No fornicator will go to heaven. No liar will either. You're pretty good when it comes to elucidating the various implications you feel have been hurled wrongly at you --and have said, "but have I returned in kind?"
The transcript of the thread shows that I have not taken the low road that you and others have taken.
What about when you equate smoking to damnable sin such as adultery?
Here is what is so difficult about discussing this with you guys. Not only do you take personal shots, you invent things. I never "equated" adultery to smoking - please read the post
as it is written. I was making an argument about turning things into idols - there was nothing in my post that could reasonably to taken as a statement that smoking is as bad as adultery. I am not convinced one is worse than the other, if you must know, but I did not make such an evaluation in the post to which you are responding.
The essense of the pharisee's error was that they used a imballanced scale. They clearly put they thumb on their own side of the scale and considered their thought and belief to be weighter. All the while they dismissed the actual weightier matters of the law - Mercy (Compassion) and Justice and the Goodness of God who is altogether Good and without shadow of turning.
I agree - but of what relevance is this. If you are suggesting I am making the same mistake, then by all means please
support such an assertion - don't just claim it.
One does not need to claim that 'Moses is my father' in order to say, "My abiding by the law and not smoking makes me better than those who are preventing God from restoring Edenic Paradise," (your thought, not mine). Frankly I don't know where you even get that idea.
What an
outrageous untruth.
I shall not dignify this entirely unjustified slur with a response.
Before you go again descirbing the "outrageous misrepresentations made about [you]", you may want to consider a retraction. The Bible does not mention cigarettes or tobacco.
Your behaviour in making false accusation is indeed outrageous. I have repeatedly argued why the "smoking is not in the Bible" line of thinking is incorrect.
Instead of imagining hypocrsy and putting words into my mouth, why not actually engage the arguments that I have made about why the "smoking is not prohibited in the Bible so it is not sin" argument misses the point.
I am assuming that you don't mean smoking marijuana which is illegal and sin. Is smoking a cigarette sin? That's between God and that child of God.
Begs the question.
You have no business equating smoking with idol worship or sleeping with your best friend's wife. That the outrageous and provocative statements that draw fire. What you're doing is a form of trolling. SO then when you see a rock hurled over your head as a warning shot?
You are mistaken - I never did
any of these things. Please read the posts more carefully. How can I discuss things with people who read things into my posts that are simply not there?
You decry it? Fine. You make me wanna go have a cigarette and relax. Dang.
Its your body and, for good or for bad, God has given you the freedom to whatever you want to it.
What do you think Paul was alluding to when he mentioned praying 3 times to be delivered from a "thorn in is flesh" was all about? Your honest impression would be helpful to clear the air, methinks.
I have no idea what Paul was alluding to.