here.

One of the priorities of our policy team is criminal justice reform. The ERLC upholds the belief that all men and women are created with dignity and have the right to fair and just treatment under the law. When seeking reform, a balance needs to be struck between upholding the law for community safety and dealing holistically with how we punish and rehabilitate individuals who break those laws. We will continue to work toward a bill which addresses both prison reform and sentencing reform.

Featured Podcasts

Sen. James Lankford has a passion for and is an important voice in the pro-life movement. This week, he’s featured on the ERLC Podcast discussing “human dignity and public policy.”

"A culture that does not value life will not value truth, authority or each other."

This episode of Signposts features a recent conversation between Russell Moore and Brent Leatherwood about Moore’s new book, The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home.

“This is a book about the cross. This is a book about the family. But whether you are married or single, whether you long for a child or you’re shepherding a full house, you are part of a family. Family is difficult because family—every family—is an echo of the gospel.”

From The Public Square

Is Your Notion of Human Dignity Too Narrow?
Jeffrey Brauch, Christianity Today

Why “life issues” aren’t the only issues that pivot on what it means to bear God’s image.

Why religious liberty matters for human dignity
Daniel Darling, Fox News

The right to believe is a vital aspect of what it means to be human. We are body, mind, and soul, with a rational ability that distinguishes us from the rest of creation. Part of being human is to be able to believe, and to be able to choose what we believe.

The world’s most committed Christians live in Africa, Latin America – and the U.S.
Joey Marshall, Pew Research Center

Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with a big presence in most parts of the globe. But not all Christians share the same levels of religious commitment.

Fight Against Human Trafficking Begins in Our Own Neighborhoods
Brian Hilliker and Olivia Enos, The Daily Signal

Local task forces have proven to be a vital partner in rescuing victims from human trafficking.

Upcoming ERLC Events

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