My Sources of Authority

On Tuesday I posted a list of substances I choose not to consume, while making the point that legality is not a major factor. The process of writing and posting a blog article usually gives me peace: I can let the topic go and move on to other concerns.

That didn't happen on Tuesday. I still need to articulate why I've made these choices, which necessarily means describing the sources of authority I believe in.

Fugu is an easy call. This fish produces a powerful toxin. Even when prepared for human consumption with great attention to detail and caution, there remains a non-trivial chance of death. People in Japan routinely die from improperly prepared Fugu.

Bacon and Ham are less obvious. I believe God gave the Leviticus 11 instructions to Israel for their health and prosperity. Yes, properly prepared pork products are free from trichinosis, but why take the chance? In my 40 years I've never found myself in a situation where I was in danger of starvation unless I ate something prepared from "unclean" sources.

Beer, cigarettes, cigars, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, marijuana, whiskey and wine? With the exception of 9th grade I went to church schools for my entire academic career. I remember Winner Magazine from as early as 2nd grade. Listen Magazine was added shortly thereafter. My parents also emphasized the danger of these drugs.

I can still remember a Winner/Listen article about a mother in denial who expressed relief to learn her child was "only" smoking cigarettes instead of taking (illegal) speed. The person giving her the bad news (teacher? doctor?) explained that even legal substances are still harmful, and that she needed to intervene in her child's life. (How's that for a radical idea to plant in a 2nd or 3rd-grade mind: even legal substances can still be harmful!)

As I matured I never came across any credible contrary evidence to the indoctrination I received as a youngster. Nobody I respected ever said that cigarettes were healthy. Instead, I lost a grandfather to lung cancer. I lost an aunt to a probably-intentional (prescription) drug overdose. The people in my family who drank alcohol were all alcoholics. So when I got peer pressure to consume these substances I was able to respond by saying my family was full of addicts and I was too afraid to start. I believed it then and I believe it now.

Family teachings. Faith. Experience of loved ones. Scientific studies. Personal philosophy and goals. Freely-entered commitments. These are my influences, the inputs to my decision making process. Please keep government confined to its role in protecting my rights, and let me choose other more appropriate sources of moral guidance.