Smoking a Sin??

[iguana27]

Is smoking a sin? Fr. Corapi suggests that it is a mortal sin. My own confessor has said that it is not mortal if it is moderate and my doctor has not advised me to quit.

I have already quit, but I would still like to know if it is a sin. It doesn’t appear that the Church has spoken absolutely on this matter.

Thanks for your help.

 

[jccurtis]

It would seem to me like smoking is not, in and of itself, sinful. However, subjecting our body to unnecessary punishment hardly seems like good stewardship. We are taught that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit.

 

[iguana27]

Are there any other arguments for or against besides the “body is a temple of the HS?”

 

[Enid]

Like anything if done in moderation it would be okay but when it gets so that you are a slave to it then it is no longer okay. Just like drinking, eating or anything else in moderation it can be good and maybe even good for you. But if you become addicted or you know that you will probably become addicted then it would be a sin. Yes it is hurting your body which is a temple and you are not in control of your flesh. We are called to fight against our flesh at all times and look toward God. So the question would be is there anyway smoking would bring us closer to know love and serve God if not then it is not good?

 

[agname]

iguana27:

Is smoking a sin? Fr. Corapi suggests that it is a mortal sin. My own confessor has said that it is not mortal if it is moderate and my doctor has not advised me to quit.

I have already quit, but I would still like to know if it is a sin. It doesn’t appear that the Church has spoken absolutely on this matter.

Thanks for your help.

Catholic Catechism:

2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.

Smoking has NO beneficial effect on the human body. It serves no beneficial purpose except for speeding up the Darwinism process.

 

[Karl_Keating]

agname:

Smoking has NO beneficial effect on the human body. It serves no beneficial purpose except for speeding up the Darwinism process.

I think we’d have to agree with that. After all, comedian George Burns, who smoked cigars throughout his adult life, lived to be only 100.

 

[agname]

Karl Keating:

I think we’d have to agree with that. After all, comedian George Burns, who smoked cigars throughout his adult life, lived to be only 100.

There are those who dance with rattle snakes and drink Arsenic as well…but I wouldn’t advocate it.

Fast facts…

About 1 out of every 5 deaths in the US can be attributed to tobacco products.

Tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, drugs, homicides, fires, and auto accidents combined.

70 percent of smokers want to quit. Only about 5% actually succeed every year.

Tobacco companies make a product that kills 1,200 Americans a day.

Cigarette smoke contains 11 chemical compounds that are known to cause cancer.

 

[agname]

When I think about smokers…I’m reminded of…

Christy Turlington, super model, 35…former smoker…has emphysema now.

Nat King Cole, singer, lung cancer, 45.

Babe Ruth, throat cancer, 53.

Carl Wilson, Beach Boys lead guitarist, lung cancer, 51.

Humphrey Bogart, throat and esophagus cancer, 57.

Gary Cooper, lung cancer, age 60.

Steve McQueen, lung cancer, age 50.

Then there is the famous screenwriter, Joe Eszterhas…who was a real big smoker…but now is against it…because he lost part of his larynx to cancer just last year or so.

 

[Amy]

I was wondering about this too…

I sure hope not, because I would be sinning about 20 times a day (1 pack)!

 

[Tom_of_Assisi]

agname:

There are those who dance with rattle snakes and drink Arsenic as well…but I wouldn’t advocate it.

Fast facts…

About 1 out of every 5 deaths in the US can be attributed to tobacco products.

Tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, drugs, homicides, fires, and auto accidents combined.

70 percent of smokers want to quit. Only about 5% actually succeed every year.

Tobacco companies make a product that kills 1,200 Americans a day.

Cigarette smoke contains 11 chemical compounds that are known to cause cancer.

:crying:

There are scientists who would question those “facts,” but taking them at face value–there is a difference between being unhealthy and being in a state of sin.

Perhaps those terrible corporations should stop making cigerettes, :tsktsk: or perhaps the government could discourage it even more (Nazi-Germany was a big anti-tabacco government if my memory serves), but with all the unhealthy things that people are doing to their bodies in today’s world that are sins…do we need priests telling us not to smoke? They should stick with faith, chastity, hope, fidelity, love, charity, prudence, and morality …not smoking!

And just how many snake dancers and arsenic drinkers are there exactly? Although, arsenic is probably not as addictive as smoking:whacky:.

 

[agname]

There are scientists who would question those “facts,” but taking them at face value–there is a difference between being unhealthy and being in a state of sin.

