By Thy Sorceries Were All Nations Deceived

I'm concerned with the huge increase in drug use, both illegal AND legal in our society today. And also the attitude of many Christians who don't see mind altering drug use as a problem that they need to repent from.

Can I just add this disclaimer right from the get go.

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Disclaimer:

I would NEVER advise anyone who is currently taking psychiatric drugs to simply throw their medication down the toilet and quit. That would be a foolish thing to do. Getting off these drugs requires EXPERT SUPERVISION and the best thing to do would be to seek out a Christian Doctor with experience in these things.

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Having said that, drug use is mentioned in the Bible and we are told that ALL the nations will be deceived by them:

REV 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Sorceries - 5331. pharmakeia

Original Word: φαρμακεία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pharmakeia
Phonetic Spelling: (far-mak-i'-ah)
Short Definition: magic, sorcery, enchantment
Definition: magic, sorcery, enchantment.

5331 pharmakeía (from pharmakeuō, "administer drugs") – properly, drug-related sorcery, like the practice of magical-arts
Word Origin

from pharmakeuó (to administer drugs)

Definition

the use of medicine, drugs or spells

Heres an intertesting tract:

5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

5:21 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.

5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith,

Witchcraft is the same word as sorceries -

Original Word: φαρμακεία,
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pharmakeia (Drugs or Spells)

Dr. Peter Breggin’s new concept of medication spellbinding provides insights into why so many people take psychiatric drugs when the drugs are doing more harm than good. Psychiatric drugs, and all other drugs that affect the mind, spellbind the individual by masking their adverse mental effects from the individual taking the drugs. If the person experiences a mental side effect, such as anger or sadness, he or she is likely to attribute it to something other than drug, perhaps blaming it on a loved one or on their own “mental illness.” Often people taking psychiatric drugs claim to feel better than ever when in reality their mental life and behavior is impaired. In the extreme, medication spellbinding leads otherwise well-functioning and ethical individuals to commit criminal acts, violence or suicide.

Psychiatric Drug Adverse Reactions (Side Effects) and Medication Spellbinding

witchcraft - φαρμακεία - pharmakeia

from pharmakeuó (to administer drugs)

the use of medicine, drugs or spells

"new concept of medication spellbinding provides insights into why so many people take psychiatric drugs when the drugs are doing more harm than good."

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Revelation 22:14-15

In this passage, the word 'sorcerers' comes from the greek word 'pharmakos' (Strongs # 5332) which is derrived from the greek word 'pharmakon' and is defined in Strong's Greek Dictionary of the New Testament as follows:

a druggist ("pharmacist") or poisoner


Also:
from Webster's Imperial Dictionary of the English Language - 1905-06

"phar-ma-ceuti' tic, phar-ma-ceu' tic-al, a. [Gr. pharmakeutikos, from pharmakeuein. to practice witchcraft, or use medicine; pharmakon, poison or medicine; Pertaining to the knowledge of art of pharmacy, ot to the art of preparing medicines in accordance with the formulae of pharmancy."

By 1933 Mirriam Webster's the distinction/ connection had already disappeared!

http://urlbam.com/ha/Y (good forum)

...Oh for the love of money!!(...or mammon...)

The thud experiment.

The Rosenhan experiment was a famous experiment into the validity of psychiatric diagnosis conducted by psychologist David Rosenhan in 1973. It was published in the journal Science under the title "On being sane in insane places."[1] The study is considered an important and influential criticism of psychiatric diagnosis.[2]

Rosenhan's study was done in two parts. The first part involved the use of healthy associates or "pseudopatients" who briefly simulated auditory hallucinations in an attempt to gain admission to 12 different psychiatric hospitals in five different states in various locations in the United States. All were admitted and diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. After admission, the pseudopatients acted normally and told staff that they felt fine and had not experienced any more hallucinations. Hospital staff failed to detect a single pseudopatient, and instead believed that all of the pseudopatients exhibited symptoms of ongoing mental illness. Several were confined for months. All were forced to admit to having a mental illness and agree to take antipsychotic drugs as a condition of their release.

The second part involved asking staff at a psychiatric hospital to detect non-existent "fake" patients. No fake patients were sent, yet the staff falsely identified large numbers of ordinary patients as impostors.

The study concluded, "It is clear that we cannot distinguish the sane from the insane in psychiatric hospitals" and also illustrated the dangers of dehumanization and labeling in psychiatric institutions. It suggested that the use of community mental health facilities which concentrated on specific problems and behaviors rather than psychiatric labels might be a solution and recommended education to make psychiatric workers more aware of the social psychology of their facilities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment