Smoking & Drinking

[PlipPlop]

Hello!

Is smoking a sin? I assume the answer is yes, since drugs like marijuana are sinful according to the Catholic Church.

If yes, is smoking a mortal or venial sin?

I know Jesus drank wine, so drinking itself is not sinful, but what about getting drunk? Is that a mortal, or venial, sin?

I ask because I have a Catholic family member who smokes and drinks heavily, so I am trying to gather evidence that the Church says it’s a no-no.
Thanks in advance.

 

[EmeraldWings]

i don’t think the church actually condemns smoking as a mortal sin, but drunkenness is a mortal sin, here is a list of the mortal sins that fall under the 5th commandment, taken from a basic, but very good Catechism -

*What are the mortal sins against the Fifth Commandment?

1. Murder, the unjust killing of an innocent person.
2. Abortion, deliberately causing the death of an unborn baby.
3. Suicide, taking your own life.
4. “Mercy killing”, killing an innocent person who is dying of an incurable disease.
5. Sterilization, making the sex organs unfruitful.
   ** 6. Getting drunk.**
6. Serious anger and hatred.
7. Helping another to commit a mortal sin.*

so that’s pretty straight forward,
but smoking, if anything, would also fall under the fifth commandment, but perhaps it would be more of a venial sin, since it’s more of a habit or addiction and not such a conscious evil,
but then again, it could very well be a mortal sin depending on your knowledge of it, for example, here is a small list of the chemicals in cigarettes…

*Chemicals Found in Cigarette Smoke

Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemical compounds. Many are toxic, and some are known carcinogens. Second hand smoke is dangerous air to breathe.
Radioactive Cigarette Smoke
Lead-210 (Pb-210) and polonium-210 (Po-210) are poisonous, radioactive heavy metals that research has shown to be present in cigarette smoke.

Chemicals in Cigarettes: What They Are and How They Harm Us
The chemicals in cigarettes and cigarette smoke contain poisons, carcinogens and heavy, toxic metals.

Ammonia in Cigarettes
Ammonia is also used to boost the impact of nicotine in manufactured cigarettes.

Arsenic in Cigarette Smoke
Inorganic arsenic is present in mainstream tobacco smoke and presumably in sidestream smoke as well.

Benzene in Cigarette Smoke
Benzene is present in cigarette smoke and accounts for half of all human exposure to this health hazard.

Cadmium in Cigarettes
Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that is present in low levels in food, and in high levels in cigarette smoke.

Carbon Monoxide in Cigarette Smoke
Carbon monoxide(CO) is a poisonous, colorless and odorless gas that is produced as a result of incomplete burning of carbon-containing fuels.

Formaldehyde in Cigarette Smoke
Formaldehyde is responsible for some of the nose, throat and eye irritation smokers experience when breathing in cigarette smoke.

Hydrogen Cyanide in Cigarette Smoke
One of the toxic byproducts of cigarette smoke is hydrogen cyanide. Smokers inhale it with every puff they take.

A Profile of Nicotine
Nicotine is a colorless, poisonous alkaloid, derived from the tobacco plant. Nicotine is also extremely addictive.

Pesticides in Cigarette Smoke
We certainly wouldn’t knowingly breathe pesticides into our lungs, yet that is exactly what smokers do every time they take a puff of a cigarette.

Tar in Cigarettes
Tar is the term used to describe the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes.

What are TSNAs?
Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs) are known to be some of the most potent carcinogens present in smokeless tobacco, snuff and tobacco smoke. *

knowing that, and knowing the true danger you are putting yours and others lives in, it could possibly be considered a mortal sin, but i have to point out, i in no way can say what is or isn’t a mortal sin that the church has not declared,
but to find out, you can simply talk to your priest about it, because if he doesn’t know, then i’m sure he would find out for you.

of course if your family member has any sense of morals or desire to please God, then you can try to get them to stop smoking by other means,
of course you shouldn’t hound them about it or persist if they don’t want to talk about it,
but if they are willing to listen, just talk to them about the harm they could be causing to themselves and to others, and that God is certainly not pleased with this habit, we are temples of the Holy Ghost, and to let such a poison enter into ourselves is a violation to that holy temple which is our body, smoking is a proven harmful thing, so it’s without a doubt neglecting the health of our bodies, which of course God does not approve of, especially when it’s done purely out of habit or craving for the purpose of “calming” yourself, a “calming” which you may have otherwise not needed were it not for the craving in the first place.
and then consider, why are you seeking your comfort from this clearly harmful thing? our comfort should be found in God…

well, i would suggest talking to your priest and see what he has to say about it, cause i’m not personally aware of any Church teaching on smoking as a sin…although now i’m probably gunna look into it
which also makes me think of it another way to look at it, do you ever see priests smoking? i never have, priests know better then to get addicted to something, although i can’t say all priests are perfect, but certainly they know the dangers of being addicted to anything.

ok, hope this helps, tc.

