True Christians SHOULD NOT Celebrate “St. Patrick's Day”!

by Leonard V Johnson

Oh, here we are once again! March 17th, 2026, once again, what is called “St. Patrick’s Day.” The majority of people view it as a Roman Catholic holiday, while many others look at it as an Irish holiday. But for most, it has become a major drinking holiday!

It DOES have both spiritual and physical risks to your life and health!

Notice this from ABC. News back in 2017 ──

St. Patrick's Day tales from the emergency room

On St. Patrick’s Day, emergency room staffers prepare themselves for an uptick in patients, likely with several of them injured themselves in some sort of hilarious calamity. It differs from holidays such as Christmas or New Year’s, when patients in need of emergency care often wait a day or two before seeking it, preferring to wait for a more “convenient” time, said Dr. Michael Lynch, a toxicologist and an emergency physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The holiday is on a Friday this year, allowing millions to perhaps take their celebration of Irish heritage to the next — and possibly painful — level.

“It’s not a fun day to work because of the number of alcohol-related injuries,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. …

Beware of green food coloring.

One St. Patrick’s Day, Glatter witnessed a group of advertising executives panicking after they had lunch outside the office, he said.

During the meal, they decided to take part in the day’s festivities by drinking green beer. The food coloring altered the appearance of not only the beer but the executives’ teeth as well — just before an important meeting.

“Four or five of them came to the ER,” Glatter said. “They were freaking out because they had to see the client.”

The food coloring stained the plaque buildup on their teeth, he said, and getting rid of it was no easy task.

“It takes time,” Glatter said. “It doesn’t go away immediately.”

Even with whitening strips, mouthwash, toothbrush, and toothpaste, it can still take up to a week for the coloring to disappear and teeth to return to their normal shade, he said.

“People do stupid things on St. Patrick’s Day,” Glatter said. “And certainly, the novelty of different foods is something that is interesting.”

(https://abcnews.com/US/st-patricks-day-tales-emergencyroom/story?id=46153678) Retrieved 28 Feb 2026.

Of course, now we know that it’s not just “green,” but also “Red Dye 3” as well!

Also, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one shouldn’t trust one's luck this or any other St. Patrick’s Day!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges everyone to drink responsibly during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day. The international celebration is often recognized by adults as a time for gatherings at bars and pubs. Unfortunately, one night of drinking can lead to deadly consequences if plans aren’t made to get home safely.

According to Maggie Davis of Lending Tree ──

“Fatal crashes involving alcohol are 16.1% more common during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday than the rest of March, according to the latest LendingTree study, which analyzes 15-year averages. …

• The average number of young drivers ages 21 to 24 involved in fatal crashes rose 15.0% during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

• Fatal crashes involving hit-and-runs increased by 12.5% during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

• Fatal crashes involving motorcycles and large trucks increased by 14.1% and 9.9% during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, respectively.

• Fatal crashes involving rollovers increased by 7.6%, while those involving roadway departures rose by 5.9% during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

(Fatal Crashes Spike During St. Patrick’s Day Holiday | LendingTree)

The NHTSA has reported significant statistics regarding drunk driving during St. Patrick's Day. Here are some key points from the data:

• 290 fatalities in alcohol-impaired driving crashes during the St. Patrick's Day holiday period from 2018 to 2022.

• 74 fatalities in alcohol-impaired driving crashes during the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day holiday. …

• 34% of drunk passenger car drivers and 41% of drunk motorcyclists were involved in fatal crashes during the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

(https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/dont-test-your-luck-st-patricks-day) Retrieved 28 Feb 2026.

Now, aside from the fact that it DOES have spiritual and physical life-altering side effects and that driving while intoxicated IS DEADLY, what else is completely wrong with celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? What does God’s living, immutable word say about NO LONGER participating in this world’s ways?

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with THE SAME MIND, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2) that he NO LONGER should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3) For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles ─ when we walked IN LEWDNESS, LUSTS, DRUNKENNESS, REVELRIES, DRINKING PARTIES, and ABOMINABLE IDOLATRIES.” – 1 Peter 4:1-3.

Now, is not this “St. Patrick’s Day” a time that is focused primarily on drinking parties, lewdness, revelries, and drunkenness!? Are these not the lusts of the flesh that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ tell us that true Christians are no longer to participate in?

The Apostle Paul – through the living Spirit of the LORD God – tells us without a doubt that those who continue to participate in the lusts of the flesh WILL NOT be in the kingdom of God!

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery [including spiritual adultery; the worship of false gods and goddesses], fornication [including spiritual fornication; false religions], uncleanness, lewdness, 20) idolatry, sorcery [which is witchcraft], hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21) envy, murderers [including spiritual murder of the heart], drunkenness [both physical and spiritual], revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” – Galatians 5:19-21.

