Smoking a Sin??

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Smoking tobacco is an imperfection, so technically not a sin but something to be done in moderation. It’s sinfulness is rated by the drugs intoxicating effects, not its longterm health risks. So until you can get drunk off a cigarette you are not sinning. But in the United States, many people smoke to such an extreme it probably could be considered a sinful obsession.
 
Just wanted to respone to 2 things and then I’m done, you have apparently already decided that smoking is a grievious sin and I know it is not! So to carry on is relatively pointless. My message then is for all those people who for one reason or another continue to smoke. If you want to please God, concern yourself with the sins that are most displeasing to Him. If you follow an examination of conscience (a preparation for confession) they are pointed out very clearly.
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tcaseyrochester:
Yes, I agree, a mortal sin such suicide, for example. [/QUTOE]

I’m taking it that you understand there is alot more to mortal sin than the extreme example of suicide. I just found it an odd example, if you live your life without fear of mortal sin, chances are you will probably die in mortal sin. If I have misunderstood you through all of this I am sorry, but your focus seems to be totally earthbound. Our treasures are not here they are in heaven. Your spirituality appears to be very surface (please do not take that as a judgement call, I am only reading that into your writing, only God alone knows your heart!) But this all goes back to my orignal statement that people no longer know what sin is. It has truely been covered up by the “smoke”.
I found we do have something in common, we are both former smokers. Surprised?
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I am not surprised, X smokers are usually the most intolerant! I for one can not stand it, it smells and stinks up everything. But it is an excellent way to practice Charity. I’ve said this before but here goes again Saint Pius X is not a Saint by accident - he knew what he was doing … pleasing God!

I ask the grace of sharing in the infinite merits of my Redeemer and that I desire to die in pressing to my lips the cross that was bathed in His Blood! That I destest my sins because they displease Him.
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I think Mandi made an excellent point in an earlier post that may have gone generally unnoticed, when she listed all the family members she’s had who have been smokers yet lived to a ripe old age. I’ve long suspected that the genetic propensity to certain diseases within families is counterbalanced by a genetic protection against other diseases. In my own family, my father’s side has extremely strong teeth, and I seem to have inherited this trait. At the ripe old age of forty-one, I have never had a cavity. I don’t floss or avoid sugar, but I do brush regularly and use both a plaque rinse and a mouthwash. I have acquaintances whose oral hygiene routine resembles an archaeological dig, yet their mouths are full of fillings. Also, remember the running guru Jim Fixx, author of The Complete Book of Running? Dropped dead of a coronary in the middle of a jog at age 50. Turns out his family had a history of heart disease. Some say he probably would have died earlier if he hadn’t been a runner, but I don’t buy it. I think some people, no matter what they do, are naturally going to be protected from some maladies and vulnerable to others.
 
I will not claim to be unbiased or even fair on this thread. I have asthma and cigarette smoke is a major trigger for me. Walking down the street behind a smoker can make me sick for days. I hate cigarette smoke Smokers though… I try to love them…I wish they would try to see things through the eyes of the people they make homebound … ƒood for thought… I have no desire to make smoking (ever… in all public places) illegal. I pray for consideration. Meaning, do not congregate right in front of a doorway all people must pass through to get into a building. Perhaps instead go to a middle part of a street where people can avoid walking through the smoke… I do not want to make smokers Phariahs (sp?), it is legal, I just want to get to work without breathing in vapor that could put me in the hosptial.

😃 Your prayers for my health, please
 
if you know that you are hurting yourself and free choose to smoke, it is a sin.

If you hurt others by your smoking, it is also a sin. So in many cases, smoking in public without checking with everyone nearby for their permission is sinful.

Smoking near young children, who lungs are more sensitive and damage is longer laster, is sinful and a form of child abuse. Unfortunately many do not understand this.

How sinful, comes down to how well you understand that you are damaging yourself and others, how free you are in the decision to smoke and where to smoke. Many people are addicted to tobacco and thus are not that free in their selection to smoke; they can in most cases, choose to smoke away from others.
 
Very good point about asking others their permission before one lights up. When I was a boy, the phrase “Do you mind if I smoke” was as common in polite society as “How are you today”. Nowadays, it seems polite society is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and people are defensive about their “right” to smoke, regardless of inconvenience to others. “Me first” is just about the most unattractive character trait I can imagine, yet that’s exactly what smokers are exhibiting when they fail to consider the health and comfort of others in their vicinity. We don’t need laws outlawing smoking; we need a universal return to good manners and consideration for others.
 
How many Americans does alcohol kill, directly or indirectly, compared to tobacco? Here in Norway, alcohol is still our greatest social and health problem. However, the focus these days is mainly on smoking.

Smoking is now illegal in public indoor places, as of June 1, and the few smokers that are left, will probably die of pneumonia from indulging out of doors this coming Norwegian winter. So, problem solved. But…

Smoking does not keep thousands of children trapped in a reign of terror. Alcohol does. Smoking does not make you fall down in the street or wet yourself in public. Alcohol does. Smoking does not kill your brain. Alcohol does. Smoking does not cause illegitimate sex, unwanted pregnancies and more abortions. Alcohol does.

Sorry about the thread drift. I’m not defending tobacco. I think tobacco is bad for you, and I don’t smoke. But I’m not sure if it’s right to label the use of either alcohol or tobacco as sinful. Still if I were to pick one candidate, it wouldn’t be tobacco.

Just my two forint’s worth of perspective.
 
