T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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its use. We do not mean that a few peyote beans will produce death. Likely, it takes years of continuous use before such an effect is obtained. One of its most harmful results is in the decrease of will power and an in crease in inverse proportion, of the power of the lower physical appetites. Hence, given: A decreased power of will, plus an increased excitement of physical appetite, and the result must inevitably be immorality. That such is the result there is much testimony to show. As Christians we are interested to know the religious phase of this, drug habit. The regular meetings of the Peyote sect are held, usually, on Satur day night. They begin at sunset, and continue until sunrise on Sunday morn ing. There is a leader, sometimes called a priest, of the Peyote Society. The meetings are held in a tent or tepee. Among some tribes, men only enter this place of worship; while in others, women go in with the men. The sacred number of the peyote peo ple is four, as with the Hebrews it was seven. For instance, in the beginning of the service, the leader eats four peyote buttons and sings four peyote songs. In, his right hand is held a peyote rattle, which is kept in motion by him during his songs. In his left hand he holds an eagle feather fan. At hiß left sits a man beating on the small peyote drum. After the leader has eaten his four beans, each man in turn does the same. At 12:00 o’clock, midnight, a recess is taken. Then, the meeting is resumed, and continues until the rising of the sun. Each man eats four beans, and sings four songs. However, after the formal four have been eaten by each worshiper, there is no limit to the further number which each person may take. Many reports as to the eat ing of thirty or forty-or more are ob tainable; and one statement alleges
that an Indian ate ninety peyote beans in one night. Now, multiply the small amount of poison in each bean by thirty or fifty or ninety and you may get some idea of the amount of the narcotic taken into the system. In the center of the tent of worship is a little horse shoe mound of earth some four or five inches high. . In the center of this a slight depression is made, into which the peyote bean is put. Then the worshippers pray to it. They say, in substance, something like this: “We do not know the ways of God; but you (addressing the peyote) understand the ways of God. We ask you to make re quest of God for us.” Thus it may be seen that the peyote is put in the place of Jesus, the Mediator. Sometimes, in the services, the New Testament is used; for the educated Indians have learned how to combine the heathen worship with the white man’s Book of Heaven. Again, the devotees of peyote assert that the Holy Spirit dwells in the peyote bean; and for this reason they revere it. They twist the scriptures to suit themselves. When the Psalmist says: “Thy wor,d have I hid in my heart,” the peyote worshipper cries out: “Pey ote have I hid in my stomach, that I might not sin against Thee.” They say, “Peyote is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” They as sert that peyote is the great Comforter, whom Jesus promised to send. It seems a terrible thing that houses of worship should be erected, as they are now among some tribes, for a wor ship which dishonors the Word, dis places the Son of God as Mediator, and comes dangerously near to being sin against the Holy Spirit. This, which today is an Indian prob lem, is becoming a white man’s men ace. Already peyote has been sold to whites. White men have become users of the drug. The United States has strong federal laws against narcotics,
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