The LORD God’s living word – the Holy Bible – is adamant and WARNS against drunkenness. What is drunkenness? Here is the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary definition ──

drunk▪en \ ‘drən-kən \ adj [ME, fr. OE drunken, fr. pp. of drincan to drink] (bef. 12c) 1: DRUNK 1 <a ~ driver> 2: obs: saturated with liquid 3: a: given to habitual excessive use of alcohol b: of, relating to, or characterized by intoxication (they come from … broken homes, ~ homes ─P. B. Gilliam) c: resulting from or as if from intoxication (a ~ brawl) 4: unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication ─ drunk▪en▪ly adv ─ drunk▪en▪ness \ ▪kən-nəs \ n 1

Physical drunkenness is habitually drinking alcohol or taking a substance that makes you intoxicated. Spiritual drunkenness is continually ingesting into one’s mind false religions and false doctrines, and continuing in spiritual blindness, as in ──

“ … ‘Come I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2) with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth WERE MADE DRUNK with the wine of her fornication.’” – Revelation 17:1, 2.

When it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, the definition of drunkenness can be both physical and spiritual.

The wisest man to have lived in the East at that time, King Solomon, wrote ──

“Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the Way. 20) Do not mix with winebibbers [the warning against riotous living (zōlēl) and drunkenness (sōbē) as leading to sloth and poverty seems well taken (Prov. 23:20-21) 2 ], or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21) For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” – Proverbs 23:19-21.

And the Apostle Paul wrote ──

“The night is far spent, the day [speaking of the terrible and dreadful Day of the LORD!] is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13) Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14) But PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” – Romans 13:12-14.

“But now I have written to you not to keep company with ANYONE named a brother [speaking of brethren in Christ Jesus our Lord], who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner ─ not even to eat with such a person.” – 1 Corinthians 5:11.

St. Patrick’s Day is NOT Christian!

Notice this blasphemous report from the Bishops of Ireland back in 2014 ──

The Bishops of Ireland have published the following message for the Solemnity of Saint Patrick 2014.

We pray through the intercession of our national patron, St Patrick, for the faith and well-being of the people of Ireland. Saint Patrick was called to serve and bring God to a people far from his homeland. As Saint Patrick’s Day is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics in Ireland, the best way to honour him is to attend Mass. …

[We pray the blessings of the feast of Patrick on all the people of Ireland. We think especially of all our people who are exiles far from home: may the Christian faith of Patrick be their support and comfort always. We pray also through the intercession of Saint Patrick, for the many people who have come into this country in recent years seeking shelter, asylum, and a new life: may the welcome amongst us they receive be generous; let us see to that, as people of God and of Saint Patrick.]

(https://zenit.org/2014/03/16/bishops-of-ireland-say-st-patrick-s-day-is-time-to-pray-for-migrants/) Retrieved 28 Feb 2026.

Pay attention that these bishops are saying that one should “pray also through the intercession of Patrick”! The LORD God’s living word is crystal clear just who is the ONE AND ONLY Intercessor between God and men ──

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 2:5, KJV.

“For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 2:5, Catholic Challoner-Rheims Version.

There is no ambiguity! JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY “INTERCESSOR” BETWEEN GOD AND MEN!

So, ANYONE who claims that another is a mediator or an intercessor clearly contradicts the LORD God’s living word! And they cannot be of God.

Every year, multiple millions of people observe St. Patrick’s Day, but those of the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries DO NOT! We observe the LORD God’s Holy Days and commandments in the Holy Bible. □

If you need a ride home from a bar in the US, you can call the following services:

AAA Tow to Go: Dial (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246 for a safe ride home.

Free Rides Program: Call (210) 281-1121 to arrange a free Uber ride home.

Sources: 

1) Webster M. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, convocation, 1996, pp 356.

2) Harris L. R., Archer, L. Gleason, Jr., and Waltke K. Bruce. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1980, #1455a, 1455b pg. 615.

Understanding Marijuana: A Look at Its “Medicinal Value”

Marijuana leaf (photo by Erin_Hinterland)

United States President Donald Trump looks to reclassify Marijuana ──

December 17, 2025

Marijuana stocks spun higher early Wednesday as CNN reported that President Donald Trump will to sign an executive order Thursday to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana. Plans call for cutting oversight of marijuana products to the same level as some ordinary prescription painkillers.

CNN reported late Tuesday that Trump is expected to sign an executive order Thursday to reschedule marijuana to a lower drug classification, easing federal restrictions but not making the drug fully legal at the federal level, according to an unnamed White House official and a source familiar with Trump’s planning.

