Smoking

NodMyHeadLikeYeah · Jul 13, 2011

Aaaaaaaaand i knew this argument was coming. It's always used when someone is trying to justify a bad habit

Does someone have to smoke, no.

Do we have to work, yes. We cannot help the pollution in the air, There is not a thing you or i can personally do to take every single pollutant out of the air. Can you help it if someone is texing and driving?? Can you personally control that person. Heck no. Do you see what im getting at.

Smoking is a choice that a person makes every day. No one is forcing you to inhale something that is toxic, you are doing it all on your own because you are addicted and you cannot stop.

This is all coming from an ex smoker. 11 years ..

GloryBe · Jul 13, 2011

GloryBe said:

...or rather should I say.... And then there are all the cell phone users.... because these have been linked with brain cancer and yet everyone is still using them.
My point is that the biggest difference between smoking and many other things we do that are clearly harmful to us (and even dangerously so).... is that smoking is currently very publically and socially unacceptable .

jonathanbchristian · Jul 13, 2011

GloryBe said:

I smoke and I have the same fear of riding with people. What if we get in a crash? I think it would be a wonderful blessing to live long enough to worry about cancer, if I don't die in an auto crash or something. I have been around when some people have died or been injured. I've seen a man loose his finger, people being stabbed, people my age in auto crashes in a small town. I thank God I'm not dead or in the hospital.

GloryBe · Jul 13, 2011

NodMyHeadLikeYeah said:

I beg your pardon but I am NOT trying to justify a bad habit...at all. If you read what I have said prior you could see that. My ONLY objection here is people assuming that smoking is different than other things that can kill you just because it gets more airtime in the "bad things to do" department.

Tearose84 · Jul 13, 2011

The TEXTERS! Now those are the sinners. That is against the law here.

GloryBe · Jul 13, 2011

GloryBe said:

This popularity of the taboo of smoking too often causes people to be self righteous about smoking when they are guilty of doing things to harm themselves as well. That is my only point.

It's a boulder in your own eye kind of thing.

Deadflesh · Jul 13, 2011

GloryBe said:

Not to mention All the harmfull thigns in processed foods(high fructose corn syrups, hydrogenated oils) that we feed our children on a dialy basis.

There is also micowaves that almost EVEYONE stands in front of while they heat up there food, which is causing allot of Damage to the body. Then there is over eating, under eating. UNDER drinking(Water...not anythign else) I would estemate that a good 90% of America is dehydrated(we need at MINIMUM 8 glasses a day). if you are THRISTY, then you are allready dehydrated. And THAT destroys your body as well(makes you rot on the inside. .... ALSO Since the passage about your body being a temple is talking SPIRITUALY

We SIn daily, on purpose most of the time, whic his totaly ruinign our bodies. As is Anger, and worry, anxiety, Selfishness, pride, lack of fatih, unbelief...etc...But we worry MORE about the flesh than the spirit....sigh...oh well...

Btw, I read this
" I will end up getting hit by some moron "

As Some MORMON....hahah that made me giggle.

rainacorn · Jul 13, 2011

See why this should have been about addiction instead of cigarettes?

CB · Jul 13, 2011

If someone smokes or drinks or dances or whatever, it isn't sin, what is sin is when you allow anything to define you as not like christ! not loving, not joyful, not patient, not having self contro etc. etc.l, against these things there is no law! What defines you as a person is what matters, not necessarily smoking or not smoking... the fruit of the spirit is the evidence of God's Spirit residing in a person. Anything else is staunch legalism!

Tearose84 · Jul 13, 2011

Agreed CB. Very much agreed. Sometimes people get very self righteous about what htye aren't doing they forget what they are doing.

Kimber321 · Jul 13, 2011

I'm feeling ya, brother. I was delivered from alcohol addition...no withdrawl, no cravings, but still smoke. I truly don't believe that smoking is going to send you to Hell. It is what comes out of the man that defileth the man, not what goes into the man. Yes, our bodies are a temple and we should treat them as such. However, many christians, if not all, struggle with some type of addiction or sin. I pray for the addiction to smoking to be taken away from me because I know it is harmful to me and I feel it also hinders me from being a good witness for Christ. I'd much rather say, "Hey! Christ delivered me from nicotine," than to say, "I am christian but still smoke and I know that God understands my addiction." Know what I mean? But, it is what it is. I haven't tried to quit on my own anymore because I feel like I am just setting myself up to fail and trying to quit plays a mind game with me, too. I've heard many christians testify that the smoking eventually just came off of them through Christ. And then I've known christians that never did quit smoking until death. My opinion? If you know you are doing your best to follow God and his commands and you have accepted Him into your heart...don't let other people tell you that you're not saved or going to hell. And don't compare yourself to other christians, either. We all have something, whether it's just a wagging tongue, mean spirit, or whatever. It is your walk with the Lord and if you are truly seeking Him then He will do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. It is the heart that truly matters.

