Ok people I get to leave the office now! If I offended anyone please accept my apologies! I do admit I had my own selfish agenda on this thread. I have also been made aware that I am addicted to arguements. So I will try to break this addiction starting with AFF. My goal is to stay away from the argumentative threads.
well personally I want to thank you! I needed to get my post count up. ive been off my game the last few days with work and sundry other distractions!
Ive got a couple of posters nipping at my heals right now so it was a good day all in all!
bagged a couple of liberals, got the post count up, who can complain?
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
I'm not interpreting your position for you. I'm taking you at the words I'm reading, which is something we all do. But if you think I'm misunderstanding you, I've asked to to clarify.
Ok, I'm back. I had an incident here at work and one of my employees is in the Med Center right now, and the paperwork and phone calls are overwhelming.
Anyway, here's my position:
I DO think smoking is a sin. Is it a sin that will send you to hell?
I'm not sure that I can say the act of smoking a cigarette will send one to hell, but I would say that any person who desires to please God, and who's heart is right before God would want to rid themselves of this filthy, destructive habit.
If there is a person who does not WANT to stop smoking, and is looking for a loophole to continue smoking, I would say they have "heart" issues, and I can definitively state that a heart issue can cause a person to be lost.
I would say this about many things that the Bible does not specifically call out as sin, so it's not just smoking. Smoking is an outward manifestation of an inward craving that is not controlled.
Now, I realize there are people who have recently been saved who may be struggling to rid themselves of the addiction, but I can also say that anyone who really wants to quit can and will quit. My father is a shining example of this. Before he was saved, he was a two pack a day smoker, and drank all of his money away. He was twice divorced, a bar room brawler, and when he met my mother, she told him she would never dream of dating him until he got saved. He was baptized in Jesus' name, received the Holy Ghost, and to this day - 47 years later - he has never touched another drop of alcohol, nor had nicotine to his lips.
Again, let me emphatically state that I believe smoking is a sin, and for the same reasons many of my worthy opponents on this thread have stated, and if a person's heart is right with God, they will WANT to quit this habit, as well as many others.
Now, to my original point, it's inconsistent to tell someone that the habit of smoking in and of itself will send them to hell, because it's destroying their body, when we don't tell them the same thing about other destructive habits.
Hopefully, that's straightforward enough for you, 2020!
__________________ "Many people view their relationship with God like a "color by number" picture. It's easier to let someone else define the boundaries, tell them which blanks to fill in, and what color to use than it is for them to take a blank canvas and seek inspiration from the Source in order to paint their own masterpiece"
I didn't write the book...just telling you how we treat it in substance abuse counseling Anything can be an addiction...just like mine is chocolate
I know you didn't write the book, Rhoni, that wasn't my point.
I would totally agree that smoking is an addiction. There is a part of the brain that nicotine travels to that makes a person feel temporarily calmer.
But, to classify it as a mental illness? Unbelievable!
__________________ "Many people view their relationship with God like a "color by number" picture. It's easier to let someone else define the boundaries, tell them which blanks to fill in, and what color to use than it is for them to take a blank canvas and seek inspiration from the Source in order to paint their own masterpiece"
Hey Mike while you were gone we lobbed some molotov cocktails at each other, shot from the hip,
then settled down to the dirty business of answering the question.
so to catch you up.
smoking is a sin. eating too much is not glutany. drinking 12 cokes is a sin. one cup of coffee a day isnt.
we need to learn the difference between moderation where some things are concerned and the need to abstain from other things that are harmful from the get-go.
problem solved, post counts raised, and all is right in the world.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Now, to my original point, it's inconsistent to tell someone that the habit of smoking in and of itself will send them to hell, because it's destroying their body, when we don't tell them the same thing about other destructive habits.
So it's an underlying principle across the board that you would like to see taught which is what 20/20 has been saying his pastor teaches.
__________________
His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
Moderation where there is something of value. Not moderation with something that has no value.
You cannot have moderation in adultry. You cannot have moderation in gluttany, you cannot have moderation in smoking.
You can eat bacon in moderation. You can drink caffiene in moderation.
you can even eat ice cream in moderation (or so I have heard)....I would even argue that a glass of wine is not only moderate but biblical...although I do not drink alcohol.
Hey Mike while you were gone we lobbed some molotov cocktails at each other, shot from the hip,
then settled down to the dirty business of answering the question.
so to catch you up.
smoking is a sin. eating too much is not glutany. drinking 12 cokes is a sin. one cup of coffee a day isnt.
we need to learn the difference between moderation where some things are concerned and the need to abstain from other things that are harmful from the get-go.
problem solved, post counts raised, and all is right in the world.
