Do you think Christians should smoke

Where Christians can get together and discuss

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21111
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 792 times
Been thanked: 1122 times
Contact:

Do you think Christians should smoke

Post #1

Post by JehovahsWitness »

One cannot become one of Jehovah's Witnesses if one smoke tobacco. Do you think Christians should smoke?

JW
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

User avatar
tam
Savant
Posts: 6443
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:59 pm
Has thanked: 353 times
Been thanked: 324 times
Contact:

Re: Do you think Christians should smoke

Post #2

Post by tam »

Peace to you JW,


I think it doesn't matter what I think.

It matters what Christ said. And He has reminded me of His words: it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean. It is what comes OUT of that man that makes him unclean.



Peace to you and to your household,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

User avatar
tam
Savant
Posts: 6443
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:59 pm
Has thanked: 353 times
Been thanked: 324 times
Contact:

Post #3

Post by tam »

Peace again to you JW, and it seems there is one thing more that I am to share with you from my Lord regarding this:
One cannot become one of Jehovah's Witnesses if one smoke tobacco.


“The apostles and the elders, your brothers, to those brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Ci·liʹcia who are from the nations: Greetings!Since we have heard that some went out from among us and caused you trouble with what they have said, trying to subvert you, although we did not give them any instructions, we have come to a unanimous decision to choose men to send to you together with our beloved Barʹna·bas and Paul, men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are therefore sending Judas and Silas, so that they also may report the same things by word of mouth. For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you except these necessary things: to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!�



May those with ears, hear. May those who wish them be granted ears TO hear, to get a sense of this truth, and to hear the Spirit and the Bride say to YOU, "Come!" Let anyone who thirsts, "Come! Take the free gift of the water of Life!"


Peace to you and to your household,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21111
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 792 times
Been thanked: 1122 times
Contact:

Post #4

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 3 by tam]

So do you think you can be a Christian and be in a religion that doesn't approve of smoking?

JW
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

User avatar
tam
Savant
Posts: 6443
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:59 pm
Has thanked: 353 times
Been thanked: 324 times
Contact:

Post #5

Post by tam »

JehovahsWitness wrote: [Replying to post 3 by tam]

So do you think you can be a Christian and be in a religion that doesn't approve of smoking?

JW


It is the men in charge of that religion who are the ones saying who can and cannot be a Christian: that one cannot be a Christian if one smokes tobacco.



I would ask by what right or authority do these men think to add burdens upon people that neither Christ nor the apostles added; thereby making it more difficult for people trying to come to Christ and to God.





Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21111
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 792 times
Been thanked: 1122 times
Contact:

Post #6

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 5 by tam]

Do you want to the answer the question or do you choose not to?
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

Elijah John
Savant
Posts: 12235
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:23 pm
Location: New England
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Post #7

Post by Elijah John »

What if one is a smoker and wants to quit? Can one then become a Jehovah's Witness?

If smoking is a sin (and the body a Temple), Jesus said he came to save sinners.

Do you agree with the hymn "Just as I Am"? Why wouldn't the "Lamb of God" bid "come" to smokers as well?
My theological positions:

-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.

I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21111
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 792 times
Been thanked: 1122 times
Contact:

Post #8

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Elijah John wrote: What if one is a smoker and wants to quit? Can one then become a Jehovah's Witness?
If one sincerely wants to quit, one does. A person can be baptised after they do this.

If smoking is a sin (and the body a Temple), Jesus said he came to save sinners.

Yes, this is true.

Do you agree with the hymn "Just as I Am"?

I haven't heard it but if the sentiment is, I will continue to willfully do what God says he hates and you (God) will shut up and take it and not complain, then... no.

Why wouldn't the "Lamb of God" bid "come" to smokers as well?

He does, he says "come and quit smoking"... anyone that sincerely wants to serve God is welcomed to so so. If one wants to please God though, practising some sins (habitually continuing to do certain things Jehovah hates) is not acceptable for Christian living.
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

Elijah John
Savant
Posts: 12235
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:23 pm
Location: New England
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Post #9

Post by Elijah John »

JehovahsWitness wrote:
Elijah John wrote: What if one is a smoker and wants to quit? Can one then become a Jehovah's Witness?
If one sincerely wants to quit, one does. A person can be baptised after they do this.

If smoking is a sin (and the body a Temple), Jesus said he came to save sinners.

Yes, this is true.

Do you agree with the hymn "Just as I Am"?

I haven't heard it but if the sentiment is, I will continue to willfully do what God says he hates and you (God) will shut up and take it and not complain, then... no.

Why wouldn't the "Lamb of God" bid "come" to smokers as well?

He does, he says "come and quit smoking"... anyone that sincerely wants to serve God is welcomed to so so. If one wants to please God though, practising some sins (habitually continuing to do certain things Jehovah hates) is not acceptable for Christian living.
Isn't that putting works ahead of Grace? What if a person thinks they will do better in their quest to give up smoking if they hang around a group of non-smokers such as Jehovah's Witnesses?

The way you paint it, you make it sound as though you have to be perfect to even join the Jehovah's Witnesses...many people come as they are in order to BE perfected...at least in other Christian circles.

In other words, folks often struggle with their addictions and by excluding those who struggle, one makes their struggle even harder.
My theological positions:

-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.

I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.

User avatar
catnip
Guru
Posts: 1007
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:40 am
Been thanked: 2 times

Post #10

Post by catnip »

JehovahsWitness wrote:
Elijah John wrote: What if one is a smoker and wants to quit? Can one then become a Jehovah's Witness?
If one sincerely wants to quit, one does. A person can be baptised after they do this.

If smoking is a sin (and the body a Temple), Jesus said he came to save sinners.

Yes, this is true.

Do you agree with the hymn "Just as I Am"?

I haven't heard it but if the sentiment is, I will continue to willfully do what God says he hates and you (God) will shut up and take it and not complain, then... no.

Why wouldn't the "Lamb of God" bid "come" to smokers as well?

He does, he says "come and quit smoking"... anyone that sincerely wants to serve God is welcomed to so so. If one wants to please God though, practising some sins (habitually continuing to do certain things Jehovah hates) is not acceptable for Christian living.
Again, as I said in the other thread: We are healed by God through faith. It isn't until we have repented and been baptised that the process begins. That means we have been accepted and we are part of the Christian community--sinners in hope of the healing that comes through faith.

I also want to note that Tam had an ironclad scriptural quote. Jesus also critisized the Pharisees for adding burdens and then not offering any help to help them.

You are talking of using censure and ostrasization (shunning, shaming) to insist that others stop sinning on their own. Had that been effective, Jesus would not have had to come to teach us how to live into faith. But that does not save us--even if we do manage to control our own sin, at least one sin, then we have gained nothing in faith by doing so.

Post Reply