RELIGION WON'T SAVE ADDICTS

To the editor:

Re: "Home remedies," Dec. 1. Why is it anecdotal evidence is never enough to
persuade "reasonable" people of the benefits of illegal drugs, and
scientific proof is demanded before any change in the law?

In the case of forcing teens into "treatment," skeptical opinions ought to
be considered.

When it comes to the "evil" drugs do, there is no shortage of anecdotal
evidence put forth as truth in order to change the law.

In the case of forcing teens and others into "treatment," skeptical opinions
ought to be considered.

Addictions are, in fact, culturally conditioned stigmatizing terms.
Addictions reflect more a property of the culture that believes in them than
any actual supernatural force of allurement.

All drugs are made from chemicals found on the periodic table. None of those
chemicals have supernatural forces of allurement.

Voodoo is the only other belief system where supernatural forces destroy
free will.

"Destroyer of will" theories always find receptive ears in a
theological-based society.

Today, the metaphor has been medicalized into the "loss of control" theories
of alcoholism and addiction.

Volition is the key to understanding that Canadians are dealing with vice
and not disease.

The truth is we all have free will that cannot be destroyed by chemicals or
anything else.

I would suggest to the supports of VARC, that they find out all about the
four cardinal virtues of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude are those virtues.

The drug war fails every virtues test.

Drug prohibition is responsible for all the crime.

Next, the supporters ought to learn to recognize the other five deadly sins.
They are vainglory, anger, envy, covetousness and sloth.

Here is one last little piece of advice from liberty's greatest champion:
"The care of every man's soul belongs to himself. But what if he neglect the
care of it? Well what if he neglect the care of his health or his estate,
which more nearly relate to the state? Will the magistrate make a law that
he not be poor or sick? Laws provide against injury from others; but not
from ourselves. God himself will not save men against their wills," wrote
Thomas Jefferson.

The taxpayers ought to be relieved from paying for any of this religion and
nobody should be forced into anything.

Harming people in the name of helping them has been going on since time
began.

Chris Buors,
Winnipeg