People who are under the influence of drugs, alcohol or religion think they are functioning normally. Only when they come off the drug can they get some perspective on it.

So the Church's invation to attend meetings, is like a drug dealer inviting someone to "just try it", you'll like it, once hooked the addict can't get away.

Only by getting off the drug for awhile and having soberity, can a person judge how bad the drug really is.

I've seen it put in some other ways too.

If you are in the circle, you can't see the outside of it. You must stand outside the circle to see it as a circle and in what context the circle exists.

Or, it's like backing up far enough to see the whole elephant instead of seeing part of it.

You can't be the tribesman and view the tribe as an anthropologist. You just don't have the perspective.

But the drug one is great. If you are under the influence of the drug, you don't have the perspective of what it is like to have been on it and then gone through the withdrawal. It's then that you realize exactly how it impaired you.

I can appreciate religion being compared to alcohol. They're both poison that numb you to what's going on in the world around you.

I never liked the drug analogy because "drug" is a loaded word. What kind of drug are you talking about? Organic? Pharmceutical?

Many organic compounds like Sylocibin or cannabis are boundary-dissolving vegetables that actually undo cultural and religion brainwashing. Sort of like wiping your disk and leaving you with a clean operating system free of viruses and malware. So I would say most organic "drugs" are a good antidote for religion and culture in general.

Artificial drugs, however, are more like alcohol and I agree they're not very beneficial. I've had a tib-fib fracture so I appreciate pain killers as much as the next guy but I could never take them recreationally. That's just not me.

not like drunk, you know, you feel good, you think you're OK, but they will not let you drive yourself home!

You're under the influence, but you don't realize how loopy you are.

I agree. I hadn't been to church in 10 years when I stumbled back in with my wife and it was akin to falling off the wagon. I felt right at home, with the exception of everything that wasn't taught any more of course. Had a lot of interesting classes with me in their speaking about things not taught. They finally stopped asking me for my thoughts.

I applies for religion, addictions to drugs and alcohol and bad marriages, as I have discovered. I was to close and under the influence of someone else. I did not realize how badly I had been beat down, used and discarded until after I was out and could see the whole picture clearer. Amazing how when you are given the poison slowly that you come to accept it as normal.

They don't want me back Wrote:
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> People who are under the influence of drugs, alcohol or religion think they are functioning normally. Only when they come off the drug can they get some perspective on it.

I think (in the case of alchohol and drugs) that this is a poor analogy. And on a board that is frequented by people, some of whom are still learning to drink alcoholic beverages safely and responsibly, it needs to be clarified.

The whole point of learning how to drink alcohol is figuring out how to do it safely so that you are not a danger to yourself and others. This does include self-assessment of your state of mind and your ability to react quickly to situations and threats. It's not a perfect process, and responsible drinkers take this into account. You always want to figure that your reaction times will be somewhat slower than *you* think they will be.

But it is a mistake to think that people under the influence of alcohol or drugs can't tell when they're not functioning normally, or that they don't know that certain tasks are beyond them.