 

[PrayHarder]

Hello!

Is smoking a sin? I assume the answer is yes, since drugs like marijuana are sinful according to the Catholic Church.

I heard Father Corapi once say this about smoking – all the scientific evidence points to the fact that long-term smoking does shorten your lifespan. In other words, you are breaking the 7th Commandment – “Thou shalt not murder.” You are slowly murdering yourself by smoking.

He did not say whether it is a mortal or venial sin, but he did mention that someone’s guilt is lessened by the fact that it is an addiction so you do not technically have “full consent.”

Finally, his final remarks to smokers is that they should “grow a backbone” and stop smoking. It’s difficult, but you owe it to God to not throw away the precious gift of life.

I ask because I have a Catholic family member who smokes and drinks heavily, so I am trying to gather evidence that the Church says it’s a no-no.
Thanks in advance.

I don’t have anything specific from the Catechism, but I’m sure heavy drinking and smoking falls under the sin of gluttony.

 

[TedDC]

i don’t think the church actually condemns smoking as a mortal sin, but drunkenness is a mortal sin, here is a list of the mortal sins that fall under the 5th commandment, taken from a basic, but very good Catechism -

*What are the mortal sins against the Fifth Commandment?

1. Murder, the unjust killing of an innocent person.
2. Abortion, deliberately causing the death of an unborn baby.
3. Suicide, taking your own life.
4. “Mercy killing”, killing an innocent person who is dying of an incurable disease.
5. Sterilization, making the sex organs unfruitful.
   ** 6. Getting drunk.***
6. Serious anger and hatred.
7. Helping another to commit a mortal sin.

so that’s pretty straight forward,
but smoking, if anything, would also fall under the fifth commandment, but perhaps it would be more of a venial sin, since it’s more of a habit or addiction and not such a conscious evil,
but then again, it could very well be a mortal sin depending on your knowledge of it, for example, here is a small list of the chemicals in cigarettes…

…

knowing that, and knowing the true danger you are putting yours and others lives in, it could possibly be considered a mortal sin, but i have to point out, i in no way can say what is or isn’t a mortal sin that the church has not declared,
but to find out, you can simply talk to your priest about it, because if he doesn’t know, then i’m sure he would find out for you.

of course if your family member has any sense of morals or desire to please God, then you can try to get them to stop smoking by other means,
of course you shouldn’t hound them about it or persist if they don’t want to talk about it,
but if they are willing to listen, just talk to them about the harm they could be causing to themselves and to others, and that God is certainly not pleased with this habit, we are temples of the Holy Ghost, and to let such a poison enter into ourselves is a violation to that holy temple which is our body, smoking is a proven harmful thing, so it’s without a doubt neglecting the health of our bodies, which of course God does not approve of, especially when it’s done purely out of habit or craving for the purpose of “calming” yourself, a “calming” which you may have otherwise not needed were it not for the craving in the first place.
and then consider, why are you seeking your comfort from this clearly harmful thing? our comfort should be found in God…

well, i would suggest talking to your priest and see what he has to say about it, cause i’m not personally aware of any Church teaching on smoking as a sin…although now i’m probably gunna look into it
which also makes me think of it another way to look at it, do you ever see priests smoking? i never have, priests know better then to get addicted to something, although i can’t say all priests are perfect, but certainly they know the dangers of being addicted to anything.

ok, hope this helps, tc.

I think the fact that the Church hasn’t declared smoking to be a mortal sin reflects a hypocritical, political calculation.

In a thread about masturbation, several posters stated that one reason it’s a mortal sin is because it disrespects the body that God gave us and uses it for a selfish purpose that He didn’t intend. If that’s a criterion for mortal sin, then smoking surely is one; after all, you’re using your lungs - meant to take in fresh air to sustain life - to inhale poisonous substances that are proven to damage your health. Futhermore, it’s expensive, addictive, and offensive and possibly unhealthy for people nearby.

But the difference is that masturbation always takes place in private, so the Church can prohibit it and claim that people are obeying. No one can prove otherwise because there’s no visible evidence. But smoking often takes place in public, or at least with the knowledge of other people, so the inevitable widespread defiance of Church ban on smoking would be obvious, and would undermine the Church’s perceived power.

 

[Heavens_Flowers]

Catechism of the catholic church says:

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

 

[TedDC]

Catechism of the catholic church says:

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

Here, it appears that a distinction is being made between behaviors which primarily affect the individual, and those which affect other people. That seems like a reasonable approach, but I’m wondering why the former aren’t condemned more strongly, as masturbation is.

