Smoking

Good point. Someone once broke into my car to steal a radio and a stoller. I'd hardly be able to make an argument that radios and stollers are sinful.

 

I use to think that smoking was sinful, but after reading this post, I am totally convinced that smoking is a sin!!!

 

How's that, and what's the difference? Is smoking once cigarette one sin? One puff one sin? One pack one sin, or one 'pack of sins'? How about pipe smoking? One bowl, one sin? One long puff one sin? One short puff one sin, or a 'short sin'? What would be your estimation of how many sins Spurgeon committed, if you knew how often and for how long he smoked?

 

Well gee, I guess everytime he submitted to the temptation of puffing he sinned. Whether it was thousands of tiny sins or one long big sinful practise is of no matter. Sin is sin!

 

Oh, I think it's sinful, but I did smoke in the past. I was just making an observation that they don't "cause" sin, any more than a gun "causes" someone to be murdered.

However, I'm not going to hammer someone for smoking. (Except for the health aspects *cough, cough, cough*)

 

What a bunch of Pharisees! Its okay for the preacher to weigh 280lbs because of his Mcdonalds addiction but God forbid I enjoy a smoke. I smoke all the way to the door of the church sometimes and could care less what anybody thinks of my "holiness"! Get a grip.

P.S. In my estimation...the same Christians that say smoking is a sin are highly offended by a smoker even being around them.

 

I even buy lottery tickets when the powerball hits 200 mill. And I like to have a cold bottle of beer a few times a year. I think some of you folks are gonna be suprised at some of the people your gonna see in heaven.

 

Who said anything about it being a salvation isssue?

 

The real issue is how does what we do bring people closer to God? It is not what is wrong with something but rather what is right about it.

The question I would pose it "What is right about smoking or playing the lottery?"

 

"Smoking... it won't send you to hell, it just makes you smell like you just came from there." - a quote from Steve Brown

In Christ,
Trotter

 

This is a great question. As Paul stated, all things are lawful for the believer but not everything edifies the believer. That's something we probably don't consider enough. Maybe smoking can't edify me, so I have no good reason to smoke. Maybe smoking can edify others (even if I don't understand how), so I have no good reason to criticize others.

 

*********P.S. In my estimation...the same Christians that say smoking is a sin are highly offended by a smoker even being around them.**************


I hope Christians don't get offended that easily. BTW, you're the one that seems to be offended.

Now, if someone lit up a cig-cig in my home I would politely ask them to put it out. If they refused I'd put it out for them.

 

Smoking is one thing, but just don't catch on fire. Now THAT's a problem.

 

For one, the Bible states that drunkeness is a sin. For another, ask any cop, and he or she will tell you that most of the events they respond to involve people who are drunk or high. Rarely are cops required to respond to tobacco-related disturbances.

 

Think about it,

just because it doesn't usually cause most people to do something ILLEGAL doesn't mean it doesn't have control over you. An addiction to smoking IS an addiction. It controls the person, and I think those who deny otherwise are just living in denial.

So those people around me who are struggling with this.....it seems that some of you are saying I should just pat them on the back and tell them its ok. Tell them to go ahead, ignore their conscience, and let this addiction rule their life.

Like I said, just because it doesn't make you break the law does not mean its not an addiction.

 

Watching TV doesn't give you lung cancer.

 

What is "right" about using Marathon brand toilet paper over Charmin? I use it religiously, pardon the pun.

True, but that must also be juxtaposed with Paul's admonition of "let each be convinced in his own mind". I may do something you don't like, but that in and of itself is not sufficient reason to condemn it.