(https://www.investors.com/news/trump-reignites-marijuana-stock-rallywith-executive-order-expected/).

A large majority of people have come to believe that marijuana is a safe alternative for their ailments ── yet science has come to a different conclusion ──

December 14, 2025

Huge Study Finds Very Worrying Results for Medical Marijuana Patients 

“While many people turn to cannabis seeking relief, our review highlights significant gaps between public perception and scientific evidence regarding its effectiveness for most medical conditions,” said Michael Hsu, lead author and addiction psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a statement about the study.

“Clear guidance from clinicians is essential to support safe, evidence-based decision-making when discussing medical cannabis with their patients,” he added. 

The team looked over more than 2,500 clinical trials that studied the efficacy of medical marijuana products and also certain cannabinoids, which are isolated cannabis compounds, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in “HIV/AIDS-related anorexia, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and certain pediatric seizure disorders.”

On the question of pain management, the team found very little sign that cannabis helps with acute pain. They found the same for insomnia, and sleep trials that studied whether cannabis helped with getting a restful night of slumber came up with very little evidence of its effectiveness as well. 

Researchers also found that 29 percent of medical marijuana users showed evidence of “cannabis use disorder,” a catch-all term for people who show a problematic usage pattern with the drug. 

In a blow to the medical cannabis establishment, a team of psychiatrists performed a detailed analysis on 15 years of cannabis research — and found not only that medical marijuana doesn’t seem to help people with acute pain or insomnia, which proponents often tout, but that almost of third of medical weed users are abusing the drug. 

The findings, published in the medical journal JAMA, will likely further fuel an ongoing debate on whether the states went too far with legalization. And it comes at a wild moment: just as President Donald Trump signaled this week, he’ll loosen federal restrictions on weed. 

(https://futurism.com/health-medicine/huge-study-medical-marijuana).

Here's a recent report from Rebecca Dyer of Science alert ──

March 17, 2025

Cannabis Use Linked to Epigenetic Changes, Scientists Find

Using cannabis may cause changes in the human body’s epigenome, a study of over 1,000 adults suggests. The epigenome functions like a set of switches, activating or deactivating genes to change how our bodies function.

“We observed associations between cumulative marijuana use and multiple epigenetic markers across time,” explained epidemiologist Lifang Hou from Northwestern University when the research was published in 2023.

Cannabis is a commonly used substance in the United States, with 49 percent of people trying it at least once, Hou and a team of US researchers report in their published paper. …

Using these blood samples from five years apart, Hou and her team looked at the epigenetic changes, specifically DNA methylation levels, of people who had used cannabis recently or for a long time. …

“We previously identified associations between marijuana use and the aging process as captured through DNA methylation,” Hou said. …

Multiple epigenetic changes associated with cannabis use had previously been linked to things like cellular proliferation, hormone signaling, infections, neurological disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders.

(https://www.sciencealert.com/cannabis-use-linked-to-epigenetic-changesscientists-find).

Indeed, according to science, using marijuana to get “high” or to use for medicinal purposes speeds up the aging process of the body. And of course, there are additional issues with the use of marijuana as a stimulant.

Despite what pro-marijuana individuals and groups insist, marijuana use is not healthy. 

There are those who insist that there have been studies in which marijuana has helped people with anxiety and other issues. And there are a few studies regarding this, but there are better ways to treat these conditions, because a large number of health studies have found that marijuana actually harms the body. 

Tetrahydrocannabinol (better known as THC) is a cannabinoid found in cannabis. It is the principal psychoactive constituent of Cannabis (which means, it’s the chemical that causes the “high”) and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. 1 

Now, the so-called “health benefits” of marijuana, (and I’m not referring to the cannabinoid that is CBD. It makes up roughly 40% of the plant's extract. Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy. It was discovered in 1940. Clinical research on CBD has included studies related to the treatment of anxiety, addiction, psychosis, movement disorders, and pain, but there is insufficient high-quality evidence that CBD is effective for these conditions. 2 CBD is sold as an herbal dietary supplement and promoted with unproven claims of particular therapeutic effects. 3) yes, it is true that a person who is “high” on marijuana feels less pain, 4 but again, there are other more healthier alternatives that can “take away” pain. 

Anyone who intentionally breathes in, eats, or swallows any kind of mind-altering drug ── well, that’s certainly not healthy. It has many negative effects on the human body. 

O’ good old Bing search engine (and I’m sure the overall majority, except maybe DuckDuckGo) when you type in “legalizing marijuana has made states wealthy” has, in bold letters, highlighted in blue, with several pro-sources, wonderful and great things to say about the legalization of marijuana! 