 

[michaeldaniels]

Why? Are you putting them on trial? Or are you going to use your conclusions to try and convince yourself or others that some Catholics don’t practice what is preached from the Ambo and therefore it is false religion? Just wondering why you are “gathering evidence”…just an FYI, everyone in every Church is a sinner and we don’t always make the best decisions, despite the knowledge we have or our intentions…there isn’t a single one of us, yourself included, that doesn’t need Church, the Sacraments, and Jesus Christ

Hello!

I ask because I have a Catholic family member who smokes and drinks heavily, so I am trying to gather evidence that the Church says it’s a no-no

 

[michaeldaniels]

Another former Catholic bashing the Church…how shocking and predictable.

…

I think the fact that the Church hasn’t declared smoking to be a mortal sin reflects a hypocritical, political calculation.

In a thread about masturbation, several posters stated that one reason it’s a mortal sin is because it disrespects the body that God gave us and uses it for a selfish purpose that He didn’t intend. If that’s a criterion for mortal sin, then smoking surely is one; after all, you’re using your lungs - meant to take in fresh air to sustain life - to inhale poisonous substances that are proven to damage your health. Futhermore, it’s expensive, addictive, and offensive and possibly unhealthy for people nearby.

But the difference is that masturbation always takes place in private, so the Church can prohibit it and claim that people are obeying. No one can prove otherwise because there’s no visible evidence. But smoking often takes place in public, or at least with the knowledge of other people, so the inevitable widespread defiance of Church ban on smoking would be obvious, and would undermine the Church’s perceived power.

 

[stringbeanduck]

Here, it appears that a distinction is being made between behaviors which primarily affect the individual, and those which affect other people. That seems like a reasonable approach, but I’m wondering why the former aren’t condemned more strongly, as masturbation is.

You don’t masturbate with lungs and you don’t smoke with you reproductive organ. Although smoking isn’t good for you lungs, it remains a morally neutral act. Smoking in certain situations can be sin, be a sin, but in general it isn’t. Masturbation is something that directly violates virture chastity. Smoking or drinking doesn’t violate the virture of temperance unless it’s done in excess. There’s a difference between Chastity and Temperance. Nobody has the same excess. If a person has problems with drinking and smoking or doesn’t know if they do it too much, they should talk to Priest to detirmine if it is.

Getting drunk is grave matter and therefore a mortal sin if the person doing it meets all three criteria. It’s a waste of our God giving ability to reason. And when we choose not to be able to reason we choose to go against God.

 

[HisWill777]

Catechism of the catholic church says:

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

I’ve always wondered then why every summer there are many Catholic Church festivals in our area with multiple beer tents and gambling booths(selling lottery tix, bingo, betting on giant dice being rolled)? These festivals are huge drunk fests, and almost all of the parishes have them, I’m talking 30-40 at least each year. When we were underage we’d hit all of em and get served over half the time. How does the Catholic Church defend this on their own grounds, taking in money directly from drunkeness and gambling?

 

[Ruthie_again]

Even getting drunk is morally neutral. Re-read the story of the wedding at Cana. The steward said, after the miracle, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:10, RSV)

So, it’s common for guests to have “drunk freely” to the point where they can’t tell good wine from poor wine. Jesus would have refused to make more wine if He hated drunkenness in and of itself. Getting squiffy during a celebration is OK.

It is when getting drunk becomes harmful that it is sinful. Alcoholism destroys families and lives. That’s where the grave sin comes in.

I agree that smoking is morally neutral. With a pack of smokes costing $4 or so these days, it certainly has a negative financial impact. Don’t tell me you can’t afford to get a prescription costing $4 when you have a pack of smokes in your pocket.

Of course, , I get to be holier-than-thou on this, because I quit when the price went up to a dollar a pack, and 'cuz I’m a sober alcoholic.

Tired to the point of incoherence,

Ruthie

 

[jackinbox]

Last time I was at the Vatican (2004), I saw plenty of priests smoking outside. At that time, the Vatican sold cigarettes (only to residents and employees). I’m not sure if they still sell them or not. But I have to think if smoking were considered a sin, they probably wouldn’t sell them.

 

[TedDC]

Another former Catholic bashing the Church…how shocking and predictable.

So, you’re unable or unwilling to address the points I raised?

 

[Kevroy]

Fr. Ripperger has a talk on smoking and drinking in the multimedia section on sensustraditionis.org He says that smoking is not a sin, and that drinking is a venial sin if you get a slight buzz and a mortal sin if you get good and drunk, unless you have a good reason to i.e. you need surgery and no other pain relief is available.

