Attitudes toward gum at Mass

[ElizabethPH]

Now, to present another interesting argument (and to keep this post on topic), I wonder if a person amidst a struggle to break their addiction to nicotine is in violation of the fast if they use gum designed for that purpose. In other words, does such a product constitue medicine for that individual?

When I quit smoking I used the patch to help…others have used the gum to help. I expect that the nicotine gum to help quit smoking is a medicine. But also expect that one can avoid chewing even that during Mass.

 

[Damascus]

Okay, I just finished my cig, (outside BTW!) and thought this through.

That nicotine IS medicine for ME since I would likely do something highly sinful if I DID NOT HAVE IT…

Until my addiction is cured, I could be a danger to myself or others if my “meds” were taken away.

I dont smoke in the Church and never saw anyone do it.

Although there was someone here on these forums that did in her youth.

I have, maybe more than a handful of times smoked outside of the Church yet away from the exits so no one got it right in their face as they were leaving.

But, the people that chewed gum INSIDE the Church were spitting it out as they left in the bushes!

I take my cig butt (after it is properly put out) and stick it back in the pack.

Gum chewing at any time inside Church annoys me but I dont dwell on the ones that do it. maybe since I’m not stuck cleaning it up!

What gets me is the sanctimonious sneers I get when I am smoking at a safe distance away from others!

The same people that walk in late or are annoying as all *&^% and yet they are watching me. **Sometimes I dont like going to Mass **because of the attitudes that float around there…

 

[Karin]

That nicotine IS medicine for ME since I would likely do something highly sinful if I DID NOT HAVE IT…

I can totally agree with this…I know where your coming from

 

[mrs_abbott]

What gets me is the sanctimonious sneers I get when I am smoking at a safe distance away from others!

The same people that walk in late or are annoying as all *&^% and yet they are watching me. **Sometimes I dont like going to Mass **because of the attitudes that float around there…

I get that ALL the time here at work. I am one of two that smoke in our entire building. We’re not allowed to smoke near the doors or anything but still we get **** for it.
I can relate to your last sentence that you bolded. That’s one of the reasons I stayed away from the church during my “not so holy” times. When I tried to return, I felt like an outcast.

 

[mrs_abbott]

I can totally agree with this…I know where your coming from

Me too!

 

[ElizabethPH]

I think this thread is about chewing gum at Mass. Not smoking cigarettes. But here I go…on a tangent…It is more offensive for me to be anywheres near a smoker then a gum chewer. OF course It is not appropriate to be chewing gum at Mass. It can be an annoying habit. As far as a cig being medicine is wrong cigs are evil; now you are not, but the cig is insidious and evil it destroys life…the only time nicotine is a medicine is when it is provided as an NRT in quitting smoking. If one is on the verge of committing some horrendous action/sin or whatever if you don’t have a cig…maybe you ought to start thinking about how much they control your life…that you are going to die from smoking; and that you are an outcast for doing it would make me look at myself in the mirror, instead of getting down on non-smokers that think it’s disgusting to be around. It took me 38 years of smoking, watching my Dad die and my husband die of lung cancer, and Aunts and Uncles die from smoking related diseases…before I finally got the hint. Hope it doesn’t take you guys that long.

God Bless

 

[jmcrae]

You’re right - smoking can be very harmful. It is linked to a great many painful and incurable diseases. If you don’t smoke, don’t start - and if you do, it would be beneficial to you to try to stop. After all, tobacco contains more than 100 different kinds of poison. (Arsenic contains only one.)

It’s not sinful, though - and I think as long as a smoker can respect the rights of children and non-smokers to a relatively clean environment, it’s fine.

I’ve never seen a smoker smoking inside of a church during worship, I must admit - or any other time.

But it’s a disconcerting sight to see grown and presumably mature adults cowing* away on a wad of gum at Mass, and in front of the Tabernacle. I expect that sort of thing from children and teenagers, and I correct them when necessary, but what can one say to adults who do this? (*I’ve just invented a new word - “cowing” - it means chewing in the manner of a cow chewing her cud.)

I gave someone heck for it one time, and I’ve never seen them since.

