I didn't love God enough to stop smoking

embeth2525

Yesterday, I went to visit my friend, who is the JW that I was studying with and I told her about the problems I had had with the other congregation I had been in before. I told her about how they had treated me not so very nice and how I had a terrible time, then quitting cigaretts. I wasn't able to quit smoking back then, although I have since quit about 3 years now. My friend told me that If I loved God enough I should have been able to quit smoking. Personally, I think smoking is a medical problem due to the fact that it is an addiction. And that it has nothing to do with how much you love God. Anyway, I was just feeling a bit pissed off about it today. Thanks for listening. Beth

frankiespeakin

Em.

The JW solution for addiction to nicotine is that God will kill everyone addicted at armagedon. There problem solved.

BTW I'm glad you finally overcame it. best wishes.

Shutterbug

My friend told me that If I loved God enough I should have been able to quit smoking

I strongly suspect that your friend has never smoked or he/she wouldn't have made that statement. I've quit smoking and I've been thru military basic training. Given a choice of doing one or the other again I just might opt for basic training, quitting smoking was that difficult !!!

However, we all got ourselves into that addiction and it is possible to get ourselves free from smokes. You have proven it can be done by staying away for three years. .

Balsam

Hi There,

That is pretty much the pat answer for everykind of bad habit JW might have. If you love Jehovah enough you should be able to stop.

Well my ex-husband just could not be faithful to me. He was told to pray and Jehovah would deliver him from his wicked thoughts. It didn't help at all. I finally left him and he found a much more sutable wife he is much happier with. And he is getting older an not so interested in running around. LOL I would have done him a favor leaving him sooner. LOL

Quiting smoking has nothing to do with loving God enough. That is pure baloney that the WTS likes to put out there. Your JW friend and ex bible study conductor is just passing on the bad information that was given to her. Ignore it.

Carmel

Did she back up here assertion with a scripture? As far as I know, smoking is never mentioned in the "holy scriptures" let alone given a moral value!

Lieing about God or assuming one knows His feelings w/o concrete proof is far worse than draggin on a tabaccy leaf

carmel

redskymedic

After watching my now-husband quite smoking, I will never again make a judgement against those who can't break the habit. It is a physical addiction and godly love has nothing to do with it IMO. That comment would have irritated me as well, I can't blame you for being upset. Congrats, though, on being able to kick it altogether! No small accomplishment!

GermanXJW

In Germany, the WTS argues at court that JW have made a "preceded decision of conscience" at the time of their baptism. But they baptized smokers before 1973 and told them to quit within six months or they got kicked out.

So much about the "preceded decision of conscience"...

fairchild

Some might disagree with this, but I am convinced that the addiction to smoking is at least 99% physical. Researchers are more and more starting to agree that any addiction (including smoking), is directed by a part of our brain, just like walking, talking and anything else.

Some people are good at sports, some people are excellent chess players, other people are good at something else. Etc.. etc.. It all depends on exactly which part of your brain excells, compared to someone else. If the part of one's brain that controls (attracts) addictions is of a rather strong nature, then I feel truly sorry for this person if he or she picks up smoking, drinking, gambling, or whatever. Yes, quitting needs willpower, but for some people it is one heck of a lot easier to quit than for other people, and I truly believe that some people cannot quit, no matter how hard they try. it has nothing to do with love for God, it has nothing to do with how strong you are emotionally, it has everything to do with the brain function of each individual.

I personally know a guy who tried to quit over and over again, to a point where he was obsessed with quitting, but all his efforts were unsuccessful. Everything else he ever did succeeded and it bothered him that he could not quit smoking. He would wear the patch, take the zyban pills, chew the nicotine gum all at once, and he would STILL smoke, even with the gum in his mouth. Then one day he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He went in for surgery and brought 8 cartons of cigarettes with him to the hospital, as he didn't know how long he would have to stay there and he was terrified of running out of smokes. After his surgery, he never had another urge to smoke.

This is only one example, and one I can witness as being true, but there are many examples like this one out there. To me, it proves once again that the success of quitting is directly related to the activity of someone's brain. No more, no less.

BrendaCloutier

{{{Beth}}} Congrads on becoming a non-smoker! Tough stuff. Jehovah doesn't give a damn about your smoking, but I'm glad you did enough to finally quit.

Hugs

Brenda

Gretchen956

Beth, this type of comment is asinine and pathetic. As if God will only love you if you stop smoking. Quitting smoking is more difficult than almost any other form of addiction from everything I have read. My partner has tried over and over and cannot seem to cut it. Don't worry about this so called friend, better to have friends that will support you and offer some real help or support. (((huggs)))

Sherry

I didn't love God enough to stop smoking

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