Can Christians Smoke Cigarettes?

[farouk]

PS:

... Some of them were former smokers themselves.

[MENTION=89910]questdriven[/MENTION]:

Some of the most vocal anti-smokers are also ex-smokers themselves.

The pendulum sometimes swings in completely the opposite direction.

(Just like pendant earrings...)

Blessings.

 

[farouk]

Hehe when I was still an agnostic atheist I thought all christians I met were weird... they didn't smoke, they didn't drink, they never made sex jokes... weird people. But then I met a female pastor that smoked like a chimney and was a champion drinker. I was like "My gosh some christians are normal people after all!" That helped open my mind towards christianity. So that drinking and smoking lady pastor was the perfect witness I needed at that time.
Kiwi, you are right we aren't perfect. But sometimes our imperfection is just perfect for God, He can make all those seemingly imperfect things in us work for His glory.

Claudya:

Umm....moderation?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

...whose job is it to police hamburgers and cigarettes partaken of in private: the local church's?

The person looking back at you in the mirror...

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control... (Galatians 5:22 NASB)

This is why the bondage of smoking in public is a poor witness. It hardly displays the fruit of the Spirit called self-control.

The fruit of the Spirit is the 'mark' in the flesh of a person's relationship with Christ, and where our witness comes from. We kid ourselves when we think we can look and act and think like the world and then think we're being an effective witness for Christ. (Hmm...think I'll post that in another thread, too.)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Yes, how do you love God with all your heart, body, mind, and soul when you can't even scale a flight of stairs because of smoking.

Well, morbidly obese people die before smokers and have a harder time going up stairs.

Like I say, we Christians really should be showing ALL the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control.

And speaking from the perspective of the believer himself, if you want to destroy your joy in the Lord don't take care of your body. Your joy and strength will be replaced with pessimism and weakness. Christ did not die to give us that life. Most of us had that already.

 

[King James]

Like I say, we Christians really should be showing ALL the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control.

And speaking from the perspective of the believer himself, if you want to destroy your joy in the Lord don't take care of your body. Your joy and strength will be replaced with pessimism and weakness. Christ did not die to give us that life. Most of us had that already.

I agree with what you are saying. I was only pointing out that some Christians will just demonize one bad practice or activity, and not another that is equally as bad.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Like I say, we Christians really should be showing ALL the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control.

And speaking from the perspective of the believer himself, if you want to destroy your joy in the Lord don't take care of your body. Your joy and strength will be replaced with pessimism and weakness. Christ did not die to give us that life. Most of us had that already.

I agree with what you are saying. I was only pointing out that some Christians will just demonize one bad practice or activity, and not another that is equally as bad.

I understand perfectly.

It is interesting to note, though, that there's no such thing as moderation in smoking like there is in eating food. You are either a smoker, or you are not a smoker.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Like I say, we Christians really should be showing ALL the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control. And speaking from the perspective of the believer himself, if you want to destroy your joy in the Lord don't take care of your body. Your joy and strength will be replaced with pessimism and weakness. Christ did not die to give us that life. Most of us had that already.

This is good Jethro, write that down.
It should go in your book.
(When it is coming out, I'd like a copy).

 

[farouk]

Like I say, we Christians really should be showing ALL the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control.

And speaking from the perspective of the believer himself, if you want to destroy your joy in the Lord don't take care of your body. Your joy and strength will be replaced with pessimism and weakness. Christ did not die to give us that life. Most of us had that already.

I agree with what you are saying. I was only pointing out that some Christians will just demonize one bad practice or activity, and not another that is equally as bad.

...and others seem to appoint themselves to police other Christians over things that aren't even directly mentioned in the Bible...

For myself, I've quit; and I don't advocate smoking for others, either.

Blessings.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

The Great Christian Smoke-In.

That's what were doing.

Discussing seriously matters of life over smoke.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Like I say, we Christians really should be showing ALL the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control. And speaking from the perspective of the believer himself, if you want to destroy your joy in the Lord don't take care of your body. Your joy and strength will be replaced with pessimism and weakness. Christ did not die to give us that life. Most of us had that already.

