is smoking cigarettes or cigars a sin?

Don't feel bad! I have been there too!!!!

 

I guess we could go the, "anything in excess" is sinful route here too. Caffiene, exercise, food, smokes, ect... because we are then putting our desires above God's love for us. He made us and we know He does not want us to harm our bodies.
Just one line of thinking here.
Love in Christ, Angie

[ January 08, 2003, 10:31 AM: Message edited by: Angie Miller ]

 

The act of Smoking itself isn't a sin BUT with most if not ALL Smokers I know there is a addiction and a bondage. There is the problem. That is what really makes it a sin. The Cigarrette masters the person who smokes, They have to smoke when they get up, after breakfast, on the way to work, at every break, Lunch, on the way home from work, after supper, before bed and sometimes get up at night and smoke. When anything controls you be it smoking, alcohol, drugs, food etc..it is a sin one must master.

 

Here we go with another round of "is smoking a sin" debate. While it is certain that smoking is a dirty, expensive habit, does the bible expose this practice as a sin? Maybe, but only in very generic terms. Verses about our bodies being the temple of God can be applied to this, but they can be applied to almost anything we personally do not like. It is funny to hear a preacher who is forty or fifty pounds overweight, and who eats practically nothing except fatty fried foods and starches such as mashed potatoes rant and rave about how smoking is such a wicked sin.

Smoking is just another choice we make. If we smoke, then we stand a greater chance of developing lung cancer or some other disease associated with the lungs. If we choose to eat all the wrong foods we stand a greater chance of dying of a heart attack or some other disease associated with the heart. Simple as that. It's a choice. It just so happens that for the past 50 or 100 years the church has decided that tobacco is evil.

[ January 08, 2003, 07:01 PM: Message edited by: Terry Herrington ]

 

Smoking is not a sin, but if you know the harm it can do and keep on smoking. Its a poor example of the Victory that God can give you in your life over vices.

The habit for prayer, will overcome bad habits.

[ January 08, 2003, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: jimslade ]

 

Nicotine is a drug that has no real medicinal benefit. If you cease using nicotine and any other drug of this type, you will not die from drug deprivation (note I'm not including beneficial drugs such as medicines).

Fried chicken (mashed potatoes, etc.) is a food that has nutritional value. If you cease to eat this food and all other types of food, you will die.

Smoking is not in the same class as overeating.

 

Then nicotine would be in the same category as caffiene. If that's the comparison, I agree with you. And yes, caffiene can kill you. Caffiene in pure form is toxic.

 

Trumpet, In my opinion much of what you have said makes sence,for those who think its ok now and again to smoke,are playing with an addictive drug.And one does not play with any drugs.I believe most people wish to project an image of having some brains,smoking does not do this.These days we have the advantage of medical science to support not to smoke.H.B. who played the male lead in The King And I, died of cancer and spent his last days on T.V. telling everyone what ever you do dont smoke.I understand that some people might think that all things are ok in moderation.suggest Christ might have an opinion on that.
John

 

The question is not if smoking is smart or not, but if it is a sin or not. So far, there is no proof that it is a sin.

Refreshed,
You skirt past the real question I raised concerning the fried chicken and mashed potatoes. I was pointing out that to mistreat your body by extremely bad eating habits is no different that mistreating your body by smoking. The difference is that, today in the baptist church overeating is accepted and smoking is not.

 

And the next question will be - "Do you think it is sinful if the pastor smokes while he is preaching?"

Whatever you do, do to the glory of God who owns that body. Due to the damage smoking can do to the body God loaned you, I'd have to say it is sinful and is just as sinful to abuse it by any means.

Jim

 

Anything that controls a person is a sin. Now I know of a person who may smoke a cigar a few times a year but cigarette smoking is more than just a bad habit, it is an addiction much in the same way a person is addicted to abusing alcohol, drugs or pornography addiction. The cigarette controls the person and not vice versa. It therefore goes under the lust of the flesh and not simply a bad habit.