Food for thought: A prostitute raising children on her own and has never earned a living other than to prostitute meets a christian on the street and is led to the Lord. Does she immediately stop prostituting? If she doesn't stop immediately in order to keep a roof over her head and food in her children's mouths, is she destined for Hell if she dies before she's able to stop? Just something I ponder...

GloryBe · Jul 13, 2011

rainacorn said:

LOL... actually, I was just thinking... the slight detour that was taken brought up some very good points that are probably helpful for all of us to consider... important points about how easy it can be to be self righteous based on public opinion, the importance of being loving over being smoke free..or for that matter, over being right. (thank you CB), and the tendency we have to worry more about the flesh than the spirit. We even learned that morons...and not mormons...are the most likely to drive 90 mph!

CB · Jul 13, 2011

My experience has been, i have met believers who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, who have been extremely more christ-like than alot of believers who don't... The ones who think that smoking is sin can sometimes be the ones who struggle with more non-loving charactersitics like gossiping, belittling others, not trustworthy friends, judgemental etc. etc, we seem to be emphasizing the wrong things sometimes...

rainacorn · Jul 13, 2011

CB said:

That's like 100% personal opinion and personal experience.

You can look at any sin and say 'I know someone who committed that sin who was still a better Christian than some other people who didn't do that sin and instead did these other sins.'

dmdave17 · Jul 13, 2011

I suppose that this question speaks to the whole "body as temple" issue which Paul addressed in his letters to the Corinthians. In his first letter, he said,
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

In his second letter, he reiterated the point, "...For we are the temple of the living God...." (2 Corinthians 6:16) "...As God has said: 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" (2 Corinthians 6:16-17)

What it comes down to, I guess, is whether you believe the evidence that smoking is bad for your health. If you do, then smoking would seem to be a sin since you are deliberately putting something into your body which is harmful.

(By the way, I was a two-pack-a-day smoker for close to 40 years before I quit about 13 years ago. The stay in the hospital after bypass surgery made it a lot easier to kick the habit.)

God bless you all.

GloryBe · Jul 13, 2011

Kimber321 said:

I really liked your post. I want so bad to be able to quit smoking as a witness to certain members of my family to reflect what a difference God can make in my life...because they know I am the last person in the world who could quit otherwise. I mean yes they see I am more patient, and loving as a whole but I was pretty laid back to begin with..so to quit smoking would be the strongest testamony I could have. So..I am still praying and working on it.

I wanted to ask fellow posters here.... I was thinking about prayer and fasting of my smoking for a day or 2 (and it would be HARD for me!!)... would that be a totally dumb idea? Would it be keeping with the purpose of fasting?

Your question about the prostitute is an interesting one. My first reaction is a practical one.... the woman should walk into the first church r sheltr she sees and tell them her situation. She also should be willing to do without anything except the most basic needs for her children if she has to. But... that isn't really the answer because there are other situations that could happen without any remedy that could give rise to the same kind of question.One thing I am sure of and that is if a person in this kind of situation does or does not do anything trying to get to heaven or avoid hell...rather than to follow Christ and be obedient to Him...then her efforts would be of no purpose anyway. I would say that given no choice, God would understand. The reason I say that is because I know that suicide is a sin...but I also know that giving your life for another is an act of love...so if there truely is no choice... the choice of love is the right one... IMHO.

CB · Jul 13, 2011

Yes it was opinion etc. That's why I said "my personal opinion is"... I think you missed the point of what I was saying. No where in the bible does it say its sin to smoke, but everywhere in scripture is condemns non-loving/Christ-like attitudes! So whether someone smokes or not isn't really doesn't matter, what defines them is what does... If a person smokes but has attributes that are loving, joyful, peaceful, patient etc. that person to me demonstrates the evidence of being spirit-filled... Now if a perosn doesn't smoke and yet is filled with unloving, sour, contentious spirit, gossiping etc etc, I would question the validity of their journey with God... Either way smoking or not smoking is irrelavent, what matters is your heart before God and man.

jandian · Jul 13, 2011

Deadflesh said:

Smoking Tobacco in and of its self is not a Sin.

But Addiction is.

And SO is relyign on somthing else besides GOD for Comfort.
(people do this with FOOD all the time though...funny)

So if you can smoke a cigarette, with out:

1.) Getting addicted

2.) Relying on it for comfort, or release.

3.) making anyone else Stumble into sin

Then i think it would be ok with God. But I dont see how thats possible, and

I know He Freed me From a 2 1/2 pack a day habbit, in a night, With no withdrawl or cravings after it. So.(PRASIE JESUS FOR THAT!)

Maybe that might shed some light on it?

Great testimony!!!

rainacorn · Jul 13, 2011

It's not about the cigarettes themselves... it's about saying that even with God, you cannot stop doing something you know is bad for you.

Nalu · Jul 13, 2011

jonathanbchristian said:

In my opinion, smoking is not a sin however, I do know it's bad for you and shorten's a person's life span.

The harvest is great but the workers are few, a Christian that smokes has to keep in mind that they are important to the Kingdom of God.

We are locked in a Spiritual war and cannot afford to lose anyone before their mission is finished and God call's them home.

Smoking

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