Can Christians smoke and drink beer?

ewq1938

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Furthermore, God doesn't want us using stimulants such as drugs.


Not all stimulants are "drugs" per se' at least in the negative sense. "drugs" like caffeine are natural and created by God and in many natural foods. Most are familiar with it in coffee beans where a little stimulant is good and helpful in the morning or when tired etc.
 
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Kiterius

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Can Christians smoke and drink beer?
Maybe 1 package of cigarette per day, 1 pint of beer per day.
Is that allowable?

My own view is that Christians can smoke and drink beer, but that they shouldn't smoke. The harmful effects of smoking are quite clear now. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and so we should honor God with our bodies. I think it's fine for Christians to have the odd beer, however in no way should we ever get drunk.
 
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fm107

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Not all stimulants are "drugs" per se' at least in the negative sense. "drugs" like caffeine are natural and created by God and in many natural foods. Most are familiar with it in coffee beans where a little stimulant is good and helpful in the morning or when tired etc.

Obviously. Are you seriously trying to nitpick? Try to understand the spirit of what I'm saying instead of going by the letter of what I said.

You make yourself look bad trying to find fault like that. I hope you don't do that in your day to day life, it doesn't look good!
 
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ewq1938

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My own view is that Christians can smoke and drink beer, but that they shouldn't smoke. The harmful effects of smoking are quite clear now. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and so we should honor God with our bodies. I think it's fine for Christians to have the odd beer, however in no way should we ever get drunk.

Ever went camping and cooking food on a fire? You breath in more of that smoke than someone smoking more than one cig...humans breathed harmful smoke since the beginning of humanity. Only modern kitchens have freed us from that but it's an issue in many places in the world. I also have a family member who is 87 and has smoked daily since a teenager and has no cancer or breathing problems. They are in great health for 87...I agree smoking in general is not healthy but it's different for each person and it's also an issue with modern chemicals in cigs vs. natural tabbaco...
 
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Kiterius

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Ever went camping and cooking food on a fire? You breath in more of that smoke than someone smoking more than one cig...humans breathed harmful smoke since the beginning of humanity. Only modern kitchens have freed us from that but it's an issue in many places in the world. I also have a family member who is 87 and has smoked daily since a teenager and has no cancer or breathing problems. They are in great health for 87...I agree smoking in general is not healthy but it's different for each person and it's also an issue with modern chemicals in cigs vs. natural tabbaco...

There is at least some truth in your final statement. Many of the carcinogens in mass-produced cigarettes are in the paper used to roll the smokes.
 
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ewq1938

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Obviously. Are you seriously trying to nitpick? Try to understand the spirit of what I'm saying instead of going by the letter of what I said.

You make yourself look bad trying to find fault like that. I hope you don't do that in your day to day life, it doesn't look good!


Let's stick to the subject being discussed and not the person in a personal way :)

As I said, there is nothing wrong with caffeine . It is not bad for you, it is not a sin, and if you disagree then prove it.
 
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Kiterius

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Let's stick to the subject being discussed and not the person in a personal way :)

As I said, there is nothing wrong with caffeine . It is not bad for you, it is not a sin, and if you disagree then prove it.

There's actually something wrong with having too much caffeine.
 
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ewq1938

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There's actually something wrong with having too much caffeine.


There's something wrong with drinking too much water too. Kinda goes without the need to be said :)
 
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ewq1938

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Of course. Less caffeine is required to do harm than is water.

You can make the same argument about anything really. Fact is, caffeine is not harmful to us and not forbidden by God and too much of anything is always bad.
 
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ewq1938

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Caffeine is harmful in that it is highly addictive.

That's a matter of opinion. I consume it but am not addicted. This is the same as claiming drinking milk or eating candy is a dangerous addiction. As I said, too much of anything is bad but these things in moderation are not.

Caffeine: How much is too much? - Mayo Clinic

"Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks."

Caffeine: how does it affect our health?

"The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) state that the average amount of caffeine consumed in the US is approximately 300 mg per person per day - the equivalent to between two and four cups of coffee. This is considered to be a moderate caffeine intake, which according to many studies, can promote a variety of health benefits."

"Caffeine acts as a stimulant by activating the central nervous system. It can combat tiredness and improve concentration and focus."

"Caffeine's potential health benefits
As well as its stimulating effects, caffeine has been heralded for providing an array of health benefits.

upload_2017-1-18_17-9-46.gif

Some studies have suggested that drinking three or four cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk of liver, mouth and throat cancer.
Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that consuming three cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk of liver cancer by 50%, while another study suggests that drinking four cups a day could halve the risk of mouth and throat cancer.

