Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
November 1, 1982
NUMBER 26, PAGE 6

Sequel To 'That Cornbread Habit"

Jesse G. Jenkins

A. G. Hobbs, Jr., wrote an article some time ago entitled "That Cornbread Habit," which has occasionally appeared in various bulletins from that time until now. This is the sequel to his article. However, that the reader may have the contents of Hobbs' article fresh in mind, I quote it before beginning the sequel.

"There is a man who has the 'cornbread habit! He just had to have a piece of cornbread every twenty or thirty minutes. Every morning as soon as he awakens, the first thing he thinks about is his cornbread. He eats a piece before he dresses, and sometimes he even wakes up in the night craving cornbread. After breakfast he eats another piece and goes off to work with his pockets full of cornbread, which he eats every few minutes all day.

"On the way home, he stops at the store for more cornbread for fear his wife has forgotten, to get any, Once she did forget and he got so ill-tempered that he had to drive five miles before bedtime in order to get some. Otherwise he was so irritable that he just yelled at her and the children.

"This man attends worship, but the last thing he does before he enters the church building is to stand on the curb and eat another hunk of cornbread. Then he throws the crust and the sack on the sidewalk and goes in. Between class and worship he rushes outside and eats another piece of cornbread. After the 'amen' he joins the other cornbread eaters on the sidewalk and the crumbs fly!

"Poor man! He is really a SLAVE to cornbread!"

Well, very likely you have never known a man who was such a slave to cornbread; but you have known many who were such slaves to nicotine. I wish my brethren did not use tobacco. It is harmful to one's health. It is harmful to the Christian's influence, and it enslaves the user. Anyone of these facts should be enough to cause the Christian to divorce nicotine for life. However, in this sequel I want to stress one particular point, I am sure you would say that the man who had to have his cornbread just before class, between class and worship, and immediately after worship was carrying his cornbread eating entirely too far. And I am sure that you would say that the man who threw his crumbs and sack on the lawn was just too thoughtless. Just so, I emphasize that the man who has to have his nicotine just before class, in between classes, and immediately after worship is carrying his smoking too far. And I emphasize that the man who throws his stubs on the lawn is just too thoughtless. Really, the nicotine user is far less thoughtful than the cornbread user. At least the cornbread user does not clutter up the air that women and children have to breathe, with a foul and nasty odor. Also, the dogs will eat the crumbs thrown on the lawn by the cornbread user; but even a dog will not touch the filthy cigarette stub! It just lies there and clutters up the lawn.

I realize that the property of the church is not "holy ground " However, it does seem that brethren would have enough respect for the high and holy purpose for which we assemble to refrain from smoking around the building. And it does seem that brethren would have enough respect for the women, children and brethren who do not smoke to refrain from making the air obnoxious around the building to which they have come "for to worship"!

Brethren, if you will not quit using tobacco for the sake of your health, influence, and possibly your soul, will you not be considerate enough of others to forego your smoking while around the place of assembly so that they will not be forced to inhale the stale, secondhand nicotine fumes which to them are reprehensible?

— 1502 S. 3rd, Tucumcari, New Mexico

—O—

IL L. Bruce, 204 South St., Baytown Texas, After 33 months with the church in Pittsburg, Texas, I have moved to Baytown, Texas, to work with the East Side church of Christ. Robert Love, who preceded me here, is now with the Calmont Church in Ft. Worth, Texas. Seven were baptized just before brother Love moved away. Two have recently been restored. One was baptized at our last service at Pittsburg.

Due to the efforts of Bob Love and the loyal brethren here, the work is in good shape. This congregation is two years old. Bryan Vinson, Sr, of Longview, Texas, is to begin a meeting with us October 22. The East Side church of Christ meets at 2100 Bowie Dr., in Baytown. When traveling in this section, you are welcome here.

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