 

[Damascus]

I think this thread is about chewing gum at Mass. Not smoking cigarettes. But here I go…on a tangent…It is more offensive for me to be anywheres near a smoker then a gum chewer. OF course It is not appropriate to be chewing gum at Mass. It can be an annoying habit. As far as a cig being medicine is wrong cigs are evil; now you are not, but the cig is insidious and evil it destroys life…the only time nicotine is a medicine is when it is provided as an NRT in quitting smoking. If one is on the verge of committing some horrendous action/sin or whatever if you don’t have a cig…maybe you ought to start thinking about how much they control your life…that you are going to die from smoking; and that you are an outcast for doing it would make me look at myself in the mirror, instead of getting down on non-smokers that think it’s disgusting to be around. It took me 38 years of smoking, watching my Dad die and my husband die of lung cancer, and Aunts and Uncles die from smoking related diseases…before I finally got the hint. Hope it doesn’t take you guys that long.

God Bless

EVEN THE AMERICAN LUNG AND CANCER SOCIETY WARNS PEOPLE TO NOT BE LIKE YOU ARE AS AN EX SMOKER!

I hope and pray when I quit I WILL NEVER BE LIKE YOU who is filled with sin as well and all too ready to point a finger and then “soften the blow” of their UNCHARITABLE holier than thou finger pointing with a sad tale of family loss.

DO YOU THINK I HAVE NOT SUFFERED AS WELL?

YOU are one of the MAIN reasons it is a struggle for me to GO TO MASS you PIOUS *&^%$.

 

[Karin]

I think this thread is about chewing gum at Mass. Not smoking cigarettes. But here I go…on a tangent…It is more offensive for me to be anywheres near a smoker then a gum chewer. OF course It is not appropriate to be chewing gum at Mass. It can be an annoying habit. As far as a cig being medicine is wrong cigs are evil; now you are not, but the cig is insidious and evil it destroys life…the only time nicotine is a medicine is when it is provided as an NRT in quitting smoking. If one is on the verge of committing some horrendous action/sin or whatever if you don’t have a cig…maybe you ought to start thinking about how much they control your life…that you are going to die from smoking; and that you are an outcast for doing it would make me look at myself in the mirror, instead of getting down on non-smokers that think it’s disgusting to be around. It took me 38 years of smoking, watching my Dad die and my husband die of lung cancer, and Aunts and Uncles die from smoking related diseases…before I finally got the hint. Hope it doesn’t take you guys that long.

God Bless

HARP, HARP, HARP…are you done???
Us smokers in general wait let me correct that I will only speak for myself here…I am sorry that you have lost loved ones to smoking related health issues…but your harping aint going to get me to quit
As to feeling like a second calss citizen in public…not an issue for me…I smoke everywhere that I am allowed by law and could care less what nonsmokers say!

 

[Damascus]

HARP, HARP, HARP…are you done???
Us smokers in general wait let me correct that I will only speak for myself here…I am sorry that you have lost loved ones to smoking related health issues…but your harping aint going to get me to quit
As to feeling like a second calss citizen in public…not an issue for me…I smoke everywhere that I am allowed by law and could care less what nonsmokers say!

Thanks for saying it in a much much better way than I could, since I thought I was in a family in the Church. And in a family you just dont go around talking about how so and so does not live up to your standards.

JESUS is the only one I care about…

 

[BlyssfulDreamer]

I have seen quite a few people chewing gum at Mass and it always seems liken they are chewing a cud. Chomp…chomp…where do they put the gum when they go to Communion?

:heart:Blyss

 

[TimOliv]

I do not smoke because I need to smoke, I do not smoke because it is what prevents me from murderous rage. I smoke (cigars) because I enjoy them.

Besides, my family has a history of really nasty diseases that I would never want (like ALS, for example), so if I have to choose between ALS and lung cancer…well, I’m going outside to blaze one.

That being said, I do not think that gum chewing, smoking, shooting craps or wireless networking are appropriate mass activities.

 

[jmcrae]

It would be a heck of a painful way to go if you ended up with both, wouldn’t it?

 

[Damascus]

jmcrae,

Dont ya see how valuable this thread was now?

Like my Jeans thread.

More division in Christ. I regret I did it- do you?

 

[jmcrae]

jmcrae,

Dont ya see how valuable this thread was now?

Like my Jeans thread.

More division in Christ. I regret I did it- do you?

No - I got my answers. They are dividing over smoking; not gum. Smoking was not part of my question.

Anyways, it’s the Internet. Not to be taken seriously. They’ll get over it.

