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Church's view on Smoking

copticuser20copticuser20
edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
What is our church's view on smoking? I never really heard a priest say anything about it. Can people smoke in a church parking lot? Is smoking considered breaking your fast therefore you cannot take communion? I personally hate how cigarettes smell and I think the whole idea is a slow, addictive suicide.

Comments

  • mabsootamabsoota
    it's not recommended  ;)
    and you have to fast from smoking for 9 hours before Holy Communion.
    i imagine you should also not smoke for a few hours after taking Holy Communion as well, but i never asked anyone about this.
  • gregorytheSinnergregorytheSinner
    Based on what the people I asked told me, smoking is wrong in the sense that it's harmful to the body. 
  • imikhailimikhail
    Smoking deteriorates one's health and the health of those who may come in contact with the smoker while he/she is smoking. Health is a gift from God and a talent that He left gave us to invest and we will be asked about the way we used it.

    Smoking also controls the person in a way that he/she cannot break the habit. God created us as masters to rule the world and not otherwise. The only control we should be under is the Holy Spirit.

    Smoking prevents the smoker from communion and what else keeps us from communion except sin.

    Thus, smoking is a sin and should be dropped.
  • CopticPeteCopticPete
    I dont think its that black and white imikhail.  Yes smoking is clearly bad for you, but it isn't something thats actually prohibited by the church.  A servant in my church was telling me recently how in his lifetime priests even used to be smokers and how once mass was over they would go outside and smoke.  It was only recently where anyone being ordained a priest had to be a non-smoker first or quit.  Its obviously wrong to let something have control over you like that but I dont think its actually a sin.
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    What is sin though? It is not a list of things that must not be done, that is Judaism or Islam. To sin is to seek our own self-will rather than that of God. Many things are permissible but are not God's will for us and are therefore sin for the one who cannot act with faith.
  • imikhailimikhail
    Any habit that strips us off from God in any way is a sin. Why? separation from God is sin.

    Now the question we should be answering is: Does smoking separate us from God? Yes and in many ways as I mentioned in my last post.

  • colugicolugi
    hi all... question, if you get cancer from smoking or something like that and lets say you die from the cancer and it is sure that the cancer came from the smoking, then doesn't that mean that you have in a way caused self harm to yourself and soo kinda in a way suicide and like i heard that people who suicide dont go to heaven soo like... yeh... i dont know... like so if you smoke does that mean you are kinda suiciding?

    well either way i kinda think smokers are selffish, not only do they wanna smoke away their lungs, but others too (i dont know about u but i always hold my breath in front or next to someone smoking like if i am just passing by them on the path or something  ;D, i think it smells really funny :D) yeh well anyway... i dont know if what i said made sense or if its correct or anything like that soo yeh... anyway, cya
  • andrew8345andrew8345
    [quote author=CopticPete link=topic=10959.msg133073#msg133073 date=1300220498]
    A servant in my church was telling me recently how in his lifetime priests even used to be smokers and how once mass was over they would go outside and smoke.  It was only recently where anyone being ordained a priest had to be a non-smoker first or quit.


    I have never heard of that. How old is your servant and where was this occurring? I'm a little skeptical about whether that is true.

    As for the issue of smoking - I don't think it is any different from eating a double cheeseburger. Both are bad for your health but you do it anyways because of some pleasure you derive from it. In that sense it could be a sin because you are seeking pleasure in a way that is not beneficial to you. But in that case is eating unhealthy foods a sin as well? Am I wrong to link unhealthy eating with smoking? If so, what is the difference?
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    No, I don't think you are wrong to link them. In the sense that both are generally harmful to the bodies we have been gifted by God, and both can be evidence of unhealthy habits.

    It is not a sin to smoke a single cigarette or to eat a single burger. That is not what sin is. But to allow harmful habits to dominate us is sin. To be unable to fast because of such habits is sin. To encourage such habits is sin.To lack self-control is sin.

    I am sure that in fact faithful Christians should be more concerned about all that they eat and drink and how they live. I know that I should be. If we are slowly killing ourselves through our lifestyles then we are culpable.
  • CopticPeteCopticPete
    Unworthy1 I was just as skeptical at first but the servant isn't much older than 40, and hes a veryy well respected servant in our church so I doubt I was misinformed.  Just like Father Peter said the act of smoking in itself isn't the sin, but letting it takeover you and becoming addicted to something of that sorts is the sin. 
  • sherrymikhail04sherrymikhail04
    [quote author=Unworthy1 link=topic=10959.msg133117#msg133117 date=1300261204]
    [quote author=CopticPete link=topic=10959.msg133073#msg133073 date=1300220498]
    A servant in my church was telling me recently how in his lifetime priests even used to be smokers and how once mass was over they would go outside and smoke.  It was only recently where anyone being ordained a priest had to be a non-smoker first or quit.


    I have never heard of that. How old is your servant and where was this occurring? I'm a little skeptical about whether that is true.



    This is very true... Around Pope Kyrollos' time, so like the 50s and 60s the monks in the monasteries used to smoke, they used to bring boxes to the monasteries and it was sold to the monks. I think it was a social habit and not many were addicted to it like people are now. It was not until the world realised how bad smoking was for you that they pushed for quitting smoking. - I recall this information from a bishop telling us.

    And I think I remember hearing that Pope Kyrollos knew of it's damage and how it is an addictive drug and also mentioned this. (I think I heard this lol I think I think)
  • HolmesHolmes
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    St. Paul puts it nicely (and I know, this has be used over and over again, but it is still pertinent): 'All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.' (1 Cor. 6:12; emphasis mine).

    As Fr. Peter said, when we lose self-control, when we give in to our self-will over God's will, that is when we sin.
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