Yeah, I just read thru the entire thread, and had to refrain from posting responses so I wouldn't lose my place!
I am complete and total agreement with this!
I would like to see health classes taught as part of "taking care of the temple".
Let me recap:
*I am firmly AGAINST smoking, it is a filthy, destructive habit, and it is detrimental for anyone who is trying to please God.
*I think we need to teach it as such, instead of just telling people they will go to hell if they do it.
*I think we need to teach people the same thing about eating, drinking, general nutrition, etc.
Some may say, "There's no place in the church for that type of teaching".
Well, I beg to differ - If God thought it was important enough to teach the Israelites about nutrition and avoiding disease to devote entire chapters in the OT, I do not think we would be out of line to teach it in 2008. ESPECIALLY in 2008!
__________________ "Many people view their relationship with God like a "color by number" picture. It's easier to let someone else define the boundaries, tell them which blanks to fill in, and what color to use than it is for them to take a blank canvas and seek inspiration from the Source in order to paint their own masterpiece"
So it's an underlying principle across the board that you would like to see taught which is what 20/20 has been saying his pastor teaches.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
__________________ "Many people view their relationship with God like a "color by number" picture. It's easier to let someone else define the boundaries, tell them which blanks to fill in, and what color to use than it is for them to take a blank canvas and seek inspiration from the Source in order to paint their own masterpiece"
Ok, I'm back. I had an incident here at work and one of my employees is in the Med Center right now, and the paperwork and phone calls are overwhelming.
Anyway, here's my position:
I DO think smoking is a sin. Is it a sin that will send you to hell?
I'm not sure that I can say the act of smoking a cigarette will send one to hell, but I would say that any person who desires to please God, and who's heart is right before God would want to rid themselves of this filthy, destructive habit.
If there is a person who does not WANT to stop smoking, and is looking for a loophole to continue smoking, I would say they have "heart" issues, and I can definitively state that a heart issue can cause a person to be lost.
I would say this about many things that the Bible does not specifically call out as sin, so it's not just smoking. Smoking is an outward manifestation of an inward craving that is not controlled.
Now, I realize there are people who have recently been saved who may be struggling to rid themselves of the addiction, but I can also say that anyone who really wants to quit can and will quit. My father is a shining example of this. Before he was saved, he was a two pack a day smoker, and drank all of his money away. He was twice divorced, a bar room brawler, and when he met my mother, she told him she would never dream of dating him until he got saved. He was baptized in Jesus' name, received the Holy Ghost, and to this day - 47 years later - he has never touched another drop of alcohol, nor had nicotine to his lips.
Again, let me emphatically state that I believe smoking is a sin, and for the same reasons many of my worthy opponents on this thread have stated, and if a person's heart is right with God, they will WANT to quit this habit, as well as many others.
Now, to my original point, it's inconsistent to tell someone that the habit of smoking in and of itself will send them to hell, because it's destroying their body, when we don't tell them the same thing about other destructive habits.
Hopefully, that's straightforward enough for you, 2020!
Nothing like exchanging 20 posts only for the other guy to say he's saying the same thing! ha! Well, with exception to the part in bold, which I haven't quite decided yet how it can be reconciled: I DO think smoking is a sin. Is it a sin that will send you to hell?
I'm not sure that I can say the act of smoking a cigarette will send one to hell,
But I'm never quick to press the "Go to Hell" button. As long as we can agree it's sinful though!
Nothing like exchanging 20 posts only for the other guy to say he's saying the same thing! ha! Well, with exception to the part in bold, which I haven't quite decided yet how it can be reconciled: I DO think smoking is a sin. Is it a sin that will send you to hell?
I'm not sure that I can say the act of smoking a cigarette will send one to hell,
But I'm never quick to press the "Go to Hell" button. As long as we can agree it's sinful though!
I knew we agreed, it just took a while to get there!
I go back to my original premise, if a born again Christian doesn't want to stop smoking, there is something not quite right in their heart, and a wrong heart will cause someone to be lost - plain and simple.
__________________ "Many people view their relationship with God like a "color by number" picture. It's easier to let someone else define the boundaries, tell them which blanks to fill in, and what color to use than it is for them to take a blank canvas and seek inspiration from the Source in order to paint their own masterpiece"
Anything can be an addiction...just like mine is chocolate
My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 
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