As a member/minister of the Religion of Jesus Church, I take great offense at your paper belittling our religion (Editorials, Oct. 18: “Pot for religion quest is just a smoke screen”). I joined the Religion of Jesus Church in 1973
As a member/minister of the Religion of Jesus Church, I take great offense at
your paper belittling our religion (Editorials, Oct. 18: “Pot for religion
quest is just a smoke screen”).
I joined the Religion of Jesus Church in
1973 at the Church Divinity School located on Kaua’i in Kekaha.
We use
cannabis as a mandated sacrament of our religion, and comply with the
three-prong test of the religious use of cannabis outlined in Hawai’i case law,
State vs. Blake, as to the sincerity, genuineness or our belief and our mandate
of the use of cannabis.
One of our ministers is Rev. Lynette Shaw, who owns
and operates the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana, one of the three clubs
left open in the wake of the federal lawsuit in California, as religious an
undertaking in today’s world as was the religious ministry to the lepers, in
the days of Jesus’ apostles.
Recently, the supreme court of Guam has
recognized the rights of Rastafarians to religiously use cannabis. What makes
the editor of the Garden Isle newspaper so much less wise than these justices
with regard to the religious rights of believers?
At one time the garden
isle was less prejudiced and more open than is reflected in your jaded opinion,
but then what can one expect if all appears yellow to a jaundiced
eye?
DENNIS SHIELDS
Big Island
