According
to a recent newspaper article, a minister in the Los Angeles area was arrested for marijuana
possession. But wait! There's more!
Now, The Rev. Craig X. Rubin has
sued police for $30 million, contending his civil and religious
rights were violated because he heads a church that uses pot during worship.
According
to a press release, the church believes in Bible study, faith in God, and
burning the herb cannabis regularly as a sacrament. They also believe that cannabis is the tree
of life.
A church
member must pay a $100 initiation fee and $100 annual dues, which enables them
to purchase marijuana.
This should
be an interesting case. How should “religious rites” and “sacraments” be
regulated? I recall a case several years
ago when Native Americans went to court for the right to use peyote during
their religious ceremonies. Where does
the right of the state to regulate end and where does freedom of religion
begin?
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