• The legalization of marijuana has not only brought in significant tax revenue for states but also created a thriving legal cannabis industry that supports job growth and economic development.
• States like California, Washington, and Michigan have collected substantial amounts in cannabis tax revenue, with California leading the nation with over $1 billion in annual marijuana tax revenue for the fifth consecutive year. 
• The industry has supported over 440,000 full-time jobs and contributed billions to local economies. 

God’s living and priceless word tells us ── 

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” – 1 Timothy 6:10.

Inhaling and ingesting marijuana makes you INTOXICATED. Becoming intoxicated also means “drunk.” Becoming intoxicated from anything is considered sinful to the LORD our God and is something that Christians (or anyone else for that matter) should never do.

God’s living word repeatedly condemns drunkenness. The definition of drunkenness can be both physical and spiritual. The wisest man to have lived in the East at that time, King Solomon, wrote ──

“Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the Way. 20) Do not mix with winebibbers [the warning against riotous living (zōlēl) and drunkenness (sōbē) as leading to sloth and poverty seems well taken (Prov. 23:20-21)], or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21) For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” – Proverbs 23:19-21.

And the Apostle Paul wrote ── 

“The night is far spent, the day [speaking of the terrible and dreadful Day of the LORD!] is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13) Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14) But PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” – Romans 13:12-14.

“But now I have written to you not to keep company with ANYONE named a brother [speaking of brethren in Christ Jesus our Lord], who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner─ not even to eat with such a person.” – 1 Corinthians 5:11.

What is the definition of a drunkard? Basically, that is what our Lord Jesus Christ was called. Here is the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary definition ── 

drunk▪en \ ‘drən-kən \ adj [ME, fr. OE drunken, fr. pp. of drincan to drink] (bef. 12c) 1: DRUNK 1 2: obs: saturated with liquid 3: a: given to habitual excessive use of alcohol b: of, relating to, or characterized by intoxication (they come from … broken homes, ~ homes ─P. B. Gilliam) c: resulting from or as if from intoxication (a ~ brawl) 4: unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication ─ drunk▪en▪ly adv ─ drunk▪en▪ness \ ▪kən-nəs \ n 5

Physical drunkenness is habitually drinking alcohol or taking a substance that makes you intoxicated. Spiritual drunkenness is continually ingesting into one’s mind false religions and false doctrines and continuing in spiritual blindness – as in ── 

“ … ‘Come I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2) with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth WERE MADE DRUNK with the wine of her fornication.’” – Revelation 17:1, 2.

A friend of mine ── who was at one time a minister for the Open Bible Churches ── tried to rationalize with me that Genesis 1:11-12 gave him the right to smoke marijuana. “Especially,” as he stated, “since marijuana is a flowering herb.” 

While marijuana (along with hemp; hemp plants and cannabis plants are both from the same species) and indeed “a herb that yields seed, … And God saw that it was good” ── let us also take into consideration what the Apostle Peter wrote, under divine inspiration ── and this is one Scripture that I reminded my friend is within the living word of God ── 

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8.

From my observation of marijuana users throughout my life, I can tell you with certainty that one cannot be sober or vigilant when you are smoking marijuana. It is an intoxicant. “Smoking marijuana can affect your memory and cognitive function and cause harmful cardiovascular effects, such as high blood pressure. Long-term marijuana use can worsen respiratory conditions. Marijuana has a central nervous system (CNS) depressant effect.” 6 Using marijuana (according to my personal observations) makes a person lazy.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 18) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” – Ephesians 5:8, 18.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, … will inherit the kingdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.

As far as marijuana ── it’s necessary to draw principles from God’s living word and consider how the word of God applies to smoking or ingesting marijuana (or even the THC and the CBD). Again, the living immutable word of the Eternal God warns against using any substance that alters our state of mind or distracts us from the LORD God, the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of God. □

Sources:

1) Wikipedia contributors. "Tetrahydrocannabinol." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 Dec. 2025. Web. 18 Dec. 2025. 
2) VanDolah HJ, Bauer BA, Mauck KF (September 2019). "Clinicians' Guide to Cannabidiol and Hemp Oils". Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 94 (9): 1840–1851. 
3) Novella S (September 30, 2020). "Where Are We With CBD?". Science-Based Medicine. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Viewed 18 December 2025. 
4) Utah Canna, THC’s Effect on Pain Pathways in the Nervous System, 7 October 2025. Reviewed 18 December 2025.
5) Webster M. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, convocation, 1996, pp 356. 
6) Mayo Clinic Staff, Marijuana, Mayo Clinic, Reviewed 18 December 2025.