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An excellent Sermon from an excellent Priest on this matter is here: http://www.sensustraditionis.org/webaudio/Sermons/Disk5/Smoking.mp3
Show me a man without vices and I’ll show you a man without virtue…don’t know who said it though. Good article. Thanks
I’m sorry, but I will never see smoking in any form as a good thing, ever. As the recipient of a lung transplant, I know all to well what it feels like to not be able to breathe, and when I see people PURPOSEFULLY ruining their lungs….I want to scream. Also, secondhand smoke, unlike eating what you want, affects other people directly around you. If I eat a Big Mac, it just affects me. So not only is smoking incredibly detrimental to your own health, but it also affects other people around you.
Moderation in All things. My Mother in law (God rest her good soul) use to say it every day to remind us to be moderate in all things we do every day. She also said not to kill our own body which is under the commandment. Thou shalt not kill. Not to kill someone else body is popular one we hear the difination of that commandment! Take care of our own body in moderation in all things we do to it.
Thank you so much for this site!!
“A healthy mind in a healthy body.”
– Roman Poet, Juvenal
Brothers, if I can, I would persuade you. This article has many truths in it, but it errs in many places, and makes many wrong conclusions. My observation is that people like to make excuses for themselves and then dress those excuses up. Vice in drag; that’s all it is. I smoke and drink intermittently. The drinking isn’t so much a problem. But the addiction to tobacco is; it’s detrimental to my health, and is an abrogation of my will. I’m not going to attempt to convince anyone that it’s okay, or that it is not what it patently is: self-harm. Sts. Anthony of Padua and Francis of Assisi, at the end of their young lives, they lamented their neglect. Francis said something to the effect of,” I should have been better to brother ass (his body).” That’s the hindsight of a saint.
You see all these corpulent theologians, priests, seminarians, religious, running around. Everyone loves the fat priest. Gluttony is STILL a MORTAL SIN. It’s still grievous matter. And Chesterton can say all he likes about degrading the mind, which does not follow at all, but he will probably never become a saint because of his gourmandizing ways. To put the stewardship of the body at odds with the stewardship of the soul is foolishness.
Smoking is not included as a sin in the catechism of the Catholic Church. But it also isn’t listed as a virtue. The reductio of virtually every point made in this article is complete absurd. “It’s virtually impossible to NOT be unhealthy… so go ahead and destroy the gift of health with pleasure. Take more risks.” That’s classic. Great Catholic logic there…. NOT!!! ” If you take care of yourself, and encourage others to take their health seriously… you’re a modernist idolater.” Oh and,” Our bodies are to be used, so lets just use abuse the shit out of them, and take unnecessary healthy risks, because they’re going to break anyway and we’re getting new ones in the resurrection.” Then he says,” Morality comes from the heart.” Meaning of course,” As long as I destroy and neglect my health, and fail to steward the gift of life… with a spirit of thanksgiving… then it’s okay.”
Let me be clear: There is nothing manly or “gentlemanly” about this. This is little else than making excuses for the things which constitute an antiquated, infantile mental image of what a man is: pipe in mouth, tweed jack, bacon in the skillet, and a tumbler of scotch in hand… which was all done in ignorance. They did not know. THE BODY IS YOUR SOUL’S POST! It is your post, Christian! You may not do it unnecessary harm, and the only times that you may are when it is for the better health of the body, i.e. surgery… or for some greater benefit to the soul, i.e. pious flagellation. This is the same principle that makes euthanasia and suicide illicit.
The person who wrote this is no doubt very devout and very good, and very intelligent. But this does not pass. It seems they have never changed their father’s diaper because he’s so doped up on pain meds that he can’t function. He’s never watched lung cancer that his father fought for four years spread to his bones and kill him in a single month. He’s never watched his father desperately subject himself to palliative care for four years, hoping that he could beat a battle he’d already lost. He’s never watched his little children watch their grandfather die an undignified, messy death. I have.
This person has never watched their spouse neglect their health, and then develop heart problems, and then develop diabetes, and then develop one malady after another, until their lives are consumed with maladies… and their lives are a living hell, and they become a drain of their families and society. I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times, as a fire medic.
This person has clearly never experienced the thrill of fulfilling a physical goal… knowing it is but dust…, and experienced the virtuous effects of self-discipline, fortitude, and temperance… and the getting of grit. They don’t know the refining effect of saying “no” when they have the liberty to say “yes” and indulge, because they want to gain every advantage, and govern themselves so that they may be governed by God.