 

[HisWill777]

Fr. Ripperger has a talk on smoking and drinking in the multimedia section on sensustraditionis.org He says that smoking is not a sin, and that drinking is a venial sin if you get a slight buzz and a mortal sin if you get good and drunk, unless you have a good reason to i.e. you need surgery and no other pain relief is available.

So if your body is a temple, why isn’t knowingly harming that temple over and over a sin???

Someone please answer post #10: if drunkeness and the resulting sins that I see every year at these festivals is just wrong for Christians, why is it permitted/enabled by the Church???

 

[EmeraldWings]

I’ve always wondered then why every summer there are many Catholic Church festivals in our area with multiple beer tents and gambling booths(selling lottery tix, bingo, betting on giant dice being rolled)? These festivals are huge drunk fests, and almost all of the parishes have them, I’m talking 30-40 at least each year. When we were underage we’d hit all of em and get served over half the time. How does the Catholic Church defend this on their own grounds, taking in money directly from drunkeness and gambling?

well first of all, “The Catholic Church” does not even need to give permission for what is put in these festivals or bazaars, the parish priest is in charge of all that and sometimes they’re just not well educated enough…i mean like, at my church, which is the traditional Latin mass of the FSSP, they would *never *allow anything like that, because they are just so well educated and involved with their community,
i’m sure that if the bishops of these parishes knew, provided they were well enough educated themselves and not pulled into today’s modern way of thinking, they’d put a stop to it,
because yes i agree those things are very wrong what you described, and if you are really serious about it, contact your bishop, or talk to the parish priest about it first,
the Catholic Church does not allow that kind of behavior and would not knowingly raise money that way, it is individual parishes, and not every one.
if my parish, which there are over 60 of in the US, does not allow such things, then it is not the church, but individual persons…
you can do something about it, if you just keep Gods will in mind and the welfare of the Church as a whole, you can be an influence to turn things around, because it’s not that there isn’t anyone who disapproves of these things, it’s just that there’s not enough people willing to speak out against it.
of course i wouldn’t go radical on the matter or start speaking out against priests and the church…but to just voice your concerns to the priest or bishop about this issue could do alot, and of course prayer is important to.

and regarding this question…
"So if your body is a temple, why isn’t knowingly harming that temple over and over a sin??? "

well…i guess it depends on if someone actually *knows *the harm they are doing to themselves, i don’t think most people know what is really in cigarettes and what they do to them, and i’m not even sure the church knows, but that’s not to say that they don’t have an answer on this, i simply don’t know, and i’m still trying to find out, so don’t jump to any conclusions, if i can’t find the information on my own, i’ll ask my priest, cause he’s pretty good at finding things out like this.

 

[byers]

It isn’t the eating, drinking, smoking, eating with unwashed hands etc. that defile a man (sin). It’s what comes out of the heart.

Fornication, Adultery, Defrauding, Lying, Murder …you can find them in the bible where Our Lord speaks of this very thing.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Hello!

Is smoking a sin? I assume the answer is yes, since drugs like marijuana are sinful according to the Catholic Church.

If yes, is smoking a mortal or venial sin?

I know Jesus drank wine, so drinking itself is not sinful, but what about getting drunk? Is that a mortal, or venial, sin?

I ask because I have a Catholic family member who smokes and drinks heavily, so I am trying to gather evidence that the Church says it’s a no-no.
Thanks in advance.

Rather than trying to gather evidence to illuminate the human frailty in your family member, why wouldn’t you seek to find the good in them and either pray if you believe in praying for them or simply love them.
Jesus will judge your family member. You don’t need to.

 

[John21652]

If smoking is a sin myself and two Priests I know are dooooomed.

 

[EmeraldWings]

If smoking is a sin myself and two Priests I know are dooooomed.

it’s not mortally sinful, obviously, otherwise the church would have made that clear by now, but at the least it may be venial, because it certainly is not good for you, and in no way works to serve God or love Him in any way, and if anything it works against Him, because instead of seeking your comfort from Him, you’re seeking in from a stick of pure poison.

in regards to some of the other replies…

i think it’s very nice that the original poster is “gathering evidence” on the sinfulness of smoking and drinking, even if their choice of words were not best according to some, they are still clearly looking out for someone they love, and seeking the answers before approaching them about it, and their approach could be very sincere and loving and gentle, how do we know? really we don’t, and it’s rather uncharitable to assume this persons intentions are bad, only God knows our heart,
it was a good question, and as Catholics, we are called to instruct the ignorant, and admonish sinners, *if *we know better, and then we are to do it only in a loving manner, and so far i don’t see much love or kindness in either answering the original question or giving advice on how to handle the family members problems if any.

if the original poster needs advice on admonishing sinners, it should be given gently and lovingly, not accusingly, because they obviously came for help, and they are willing to listen, so there’s no need for this rashness.