Permit me please to make a silly observation, and pose it as a question. The catechism says the use of tobacco. Does this mean cigarettes necessarily? From what I have read they contain more than just tobaco don’t they?

Peace to all here 🙂
 
Why are we voting about this? I explained to some of my CCD kids that a difference between us and a congregational type church is that while they may actually vote on what is right and wrong or go with prevalent popular opinion…we have a teaching magisterium…what does our church teach us about smoking?
 
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annejohno:
…what does our church teach us about smoking?
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That’s the problem. The CCC says something like “all in moderation.” and Fr. Corapi says that in today’s world with what we know about the dangers of tobacco it is a mortal sin against the commandment “Thou Shall not Kill.”

There is an honest difference of opinion among faithful Catholics on this issue.

Look at the previous posts for arguments on both sides.

My opinion keeps changing on the matter.
 
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annejohno:
Why are we voting about this? I explained to some of my CCD kids that a difference between us and a congregational type church is that while they may actually vote on what is right and wrong or go with prevalent popular opinion…we have a teaching magisterium…what does our church teach us about smoking?
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Yes this is the way it should be, unfortuanately something somewhere has gone wrong!
 
Jason Hurd:
We don’t need laws outlawing smoking; we need a universal return to good manners and consideration for others.
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I absolutely agree.

However I just wanted to point out the “Me First” attitude if very prevalent in our society it affects not only smokers, but non smokers, handicaps, moms, dads and children. Some of the rudest people I have ever met have been in a wheelchair. Society has taught that everyone has a RIGHT to a “good quality” of life, when this in fact has only spread the “Me First” ideal.

Jesus taught pick up your cross and follow me. We have all been given crosses, some people their cross is very noticable others it is not. Feel sorry for the man who has no troubles for he has nothing to offer up to God. We have a saying in our house “Lucky you to suffer so” then we’ll laugh for we realize our complaints are really trivial - and minor though they be we offer them to God to fill our chest in Heaven.

Not only are universal good manners and consideration gone but so is “Catholic Charity”

“He ain’t heavy Father, he’s my brother”
 
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Rogo:
Smoking is now illegal in public indoor places, as of June 1, and the few smokers that are left, will probably die of pneumonia from indulging out of doors this coming Norwegian winter. So, problem solved. But…
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I especially enjoy when I listen to all the non smokers laugh and make comments like I hope they freeze their a_ _ off! ha! ha!

In Canada not only is smoking banned indoors but it is also banned outdoors in certain places like shool and government property so not only do they have to go outdoors they also have to leave the property.

I use to work with a women (who was a Baptist) in an office and outside the office window (which was closed because was winter) 3 fellows were smoking. She created the biggest stink I ever saw because she could smell it (I could not smell a thing). She had them banned from smoking under the alcove. I thought it was one of the most uncharitable things I had ever seen!
 
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.
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My greatgrand mother started smoking 2 packs at age 7 she died at age 107 in her sleep
 
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Mandi:
I especially enjoy when I listen to all the non smokers laugh and make comments like I hope they freeze their a_ _ off! ha! ha!

In Canada not only is smoking banned indoors but it is also banned outdoors in certain places like shool and government property so not only do they have to go outdoors they also have to leave the property.

I use to work with a women (who was a Baptist) in an office and outside the office window (which was closed because was winter) 3 fellows were smoking. She created the biggest stink I ever saw because she could smell it (I could not smell a thing). She had them banned from smoking under the alcove. I thought it was one of the most uncharitable things I had ever seen!
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Exactly!
You know, I don’t think we as christians need to be adding to the moral condemnation smokers are currently experiencing from the secular world. It’s bad enough that the government assumes you are a bad person. Not in so many words, usually, but there is a really condescending tone to these laws…

If you smoke, you must go outside, i.e. symbolically you’re outside of respectable society. The next step will be make them wear a badge. Now there’s a thought.

Brrr…
 
Take this for what it’s worth, but during a homily not too long ago with a fill-in priest during Sunday Mass, was talking about confession and using smoking as an example, said smoking was not a sin; it was just stupid. Now he was only giving an example of confession content…

JELane
 
JElane:
Take this for what it’s worth, but during a homily not too long ago with a fill-in priest during Sunday Mass, was talking about confession and using smoking as an example, said smoking was not a sin; it was just stupid. Now he was only giving an example of confession content…

JELane
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“Confession content”! Haha… I’m always curious about what people put in their confessions :eek:

The Seal is a very good thing.
 
I smoked for 35 years and finally quit. I don’t think it was a sin, just stupid. It’s sort of like a slow form of suicide. Tell everybody to quit and they will feel better, besides saving a lot of money.
 
If smoking is a “slow form of suicide” then why would it not be considered sinful? When I was trying to quit myself, for health-related reasons and because I felt it was a poor example to others (a struggle which spanned 4 years of failed attempts and “false stops”😃 ), I talked to a priest about it. He suggested that when I made my regular confessions that I include that “weakness”. He told me that while there is no mortal sin involved (the addiction part) that not trying to stop something that is ultimately harmful could become obstinacy and lead down that slippery slope to sinfulness. Seemed like good advice to me. I beleive that by recognizing this as a broken area of my life and asking for the grace to overcome it, Christ gave me what I needed to stop (smoke free for 5 years in September) this destructive addicition.
Once you recognize that you have an addicition, is it not sinful to just accept that and not try to recover? Just a few thoughts from a recovering nicotine addict 👍 ,

Peace…
 
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