Catholic men should not be smarmy, noodle armed, effeminate, soft-bodied, gourmands who like playing ‘1890s’ with their dandy friends. We should stand out as specimens of what God intended us to be as men, in the fullness of what He has made us. This includes the body. St. Thomas Aquinas… St. Louis the King had to cut out a piece of the royal table just so he could interlocute with the others who dined at the king’s table. Everybody likes Chesterton, until they see his stomach hanging over his private. Everyone loves the Pope, until they see his horribly stained teeth and learn he has only one lung. It jolts us, it halts us… and makes us consider. Why? Because such self-harm is against nature.
“He who reigns within himself and rules passions, desires, and fears is more than a king.” -John Milton, Paradise Regained
Might I remind you that both prudence and temperance were emphasized in the above article. Self destruction is not being supported by Mr. Guzman.
Excellent points! Additionally, what the supposedly scientific studies claim is unhealthy today, within 5, 10, or 30 years from today is declared healthy and necessary for optimal bodily function.
erm…hmm. Is it just our heavenly post resurrected bodies that we’re supposed to respect? I mean, I know that the soul is the most important part of the human person. Not arguing against that at all. In that light, the mortifications/fasts make sense- they point to a higher purpose. But aren’t we also called to respect our bodies? I mean, the church teaches against mutilation, eating disorders, etc.
I like bacon. I’ve even smoked a pipe in my day (unladylike as that may be). I like how you talk about virtue at the end, and I agree, that’s how it ought to be approached. We need to look at whether or not a certain behavior is harmful or helpful to our souls first and foremost. I just wanted to say that I think we need to give a certain amount of respect to our bodies here on earth too- something I think you agree with, just clarifying.
Just out of curiosity- what’s your opinion on Theology of the Body? Have you ever given it a read? This subject seems to pertain to it.
I agree with the above poster, and would like to add the idea that jpii and theology of the body express, and the absolute truth that the catechism of the Catholic church states, that our essence as humans is both body and soul, and that the two are unified. I don’t deny that there are saints who practiced physical mortification and got irritated with the fact that “I do what I do not want to do” or “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”, but I do not think that we can say or bodies are meant to be “used,” or that they are worthless, because it is unified with our souls (the protestant notion that we are merely souls carried around in our bodies is not the church’s teaching). Original sin causes disharmony between the two but does not dissolve the unity. Also, our resurrected flesh is not entirely new, but it is or current bodies raised up and glorified, our bodies perfected.
I do agree with your points about Culture and virtue, (I like meat and sugar and alcohol a lot and do not think they’re immoral (drink to the point of hilarity! -st Augustine)) but I think the philosophy of the body/humanity is not entirely in line with church teaching. Sorry this was so long!
Thanks for giving this an honest look. Not that this gives us an excuse to abuse our bodies, but it definitely gives us food for thought on morality.
Hi- I would like to request prayers for the victims of rape and abuse by members of the Catholic Church. Many of them were children when they were attacked or abused. This is also an ongoing crisis, with new victims each year, worldwide. I will remember them and their stories forever, but for the healing to truly take place, it will take the voices and efforts of many.
To paraphrase a poem by an Indian schoolgirl, “Too many Catholics, in too many countries, speak the same language– of silence.” Thank you.
To “The Catholic Gentleman”, and to Anonymous: I received that same anonymous comment on my blog, as did 6 others that I know of. I decided to use it as the focus of a well reserached (in my humble opinion) article on the abuse crisis that our world (not just any one church) faces. Once I have finished it, I will link you to it if you like, or you can simply check in on my blog in the next couple weeks.
In Christ,
Dave Manthei
daves-ahumbleservant.blogspot.com
As promsied. Feel free to use or share…or critique (on my blog combox). I feel like this gives an honest, open, and big-picture view of teh crisis we are really facing.
http://daves-ahumbleservant.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-sex-abuse-crisis-what-are.html
http://www.newsweek.com/priests-commit-no-more-abuse-other-males-70625
I think all victims of rape and abuse by all denominations of religions, organizations, schools, families, etc. should be prayed for. The Catholic Church has been made the scapegoat and this directs attention away from other churches involved in abuse as well.
Excellent! Some sanity at last!
I agree, Sasha! I know people that died young from cancer and other diseases. They didn’t smoke, drink, overeat, etc. People seem to think if they don’t do these things, they won’t get cancer and heart disease and I guess they think they won’t die either!