[dana.acker]

Being a Christian, and believing in a Creator God, I must amend my previous answer as to “…why do psychotropics exist in nature?” I retract nothing I earlier said, and absolutely stand by what I wrote. I just didn’t go far enough. White men tend to be quite man centered; guilty as charged—that’s why it is good to have Native friends. But as the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures record, when God, in the beginning, created everything, He said it was “good.” That would include psychotropics in nature, as surely as it would include undeniable nutritional and medicinal properties in myriad other plants and fungi that were also said to be “good.” But I’ll widen my answer beyond the mere teaching or medicinal value to humans, to include benefits to all of creation. That just makes sense. NOTE: There is no attempt at back door proselytizing going on here. I believe what I believe, and am not ashamed of it. I’ve studied that which underpins my beliefs for close to 50 years, and am convicted of its veracity. However I respect the rights of others who do not see things or believe things my way, and welcome different points of view. Sadly, I know “Christians” who would have a heart attack at the thought of plants imbibing psychotropics from other plants as a survival mechanism given them by a Creator who speaks their language, and provides for their needs. I must pray for them. Shortsightedness isn’t restricted to any one group, but it does appear to be more glaring in some peoples of “faith.” As far as I’m concerned, plants “tripping” further convinces me that “God [indeed] works in mysterious ways; His wonders to perform….”