Smoking

FL_Panthers

I heard that the witnesses used to smoke back in the day.

is this true? If so, what was the reasoning behind this?

OneEyedJoe

It's true, but there wasn't really any 'reasoning' behind it. They just didn't force people not to smoke until the 70's I think. Lots of people couldn't quit and were DF'd.

hoser

It is all about the corporate image. Just like the rule against beards.

Phizzy

There is a photo on-line of Bethel in the early Twenties, and one guy, looks like he is a Printer, is smiling away with a ciggie in his mouth.

I lived through the time when it was not a DF offense, and of course was there when it became one, a small number were DF'd. Before this time, it was frowned upon, nobody who was a known smoker would be appointed a "Servant".

In my own old Congo one guy got away with it, despite Elders having knowledge of his habit, until a couple of years ago. ????

The "reasoning" behind the WT ban is still very suspect, from a logical point of view, and of course from Scripture, smoking being unknown in the middle East in Bible times.

FL_Panthers

So I'm assuming that jw's who were smoking in the 60s were not aware of the scripture, defilement of the flesh?

also, how comes a congregation "down the road" allows beards but the one I'm in doesn't?

OneEyedJoe

I guess maybe I misunderstood, if you were asking what the reasoning behind the smoking prohibition was, it's based on the scripture about keeping clean. There's also the scripture that says, among other things, that those practicing spiritism won't enter into god's kingdom, and apparently the litteral translation of the word that they translate to 'spiritism' is 'druggers'

I found it interesting, when I heard that talk, that they used the literal translation when it suited them, and the "thought for thought" translation when that suited them. Yet another item on the long list of BS that goes on there.

FL_Panthers

i asked an elder in my cong why beards are not allowed and he said that the elders have made that decision. He did make a valid point. He asked me when I go to assemblies, the brothers on the platform are always clean shaven. Is this a good reason to not have a beard? Sorry for change in subject.

Londo111

It was frowned upon, even though it wasn't a DFing offense.

There used to be breaks between the Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting. Some used that time to smoke.

blondie

Not every jw could smoke

Appointed men were not to be smokers (I was surprised to see how many elders in the circuit were reproved, reproved, then df'd)

Regular pioneers were not to be smokers

Smokers were supposed to stop before being baptized (some hid their smoking)

There was a period between the public talk and WT study where many smoking jws went outside and took a drag.

There were articles discouraging the use of tobacco, coca leaves, betel nut but not a df offense.

FL_Panthers

Wow. Seems smoking was a big thing. But were the witnesses aware of the scripture defilement of the flesh? What did they think it meant?

Smoking

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