Being a student in Chicago, seeing people smoke cigarettes or cigars is a daily occurrence and annoyance; whether it’s on the streets, in an alley or at the bus stop, there’s always the bright, flicker of a flame from a lighter and someone puffing rings of thick smoke out of their mouths and unpleasantly into mine. As I start to cough and feel lightheaded from these secondhand fumes, I curiously wonder to myself how many of these classy people could actually be believers, knowing now that there were probably more than I assumed.
But is smoking sinful and can it be backed up by the truth of the bible? Answering this question with a “yes” invites the need for answers to several other questions pertaining to our lifestyles as well. Is it okay to drink coffee, soda and energy drinks habitually? How much is too much? There is a terrible inconsistency among the way Christians view these activities and something like smoking in regards to sin.In order to make the claim that smoking is indeed wrong, it must be examined objectively without prejudice that it also causes these other factors in our lives to be questioned and put under scrutiny as to whether they are truly within the guidelines of God’s word and authoritative truth. This can be difficult, but it must be done if we are to distinguish smoking as sinful behavior or not.
Smoking is one of those things that I always thought looked inherently wrong, but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily judged by the bible as such. It seems that due to its implicit connection to some general teachings from several scriptures and along with support from external scientific evidence relating to the addiction and damaging diseases it causes, it is certainly viewed as both sinful behavior and unhealthy for our bodies. However, the only way to denounce smoking as biblically sinful as many Christians popularly assert, is to also denounce the other essentially “less-wrong-looking” things Christians do regularly that the bible still defines as sinful, which is usually not met with the same enthusiasm as you can imagine. Excessive materialism, addictive caffeinated beverages, unhealthy foods and diets, lack of exercise and becoming overweight are all relevant, everyday examples that Christians should condemn if their claims on smoking as sinful are to be met with any credibility and taken seriously. We are hesitant to admit it, but Christians are slowly discovering that the fingers we so quickly thrust at smokers with are being directed right back to ourselves, uncomfortably pointing out our own immoral blemishes. And when it becomes personal, and we see that our daily lifestyles and habits are put on the same chopping block, proving smoking as wrong suddenly isn’t that important.
To someone like me, smoking may look wrong and sinful, but a person being addicted to caffeine or excessively buying tons of clothes can be argued to be just as sinful, even if it does seem more innocent and ordinary. The problem then ultimately lies not in proving smoking as a sinful act, but in the manner Christians are using scripture to form hasty accusations and make crooked judgments in their condemnation of it without realizing the hypocrisy their lives ironically fall into because of those very same scriptures. In the strict western Christian setting for example, smoking is readily biased against as being immoral because of the nasty health problems it incurs. Paul says our bodies are living temples of God that belong to him and he ultimately demands our respect in what we choose to put into them. Nonetheless, other activities practiced in American society among Christians and unbelievers like unnecessarily eating junk food, not exercising, and being overweight are both detrimental to our health and therefore, just as sinful by the same biblical principle to honor God with our bodies. However, because of their association with the cultural norms in our modern society, they are easier to accept and overlook among the Christian realm. This act of nitpicking the extent of the application of God’s word and choosing which verses in the bible are to be taken more seriously in our daily lives as believers is leading to a wobbly double-standard mindset in Christians.
Smoking is blown up and dramatized to become such a big deal, yet the other things the bible teaches against related to the same values are quietly swept under the rug, never to be discussed because Christians selfishly don’t want to justify smoking as sinful if it means having to put that same label on all the other things they love to do that are equally biblically questionable, but widely and publicly acceptable. I would almost go as far as to say that Christians are fully aware of this loophole, but choose ignorance out of convenience, rather than to practice what they preach or apparently claim the bible preaches (when it suits them of course). Instead, the Christian crowd casually participates in these “lesser” and seemingly more “ordinary” sins that are culturally pleasing to the eye, and says they are simply common to the times when compared to the ultra scandalous topic of smoking. While I do whole-heartedly condemn smoking as wrong and immoral through scripture, even if the bible does not explicitly say to not smoke, I understand that it means I must then hold the other overlooked sins that have become a part of our normal routines with the same regard and not be partial in my judgment; the major point to keep in focus is simply this: smoking is sinful and because of that definition, many other immoral things we get away with in today’s society, no matter how much we try to dress them up to be acceptable, are sinful as well.