Caffeine consumption has also been associated with positive effects on the brain.

Last year, a study from the Harvard School of Public Health suggested that drinking between two and four cups of coffee a day may reduce suicide risk in adults, while more recent research found that ingesting 200 mg of caffeine each day may boost long-term memory.

Other studies have also suggested that caffeine intake may protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke."
 
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roamer_1

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I think it's fine for Christians to have the odd beer, however in no way should we ever get drunk.

I don't think there's anything wrong with tying one on every now and then... The getting a little lit and loosening up kind, not the sloppy drunk, can't stand up, falling in the campfire kind.

The admonition is against being a drunkard - which implies a frequency of drunkenness, not a particular degree... Similar to the abuse of food, being obese. Eating moderately does not discount the occasional feast.
 
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Kiterius

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I don't think there's anything wrong with tying one on every now and then... The getting a little lit and loosening up kind, not the sloppy drunk, can't stand up, falling in the campfire kind.

The admonition is against being a drunkard - which implies a frequency of drunkenness, not a particular degree... Similar to the abuse of food, being obese. Eating moderately does not discount the occasional feast.

I disagree. The admonition, I believe, is against any degree of being a drunkard. This would include the momentary drunkenness of occasionally being bombed.
 
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ewq1938

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סבא
sâbâ'
saw-baw'
A primitive root; to quaff to satiety, that is, become tipsy: - drunkard, fill self, Sabean, [wine-] bibber.


This is to be so drunk you can't walk correctly and can easily "tip over" and fall. That is well beyond buzzed but is absolute drunkenness.


H5433
סבא
sâbâ'
BDB Definition:
1) to drink heavily or largely, imbibe
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to imbibe
1a2) wine-bibber, drunkard (participle) (substantive)
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1455

Again, the thought is consuming a large amount of alcohol.
 
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John Tholms

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I too have been meaning to ask about addictions. I got at least three I can think of; I was holding on to my past, the smell of asbestos in an old car that my older sister used to own. I rarely drink; but when I do, I think to myself why would Christ turn water to wine, "moderation". One of my addictions; the worst of them, the one I'd rather not mention because of what it is. I don't even know why I still do this; as well as "violent video games".

What does Paul really mean about the mirror?
 
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ewq1938

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Online Etymology Dictionary

"
tipsy (adj.)
1570s, from tip (v.1); compare drowsy, flimsy, tricksy. Later associated with tipple. Tipsy-cake (1806) was stale cake saturated with wine or liquor.

tip (v.1)
c. 1300, "to knock down, overturn, topple, knock askew" (transitive), of uncertain origin, possibly from Scandinavian (compare Swedish tippa "to tip, dump"), or from a special use of tip (n.). Intransitive sense of "to fall over, be overturned" is from mid-15c. Related: Tipped; tipping. To tip the scales at "weigh (so much" is from 1879. Tipping point attested by 1972. To tip (one's) hand "reveal one's intentions" is from 1907, an image from poker-playing.
 
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~Anastasia~

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You must not be in a Greek Orthodox church.... I mean, a really GREEK Orthodox church. LOL, even the priests smoke and drink. Nothing wrong with it if not in excess...

Yes, I am in a "really Greek Orthodox Church" ... ;)

Most of our parishioners were born in Greece. A good many still spend a good bit of time there. Greek is spoken at coffee hour. And one of the first things I saw was at a makaria - everyone drank, including the priest. No one got drunk. And while I imagine surely some of them smoke, I've never seen any of them do so (I usually see them mostly on Church grounds.)

But I wasn't reporting what happens at my Church, though it actually follows the advice I offered. Drinking is NOT prohibited by Scripture, but getting drunk is. Cigarettes aren't good for you and IMO serve no useful purpose worth defending.
 
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roamer_1

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I disagree. The admonition, I believe, is against any degree of being a drunkard. This would include the momentary drunkenness of occasionally being bombed.

The definition of 'drunkard' denotes being habitually drunk, not an incident of drunkenness.
I would agree with you except in that getting carried away upon occasion, where getting 'happy' went too far is entirely different than living the life of a sot.

Bear in mind, I don't think I killed a cold-pack all last year... But several of them were in a row at a hoedown on the back 40 of a local ranch, where we had a bonfire, a makeshift dance floor, half a cow on the grill, and a live band. I had me a high old time, probably got a touch past happy and stayed that way for quite a while... The night was warm, the women were fine, the dancin was fun, and I even got up and did a little pickin and grinnin with the band.

I wasn't slobbering drunk, but I was most definitely tooted.
I had a great time, and my conscience is clear.
 
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