Cancer Sticks
The Surgeon General's report on the ill effects of cigarette smoking has caused no small reaction across the country. Members of the Lord's church should be very much concerned, but are they? We wonder what excuse brethren will now offer for continuing the use of tobacco? Preachers that have opposed and discouraged the use of tobacco from the pulpit in years past have often been "hooted" and "scoffed at" as being rabble rousers and troublemakers. But now the shoe is on the other foot!
It seems that the majority of smoking brethren across the land continue to "puff, puff that cigarette" in spite of overwhelming evidence of its dangers. Some try to place coffee, tea and soda pop in the same class with the use of "cancer sticks. From what evidence that has been produced there can be no real comparison between these and the use of tobacco. And even if such things did cause the harm to the body that tobacco does, that would in no way make it right to use the "stinking weed"!
Others say that we harm our bodies by over eating and drinking and often cause more harm by such action than by the use of tobacco. No doubt this is true, but that still does not make cigarette smoking clean, and right, and decent and helpful to the body. Certainly we must preach on the importance of proper food and drink as well as the sins of over eating and drinking. (Dan. 1:3-16; I Cor. 6:19, 20).
There is just no argument that can possibly be valid when it comes to defending the use of tobacco. The results of "cancer stick" usage is all on the loss side of the ledger. Brethren had just as well admit it and take action accordingly or end up in a "smoker's grave."
— 1162 E. 19th, San Angelo, Texas