I would argue that smoking in moderation is not damaging at all. I am talking about smoking natural tobacco used for pipes and cigars. The chemical laden and rat poison infested fake tobacco used to make modern cigarettes is quite dangerous, addictive, and non-healthy. Pope St. Pius X was an avid cigar smoker. All things in moderation my dear lady. If you eat overly sugary foods, then you can develop diabetes, cancer, and heart disease yet we do not call for bread and pasta to be banned. I am a firm believer in the cave man diet. We should eat foods that are non-processed such as green vegetables, fish, and organic meat. The reason that we have a weight and so many health problems in America is because its citizens eat to much refined sugar in their diets. You probably do not have the above problems as I am sure the Persian diet is far more natural and healthy than the American diet.

That's a good point --

"Smoking" used to be A) relatively cheap and B) a simple smoking of tobacco leaves.

Now, smoking is a huge waste of money, and modern cigarettes have literally a THOUSAND other substances in them besides tobacco. They are designed to be addictive, and are known to cause numerous health problems.

Because of the new substances added to strengthen the addiction, they will make a man more tempted (than he would normally be) to keep smoking, even if his family BEGINS TO need the money elsewhere.

St. Pius X smoked cigars, right?  Not Marlboro cigarettes. There IS a difference.

But we're not St. Pius X, and we don't live in 1910 with its particular mix of intelligence and ignorance. They really didn't know how harmful smoking was -- or maybe smoking pure tobacco isn't as harmful as today's cigarettes?

People love having a good excuse to do something harmful, a bad idea, worldly, or all of the above. The old, "Fr. X said he watched Lord of the Rings. Therefore, I'm going to watch network TV, indiscriminately, on a regular basis."

At any rate, I'm sure that people using cell phones today aren't committing a sin, but in 40 years when people are dying left and right from brain tumors, using a cell phone will be considered self-harm... or even attempted ѕυιcιdє (just kidding).

Matthew

As far as eating too much sugar, etc. it's more about mortification than health.

Things that are bad for your health are usually pleasurable as well. We're not forbidden to have any kind of pleasure (as long as it's licit and within the bounds of what is permitted) but some saints chose to even forego "lawful pleasures" to grow in holiness -- to make a small sacrifice to show God how much they loved Him.

We can't say the saints were wasting their time or being extreme, but we also can't say it's a serious sin to have a fast-food hamburger.

Matthew

Like with everything, taking care of one's health must be done in moderation.

You can offend by excess (too much care of the body) or defect (not enough care).

If taking care of your health interferes with your duties of state (because you're working out for 3 hours a day, or you have to spend too much money on expensive health food, etc.) you might want to moderate things a bit.

If you don't want to go outside, because you think the sun will damage your fair skin, that would also be an excess.

But you can also sin by "defect":

"Letting yourself go" and never getting fresh air or exercising, eating mostly junk food, etc. has to be wrong, because you're throwing away the health God gave you -- and God gives you gifts so you can use them for His glory, not so they can be destroyed.

Matthew

Lets just say I know what "high" feels like in an existential way and djarum cigarettes do not make you "high" at all.

Quote from: Alex

Quote from: Dylan

I agree with sedetrad. I used to smoke Marlboro cigarettes which are filled with many types of chemicals but, I stopped smoking those in favor of Djarum Kretek cigarettes which don't contain those chemicals, but only tobacco, cloves, and spice and fruit sauce. All in moderation, of course.

Don't Djarum cigarettes make you high? I've smoked a couple and I got high.

Nope, they're just a blend of tobacco, cloves, and spice and fruit sauce. Nothing that could cause intoxication. You probably just got light headed, which happens if you haven't smoked in a while.

Yes. I got light-headed. I don't smoke so maybe that is why trying the Djarums made me feel like I was high.

Any type of smoking can cause an addiction, Catholics that enjoy smoking should attempt to mortify this passion.

ANY THING can become addictive.

I love it when people, trads included, tell me I shouldn't smoke, it's bad for the health.  I tell them they shouldn't tell other people what they should and soulndn't do - it is bad for their health.