Is it fitting for a Coptic Church to sell cocaine for recreational use?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10
It is absolutely not fitting, nor is it permissible, for a Coptic Orthodox Church—or any Christian—to engage in the sale or use of cocaine or any other illicit drug for recreational purposes.
The Coptic Orthodox perspective on this is clear and uncompromising, grounded in both Holy Scripture and the traditions of the Church Fathers:
1. The Body as a Temple
St. Paul teaches us, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The use of recreational drugs defiles the body, harms the mind, and enslaves the spirit. Selling such substances would be an act of spiritual destruction against one's neighbor.
2. Sobriety and Vigilance
The Church emphasizes the importance of sobriety. A Christian is called to be vigilant and alert in prayer. Drugs like cocaine induce an altered state of mind that is the opposite of the "sober intoxication" of the Holy Spirit. St. Peter warns, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
3. The Sin of Stumbling
To sell drugs is to facilitate addiction and the ruin of lives. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave a stern warning regarding those who cause others to sin: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
4. Canonical and Legal Standing
According to the canons of the Church and the teachings of the Fathers, such an act would be a grave sin and a criminal offense. The Church is a place for the distribution of the "Medicine of Immortality"—the Holy Eucharist and the Word of God—not for the distribution of substances that lead to death and social decay.
The mission of the Coptic Church is to lead souls to salvation and to provide spiritual and social welfare to the needy, as seen in the work of our clergy and social institutions. Promoting drug use is an absolute contradiction of the Coptic Orthodox faith.