Perhaps those terrible corporations should stop making cigerettes, :tsktsk: or perhaps the government could discourage it even more (Nazi-Germany was a big anti-tabacco government if my memory serves), but with all the unhealthy things that people are doing to their bodies in today’s world that are sins…do we need priests telling us not to smoke? They should stick with faith, chastity, hope, fidelity, love, charity, prudence, and morality …not smoking!

And just how many snake dancers and arsenic drinkers are there exactly? Although, arsenic is probably not as addictive as smoking:whacky:.
[/quote]

You must be a smoker.

1. Those facts are distributed by the CDC, etc.
2. If you’re using a product that’s known to be addictive…and has no therapeutical usage…and you know it’s destroying your body…yes…it’s a mortal sin.
3. Sure there are “unhealthy things that people are doing to their bodies in today’s world”…and they should be addressed as well.
4. “And just how many snake dancers and arsenic drinkers are there exactly?”

Quite a few…mostly found within Tennessee.

 

[Scott_Waddell]

agname:

Catholic Catechism:

2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.

Smoking has NO beneficial effect on the human body. It serves no beneficial purpose except for speeding up the Darwinism process.

I disagree because there is a CCC quote that specifically adresses tobacco:

2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

See? It’s the excess use and abuse of tobacco, not the mere fact of using it. No, it doesn’t have a beneficial use for the body. But many legitimate pleasures don’t.

Scott

 

[Ham1]

I agree with Scott that tobacco can perhaps be used moderately, but unlike with food and alcohol even moderate use of tobacco poses a significant health risk. So, maybe moderate would mean 20 cigarettes per year???

Someone earlier asked if there were any other argument against…

I think that if you are a parent you can make an argument on different grounds. As a parent you have a grave obligation to provide for the body and soul of your child. By engaging in persistant smoking, you jeopardize your ability to fulfill this serious obligation. It would seem that the parent would be placing his personal physical pleasure above the welfare of his child and his spouse. In this way, I would say that such behavior could be sinful and if the knowledge and intent then the act of persistant smoking could be a mortal sin. I would also say that culpability would likely be somewhat mitigated by force of habit.

All in all, I think that persistant daily smoking is probably not moderate.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

When the CCC uses the word grave, is that equivalent to saying mortal?

 

[system]

Yes, you end up with less money, a bad cough, and you smell like an ash tray !!! :bigyikes:

 

[Tim_Hayes]

Smoking is indeed a sin, remember it does a lot of damage toyour body, one of the points the non contraception argumetns make is that the use of contraceptives are known to injure your body, that is, increase the likelyhood of cancer etc.

It is not as if it does a very small amount of damage, in this day and age where people know that it is extremely toxic to the body, anyone smoking is committing sin without a doubt.

 

[iguana27]

Part of the reason I quit is because I did not want to be beholden to anything. I did not want to feel like I HAD to smoke to feel good.

This type of bondage can not be good for the Christian, can it?

I was leaning towards the idea that my tobacco use was a sin, but when I confessed it, the priest told me that it was not a sin, and I couldn’t confess it. I guess I was hoping that by confessing it I would recieve graces to help me quit…

 

[SarahSmile]

Smoking is a sin and damages your body, but most importantly, your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit and when we recieve Holy Communion we are the tabernacle for Jesus Christ… Why would we want to put Jesus in an unhealthy body?

 

[Arrowood]

MichaelTDoyle:

When the CCC uses the word grave, is that equivalent to saying mortal?

The term “grave” refers to the fact that the evil done would be serious enough to qualify as mortal sin. However, for a sin to be a mortal sin it also must be performed with sufficient knowledge and consent.

 

[Arrowood]

Tim Hayes:

Smoking is indeed a sin, remember it does a lot of damage toyour body, one of the points the non contraception argumetns make is that the use of contraceptives are known to injure your body, that is, increase the likelyhood of cancer etc.

It is not as if it does a very small amount of damage, in this day and age where people know that it is extremely toxic to the body, anyone smoking is committing sin without a doubt.

Knowingly damaging your body is sinful by any means (my problem tends to be chocolate, coffee, and prime rib:bigyikes:, not smoking). However, something that holds the **potential **to cause bodily harm is not inherently evil (alcohol is a great example - as are chocolate, coffee and prime rib ). As has been said already, some such things in moderation are morally justified and may be morally good!

So my question: is there any evidence that there is any level of smoking that does not cause damage to the body? One cigarette/cigar/pipe a week? One a month? I’m sure such a moderate amount would not be addictive.