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Glory to Jesus Christ!
Glory to Him Forever!

I recently read online that most Orthodox Christians do not smoke. I found that interesting. My question is, does Holy Orthodoxy really look down on smoking and request that it not be practiced by Eastern Christians?

Adam

Theosis ...
A name to contemplate!

How is it that you're always asking questions that never even occurred to me, not even once??
All I can say is that it's nice news if in fact they do not smoke, but I've no idea if this is even the case. One would need to take some kind of a survey I suppose to know the answer.

I'm all for non-smoking, personally.

Except of course the nice smoke that wafts all around the church from incense

C of S

Dear Adam,

Smoking is considered an "unclean" activity at best in the East.

To smoke on church property is considered an act of serious disrespect. My daddy-in-law was attending Divine Liturgy in the Church of St Vladimir in Kyiv when he left to have a quick smoke (before he kicked the habit for good).

A babushka followed him out to see what he would do and started to scream at him to smoke ONLY outside the picket fence that surrounded the church.

This tradition goes back a thousand years. Whistling inside a home where there are holy icons is likewise considered rather disrespectful and even sinful.

Alex

Slava Jesu Kristu,

The ethnic Orthodox I know smoke like chimneys. Europeans seem not to be as hung-up about smoking as Americans are. On the other hand, I have read of Heiromonks who refuse to give blessings to people if they are attached to the "passion" of tobacco use. I suppose it depends on the village your folks came from for the rest of us.

Dmitri

SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!
SLAVA NA VIKI BOHU!

Hello all!

I've seen people "frisked" at St. John the Baptist ROCOR in Washington,DC. The "ushers" (for lack of a better term) were looking of tobaco in women's purses and mens jacket pockets.

Kinda flipped me out when I saw this.

They should hire these guys to work the airports....

mark

Dear Mark,

Yep, even though people can smoke at home, it is a big "no-no" in church or on church property - regarded as a desecration in fact.

There are lots of other traditions in our church from ancient times such as Crossing oneself before drinking anything and drinking it down in one gulp if possible (to prevent evil spirits from entering through our mouths etc.)

Or else kissing a piece of bread that has accidentally fallen to the floor etc.

But smoking is culturally proscribed and many are very serious about it.

Alex

SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!
SLAVA NA VIKI BOHU!

Hi Alex...

Yes, I was taught to kiss dropped pieces of bread by my Baba and my Mom and I still do it today... even in resteraunts and at work.

They think I'm nuts here at the Office...

Oh, please check your private email too, I've sent you something...

Djakuju!!!

mark

Dear Mark,

O.K.!

Alex

Dear all,

Interesting enough, in my native Portugal there is also a tradition or practice of kissing bread that has fallen to the floor. My mom taught us this growing up in Portugal. Isn't it awesome the "catholicity" of some of these customs?

I was shocked a few months ago when attending a Byzantine divine liturgy and saw a few guys going outside the small church to have a smoke. Not so much that they smoked but that they took a break from the liturgy! Anyway, I guess this beats what happens in my homeland where men mill around outside the church smoking and sometimes may take a break from the smoking to go and peak in at the mass! ;-)

John

Dear John,

I sometimes wonder if it was in response to such actions when people spend so much time smoking outside the church when they are supposed to be inside the church that lung cancer started to spread among such individuals . . .

Alex

Glory to Jesus Christ!
Glory to Him Forever!

Thanks for all the interesting posts, friends !

CofS, I just sit around and think of things to ask people .

Dear Theosis,

Keep 'em comin'!

Alex

Yes Theosis keep em coming...

Oh Alex, I'm not so sure about that at all....they get lung cancer because of natural causes and engaging in behavior that is dangerous to one's health...I can't really fathom a God that sits around waiting to zap people...

And who knows whether some of these men hanging out smoking outside the church were actually more pleasing to God and doing better than some of the more pious looking ones inside the church.

By the way and for the record I am not advocating smoking...especially not in lieu of attending religious services! :-)

John, an ex smoker

Dear Ex-smoker,

I'm not being serious . . .

But still, it is a terrible thing for people to come to church to spend most of the time outside smoking.

My grandmother smoked all her life and, for Lent, she would give it up for one week.

It caused her a great deal of suffering to do that, but she did it yearly without fail.

That kind of smoker I like!

Alex

Yes Alex, I agree with you. The custom I referred to of men hanging out smoking is, thank God, slowly but surely dying off....

And having been a smoker myself I can definitely appreciate and respect your grandmother for not smoking during one week in Lent. It can be a huge, huge effort...and require tremendous will power...

God bless,
John