 

[fiat1122]

I couldn’t believe it. A while back I went to a wedding, and one of the bridesmaids was walking down the aisle chomping away at her gum like a cow chewing her cud. Mouth wide open and everything. I was shocked.

You should have told her later on. It seems she was one of the dissident liberal catholics who at times act semi-retarted.

 

[skeffer]

Hopefully, these were unchurched non-Catholics who mistook themselves for being at the movies.

Even so, I have seen people bring all kinds of things into Mass that they shouldn’t. (One time, I just got fed up, and I went through the pews just before Mass, and confiscated all of the unattended water bottles and picnic packs and left them in a pile in the vestibule - even if “unattended” simply meant that the owner had his back turned. )

Now just how mean spirited was that !Unchurched non-catholics where did that come from .Shame !Shame! It makes me wonder that maybe you are against anyone that wasn’t born or raised in the catholic church . And are you against non catholics being at mass in order to learn the religion and become catholic. I am studying to become catholic and frankly I never gave gum chewing a thought.
I did know about the 1 hour fast but you know what maybe some have not got that far in study. I may not like the way some people do things, but then again I’ve tried to turn over a new leaf and not judge people even on the most trival things. Glory be to god in all who attend Mass, and I will say to you what I say to my Children and Grandchildren( be nice).

 

[jmcrae]

Now just how mean spirited was that !Unchurched non-catholics where did that come from .Shame !Shame! It makes me wonder that maybe you are against anyone that wasn’t born or raised in the catholic church.

I’m actually a convert, but I learned in my secular, pro-birth-control socialist-leaning civilization-destroying grade school that chewing gum in public is considered extremely rude. (Our teacher called it “the human cow syndrome,” because of the fact that people look the same way that cows do when they are chewing the cud, when they have gum in their mouths.) If the barbarians at the gate know this, then Catholics (who are supposed to be the guardians of civilization) should certainly know this.

And are you against non catholics being at mass in order to learn the religion and become catholic. I am studying to become catholic and frankly I never gave gum chewing a thought.

Shame on your teachers for not letting you know.

 

[skeffer]

I’m actually a convert, but I learned in my secular, pro-birth-control socialist-leaning civilization-destroying grade school that chewing gum in public is considered extremely rude. (Our teacher called it “the human cow syndrome,” because of the fact that people look the same way that cows do when they are chewing the cud, when they have gum in their mouths.) If the barbarians at the gate know this, then Catholics (who are supposed to be the guardians of civilization) should certainly know this.

Shame on your teachers for not letting you know.

We didn’t chew gum in class at grade school level, but I guess the point that I was trying to make is that it is not our place to judge. With all the problems that face us to day that chewing gum at mass is the least of our worries we need to learn to pick our battles. I have read somewhere in the book( We Believe)a survey of catholic faith that charity begins at home, and that Christ ask us to be kind to parishioners.I think that instead of being angered or feeling discussed with gum chewing parishioner we should be using our energies to say a prayer for them . the Holy Spirit offers us gifts like healing and leadership (1Corinthians 12) for this very reason and helps us understand what we can and should do…God Bless all and Please pray for me!!!

 

[jmcrae]

We didn’t chew gum in class at grade school level, but I guess the point that I was trying to make is that it is not our place to judge. With all the problems that face us to day that chewing gum at mass is the least of our worries we need to learn to pick our battles. I have read somewhere in the book( We Believe)a survey of catholic faith that charity begins at home, and that Christ ask us to be kind to parishioners.I think that instead of being angered or feeling discussed with gum chewing parishioner we should be using our energies to say a prayer for them . the Holy Spirit offers us gifts like healing and leadership (1Corinthians 12) for this very reason and helps us understand what we can and should do…God Bless all and Please pray for me!!!

True, it’s not the biggest thing. However, it is a symptom of loss of respect for Christ, and loss of the sense of the sacred - this false idea of Christ, our buddy-buddy, or Christ our littlest playground companion, to whom we can do anything, and he has to grin and like us anyway in case we beat Him up; rather than Christ our Creator, who can blow us out like a candle any time He wants, but who graciously chooses instead to love us.

After all, if it wouldn’t occur to you to show disrespect towards your grade school teacher by chewing gum in her class, then why would you chew gum in front of the Tabernacle of Jesus Christ, our greatest Teacher?