i worked with a man that had copied music and movies. he would play them loudly at work during the shift and the doors to the shop were open. i tried to explain to him that i felt it was stealing as the person did not get paid for their labor. he said that they were rich enough and a buck or two wouldn't kill them.
i asked him to imagine this scenario.
you are listening to your cd rocking out while working when a car pulls up outside. shockingly the people who get out of the car are the band that you are currently listening to. they approach you and say how nice it is to meet a fan of their music and could they autograph your copy.
what would you do then i asked him? he said, man that would never happen. i said you better hope not cause you are listening to 50cent and he doesn't seem to react reasonably to people who are stealing from him.
when you copy the music and the movies that you like for free, you are preventing that artist from being paid. they use that money to help fund future projects. if there was no piracy in the world, artist that make them would have larger budgets to make the next even better. if you like the work, pay the worker. the next job they do may be even better.
as for weed, regardless of how people feel, in the united states it is illegal. in other parts of the world it is not illegal. the same is true of alcohol. assuming either is legal to consumer where you are, then moderation,control and personable responsibility come into play. while some would disagree and say it is a sin, the bible clearly shows that not to be the case. Jesus was free of sin and Jesus drank wine. Jesus was at a wedding where they ran out of wine and Jesus turned water into wine for the wedding guest to consume. leading others into sin is a sin. Jesus was free of sin. providing others with wine is not a sin.
i smoked weed for nearly 25 years. i found it to be far preferable to alcohol as it had far fewer physical effects than alcohol, lasted longer and was cheaper. but that entire time i was a sinner. see if you have a few drinks over the course of a year or smoke a few joints over the course of the year, its not an issue. but i did it everyday possible. i was hardly a drunkard with alcohol but i was a drunkard with weed. a wedding, birthday or new years, as example, are events of celebration that can be met with cheer and companionship. but when you are a drunkard, every day is about using. the using becomes the celebration. that my friend is addiction and addiction is a loss of control and moderation. in your teens it seems as if there are large groups of people hanging out together having the party. by your twenties you are down to like five or ten people. by your thirties its you and maybe one or two other people. if its just you sitting around alone getting buzzed, that's not a party and it never will be. i seriously suggest to anyone under the age of 25 to avoid any recreational use of chemicals more than 3 or 4 times a year. to any who disagree, as i used to, by saying, hey i'm not addicted to it i'm just having fun. its you who cant handle it, not me. all i can say is cool, you got it under control, why not take six months off of it then....
duewell
mark 4 v 11-13
the rainbow connection