The bible teaches against smoking and other activities that damage our God-given bodies, both physically and spiritually. The main verse Christians always seem to reference the most in response to smoking is Romans 12:1, in which Paul writes: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God –this is your spiritual act of worship.” In conjunction with the previously mentioned scripture from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 pertaining to our bodies as living temples to honor God, this verse further affirms that Christians should please God by presenting their bodies as holy and in full devotion to him. In keeping the bodies graciously given to us, we need to be responsible in maintaining them and smoking severely hinders our response and obedience to that task. Physically, smoking is proven to cause cardiovascular cancer, lung disease and a higher risk of heart attacks. With these harmful results, it’s plain to see that our human bodies are just not designed to inhale the cigarette smoke and function properly, but many people still sacrifice the slow decay and damaging effects inside for the temporary pleasure and release from stress that a cigarette provides for them. In 1 Corinthians 10:23-34, Paul states that while everything is permissible, not everything is necessarily beneficial or constructive, like smoking for instance. Though Christians who smoke may seem okay, they and unbelievers cannot deny the adverse health effects from smoking and the fact that it is guaranteed to shorten their lives, if not make it absolutely miserable as they grow older. Spiritually speaking, smoking can alter a person’s mind and eventually ensnare them into the trap of addiction. The cravings for tobacco can seriously harm our ability to discern God’s will and because of the addictiveness of the substance nicotine that is found in cigarettes, it can wrap up our lives in the habit, getting in the way of our relationship with Him. It is then impossible and foolish for Christians to claim they can smoke leisurely and not fall into dependence. Christians and unbelievers possess the same bodies, with the same features, weaknesses and ultimate end: death. If Christians could argue they won’t get addicted, what’s their reasoning for wanting to be teetering so close to temptation anyway? But even if Christians believe that smoking leisurely does not constitute as sin, they cannot deny the clear implications of the addiction that smoking is guaranteed to lead to, which is a sin because it obviously breaks the 2nd Commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them…” The spiritual effects of smoking on our minds are just as serious as the physical effects on our bodies.
As it can be clearly seen, smoking is both physically and spiritually bad for our bodies and gets in the way of God’s commands for our lives. However, Christians put plenty of other things in their bodies that are just as unhealthy without giving it a second thought. I see an example of this everyday among the majority of the people at Moody Bible Institute right here in Chicago. These people who participate don’t necessarily look like sinners or evil rebels as smokers are often depicted as, but they do resemble normal, law-abiding citizens. They can be students, teenagers, adults, employees, teachers, professors, pastors and basically anyone consisting of your average Joe, holding a cup of Joe, which brings me to my next point. Coffee has always been popular, but for college students especially, its caffeine reigns supreme as the law of the land for those last minute crams for writing papers into the wee hours of the morning. And students aren’t just turning to coffee or simple soda for their caffeine fix anymore. While coffee continues to be the staple source, energy drinks are now the advent of this caffeine-powered generation and are becoming more commonly consumed. But even though coffee drinkers and the like are usually viewed more positively than cigarette smokers, they are still measured crooked by the holy standards of the bible. The caffeine in these beverages is still physically and spiritually bad for our bodies, but it gets less of a reputation for being sinful because it simply looks normal. Surprisingly then, caffeine has the greater potential for leading to sinful behavior because the addiction or health effects aren’t as negatively seen or discussed, as in the case with the college crowd where it is viewed with a lighter connotation. Smoking however, is fiercely advocated against and campaigned early on in schools and to kids in health classes for the secular reasons of it just being physically bad for you. So while smoking is seen among most Christians and unbelievers to be bad for you (at least physically), caffeine is more widely accepted for both because of its lesser effects, causing a deception for those that are Christians that stress the bible’s commands, as opposed to those who don’t care about the spiritual aspect anyway. Mildly drinking coffee can’t be warranted as sinful, but when it becomes an everyday routine and you can’t fully wake up without a cup, then it becomes the same issue as with being addicted to smoking. In a way, the physical repercussions of caffeine are directly connected to the spiritual side effects; once someone’s diet becomes heavily involved with the caffeine from coffee, soda, or energy drinks, their body will physically grow dependent on them and show withdrawal symptoms of fatigue, headaches, lack of concentration, restlessness, and sleeping problems if they don’t continue to feed their caffeine cravings, which leads to the spiritual problem of using caffeine as a crutch that hinders their devotion and relationship with the Lord, making it sinful. When it gets that far, and people can’t even get out of bed without depending on their morning coffee rituals or always have bloodshot eyes from the caffeine keeping them up on those late nights, it’s obvious that there’s a problem. Nonetheless, this bias of treating caffeine differently causes Christians to be hypocritical when they judge smokers as sinful by the bible, for the bible seems to condemn both activities.
In closing, we Christians now more than ever, need to be consciously aware of our faith and value our obedience to God more than we value certain activities or lifestyles that may seem normal because of our culture, but are still sinful in God’s eyes. In a fast-paced, changing world that can easily trip us up in these situations and cause us to be hypocrites, we need to humble ourselves and continually seek God. We should not seek the temporary comfort from the material things of this world or put them off as just easier to accept than to make a fuss about, but we should test everything by scripture and glorify God in all that we do. Indeed, in Romans 12:2, Paul further urges to not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by renewing our mind so we can properly see and discern God’s will. Smoking and coffee may be some of the things we have to give up even if our surroundings tell us it’s normal, for as believers, we are not made into the image of the world, but designed in the image of God’s.
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