This is good Jethro, write that down.
It should go in your book.
(When it is coming out, I'd like a copy).

I will make sure you get a signed copy.

Here's what the cover looks like: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jCUMjInBgNg/UE5jluKffwI/AAAAAAAAAiY/lOShBpxeU0Y/s200/alfred_e_neuman.jpg

(That's as far as I am on it right now)

 

[farouk]

Or do you mean 'singed copy'...

(...to singe it with ash...)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The Great Christian Smoke-In.

That's what were doing.

Discussing seriously matters of life over smoke.

So I guess we're really just blowing a lot of smoke, eh?

(Uh oh! Are we going to make this thread the butt of a lot of jokes?)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Or do you mean 'singed copy'...

Blasted legalists!

 

[farouk]

The Great Christian Smoke-In.

That's what were doing.

Discussing seriously matters of life over smoke.

So I guess we're really just blowing a lot of smoke, eh?

(Uh oh! Are we going to make this thread the butt of a lot of jokes?)

Aren't you good at doing this already on some of the threads I've started?

Blessings.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The Great Christian Smoke-In.

That's what were doing.

Discussing seriously matters of life over smoke.

So I guess we're really just blowing a lot of smoke, eh?

(Uh oh! Are we going to make this thread the butt of a lot of jokes?)

Aren't you good at doing this already on some of the threads I've started?

Blessings.

No. I've been busy clearing the smoke, and smashing the mirrors in your threads, lol. (So people can see the real truth.)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Or do you mean 'singed copy'...

(...to singe it with ash...)

Got it now.

I was pronouncing it 'sing ed', not 'singe d' in my mind, lol.

 

[Brother Mike]

@Deborah13 :

I guess anyone in the pulpit in the end sets himself up for accusations of hypocrisy, hidden or otherwise. Preaching ministry is still needed, however.

I do in general terms agree with you, though, about smoking.

Blessings.

We can't smoke while preaching at the Pulpit now? I mean one can get so nervouse going up there. I must be misunderstanding this, or I have to just

...and others seem to appoint themselves to police other Christians over things that aren't even directly mentioned in the Bible...

For myself, I've quit; and I don't advocate smoking for others, either.

Like I say, we Christians really should be showing ALL the fruit of the Spirit, including self-control.

And speaking from the perspective of the believer himself, if you want to destroy your joy in the Lord don't take care of your body. Your joy and strength will be replaced with pessimism and weakness. Christ did not die to give us that life. Most of us had that already.

Are we policing? Or Is Jethro giving good advice here? Sometimes when we say things to others it might come of as Policing.

Ummm.

I am thinking that the general consensus is that You can still be a Christian and smoke, but giving into the flesh in any place just opens the doors for a defeated life. If something makes you drive 5 miles at 3am because you run out of it is a bondage I believe Jesus delivered us from.

I think it possible to not Condone smoking but at the same time help others reel in their flesh, right?

Mike.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

How about this.

1. You are a smoker but only smoke at home and no one ever sees you do it.

2. You are an upstanding member of your church, well liked, well versed in scripture, friendly, involved in ministries, etc..

3. Then one day, someone goes by your house and sees you smoke and tells the whole church.

4. What will happen?

 

[Brother Mike]

How about this.

1. You are a smoker but only smoke at home and no one ever sees you do it.

2. You are an upstanding member of your church, well liked, well versed in scripture, friendly, involved in ministries, etc..

3. Then one day, someone goes by your house and sees you smoke and tells the whole church.

4. What will happen?

We know what happens, everyone will want to bum cigarettes off you.

Mike.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

How about this.

1. You are a smoker but only smoke at home and no one ever sees you do it.

2. You are an upstanding member of your church, well liked, well versed in scripture, friendly, involved in ministries, etc..

3. Then one day, someone goes by your house and sees you smoke and tells the whole church.

4. What will happen?

We know what happens, everyone will want to bum cigarettes off you.

Mike.

Yes, most people will stop looking at themselves and look at you.
But also others will be silent and think about what they do that they don't want others to see.
It will have both a positive and negative affect.

Probably no one will look down on the person who "blabbed it" to the whole church(well, maybe some).