Smoking and the Spiritual Life

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CIgar smoking carries some risk, but many cigar smokers only have a cigar once in a while instead of every day. So, the risk is mitigated somewhat by the fact that it’s not done frequently. A lot of occasional cigar smokers also don’t have a nicotine habit.

I’m a non-smoker my whole life.
 
Quit smoking at 7. However, my uncle smoked the sweetest pipe tobacco and the scent lingers in my memory 54 years later. You can buy candles with that scent. Am I sinning by “smoking” candles?
 
It doesn’t play a role in the spiritual life plain and simple its an addiction to nicotine. It has severe physiological effects on the user and cripples them from quitting. The next cigarette is not going to make you feel better its going to feed the addiction for a few moments and then you will need another and the fix continues. It is nothing more than an addiction - there is absolutely no good that comes from it. It doesn’t calm you down your hyped up because you need a fix everyone else handles stress easily and do not need a cigarette.
Please list the benefits of smoking - hint there are none.
 
BT3241 said:
plain and simple its an addiction to nicotine.
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A person smoking one cigar a week like the OP said, or a pipe once in a while, isn’t having an “addiction” to anything.

That’s like saying a person who has a cocktail once or twice a week, or a few times a month, is an alcoholic.
 
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Respectfully, you have an unusual idea of what constitutes an “addiction” as opposed to a moderate recreational use permitted by both civil law and the Church. Your view is extreme.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
A person smoking one cigar a week like the OP said, or a pipe once in a while, isn’t having an “addiction” to anything.
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Exactly. I had a pipe on Friday but it’s been too cold to enjoy it since. Maybe next week but there’s no urgency. Interestingly, I had a blend called Plum Pudding. Very delicious… Until the next day. Something about it upset my stomach 😦

Cigars are convenient but they’re so darn expensive! Sheesh! A decent one will run at least $12…
 
BartholomewB said:
It was about forty years ago, maybe even less, that the health campaign against smoking began in earnest. Until that time, nobody had ever suggested there was anything sinful about smoking. In a public place, whether indoors or outdoors, wherever there were people smoking, you would see priests smoking like everyone else, without ever attracting criticism of any kind. It’s only because of the perceived health risk that smoking is now seen as not a good thing to do. There’s certainly nothing “unspiritual” about it in any way.
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Forty years? Closer to 60. The first surgeon general report was from 1964, and that followed on the heels of thousands of articles. They weren’t stupid, ya know!

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/history/index.htm
 
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BT3241 said:
Stop fooling yourself its an addiction and very unhealthy with no benefits I don’t do small amounts of poison every week and claim its ok.
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If you’re taking it this far, then we’ve got to talk about caffeine, alcohol, and certain foods. I don’t smoke everyday. Nor do I drink everyday. I don’t eat fast food, drink pop, eat pop tarts, or consume dairy products.

It’s all about moderation. Nothing you do, no matter how pure it appears is totally safe or without consequences.
 
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Cruciferi said:
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I smoke my pipe because it tastes good. It smells good too!
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I feel no guilt or sinfulness over a good bowl of pipe tobacco…
In fact I sat quite comfortably with my churchwarden last night enjoying some Holiday seasonal tobacco while watching Pt 2: Saint Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor of the Poor on EWTN.

It was awesome…

I am quite sure Mr. Chesterton gave me a quite jolly harumph of approval from his vantage point…
 
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BlueMaxx said:
I am quite sure Mr. Chesterton gave me a quite jolly harumph of approval from his vantage point…
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Not to mention, J. R. R. Tolkien, Sir Christopher Lee, and Bing Crosby. Among other notable pipe enthusiasts 🧐
 
Strangely, I’ve always found that this argument divides the sexes - women, I find are against, for health concerns, whilst men are generally, at least in principle, more in favour of smoking (pipe, particularly). Just an observation!
 
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Cruciferi said:
If you’re taking it this far, then we’ve got to talk about caffeine, alcohol, and certain foods. I don’t smoke everyday. Nor do I drink everyday. I don’t eat fast food, drink pop, eat pop tarts, or consume dairy products.
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And by contrast, I never smoked, currently only drink a few times a year (haven’t drank since about June right now), but I like fast food, drink a pop maybe twice a week, and don’t feel very well when I go without dairy products.

I try to limit the pop to a couple a week and to make sure I consume adequate protein and vegetables/ fruits.

There are people who would complain about me eating sugar, dairy or fast food, even though I try to pick fast food that’s similar to what I’d cook at home (a hamburger and salad) rather than Loaded Bacon Fried whatsit.

There are people I know who can’t function without their daily coffee. That’s a drug as well.
 
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You can’t convince someone who smokes its bad for them I understand I smoked and many other things - its your personal choice and I will respect it. I will point out that nicotine is considered to be the third most additive substance in the world just under heroin and cocaine something you might want to consider.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
but I like fast food, drink a pop maybe twice a week, and don’t feel very well when I go without dairy products.
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Tis_Bearself said:
I try to limit the pop to a couple a week
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Have you ever tried LaCroix or Canada Dry Seltzer? I love those 😊
Tis_Bearself said:
There are people I know who can’t function without their daily coffee. That’s a drug as well.
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I miss my Starbucks Dark Roast. Unfortunately, I had to give up caffeine. It wrecked my gastrointestinal tract.
 
Starbucks coffee has given me an acid stomach virtually every time I’ve had it. IDK why but it even happened when someone made it at home and didn’t tell me what brand for 2 days.
 
It was worth it for awhile! Especially when I was working midnights.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Starbucks coffee has given me an acid stomach virtually every time I’ve had it. IDK why but it even happened when someone made it at home and didn’t tell me what brand for 2 days.
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Two words…Mystic Monks…DIY at home for the best cup… 😋
 
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