Clergy Pipe Smokers.

Hey I am Pastor at a Presbyterian church, but we see recreational smoking as ok, as Pipe smoking tends to be. It is adiction that is viewed as sin being as how you must depend upon something other than God to meet your needs. Scripture tells us to not be mastered by anything other than God. So in answer to your question I enjoy the pipe recreationally, and not only that but run a pipe club where most of the members go to my church.

My pastor at a Presbyterian back home smoked a pipe! I always thought it was neat, but that was before I got into it. I'm sure the pipe club is lots of fun!

I feel compelled to say this:
I was born and raised an American Baptist (my dad was a minister), but I was also confirmed -- at 22 -- into the Episcopal church. While I do embrace Baptist beliefs, I consider the Anglican communion my spiritual home. The Episcopal priest who counseled me through my confirmation was a chain smoker of cigarettes. And he remains one of the most spiritual and godly men I've ever known -- second only to my father, who was a nonsmoker.
Smoking was not something considered sinful in the Episcopal churches I've attended. In fact, it was fairly common during the after-service social hours.

So all pastors addicted to cigarettes are going to hell should they continue with this addiction living a life of sin. So much for living the life by example.
Should be a great incentive for them to quit the nails eh?

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Lol! that is quite an incentive!
Not to derail the thread, but everyone has something that is an obstacle for them... it may be smoking, it may not be. The point that Shaintiques makes is that it's a sin IF it (it being anything) comes between you and God. Correct me if I am wrong.
Again, what is fine for you may cause someone else problems. We are all different!
More related to the topic. Wasn't C.S. Lewis quite the pipe smoker? I believe him and Tolkein hung out over a bowl or two (at least for some time).

I'm a former Youth Pastor and Elder. Smoking anything does have a stigma with many church goers. A pastor has to determine what's more important between his desire to smoke and the attitude of his particular flock (not my term, biblical term). When i was in the ministry, I decided that I would not drink alcohol. Not because it was sinful but because I didn't want any of my students, some (or parents) of whom were struggling with alcohol abuse, to think of my drinking as an obstacle to God reaching their heart through me. When I left the ministry, I turned this back on and to this day, I am a very light social drinker. ie: The drink or tobacco doesn't control me, I control it.
One of my favorite dead guys, Charles Spurgeon (the so called Prince of Preachers in England), was a cigar smoker in the 1850's and many thought that was a sin. That could be the background on today's mindset. But pipe, cigarette smoking cigar or drinking alcohol is no more a sin than drinking coffee is. As shaintiques stated above, any addiction is a sin if it takes the rightful place that God occupies in a believers heart.

Zonomo, that was well put. And I respect you for putting something that you have no problem with on hold for the sake of others. That takes character and true thoughtfulness.
I do like to read Spurgeon sermons every now and then, I did not know that he was a cigar smoker! (that makes me like him even more, haha).

So addiction would be considered sin, but just because we sin doesn't mean that we are going to hell, we all sin all the time, I sin everyday sometimes without even reallizing it. Your desitnation is based on Jesus. In John 14 Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is saying that he is the only means of salvation, he is the only one who can get us to heaven. He frees us from sin so that we can enter into the presence of God. Jesus imputes his rightouesness upon us and makes us acceptable to God through his perfect life, death, and resurrection. Our reality is that none of us can do enough good to get to heaven, only Jessus has done that . That doesn't give us a free ticket to sin all the more, but rather frees us from the bondage of guilt that sin briings. We are all addicted to something, cigs, lust, greed, the idol of sellf, self service, self glorification, etc. and thus all deserve death, but Jesus frees us and gives us life all on his own. Freedom even to enjoy a pipe. So many peiople think that Christianity revolves around what I do to get to heaven, but it isn't about that at all, it is all about what Jesus did to get us to heaven. Everything that we do then revolves around thanksgiving and worship of God who gives salvation. Striving to do good then is an act of worship and thanksgiving. So if a pastor is addicted to cigs, the addiction is sin, and he should try to overcome it as an act of worship to God, as sin deglorifies God and righteousness brings him glory. Everything that we do then, striving in righteousness, brings him the glory and honor that he is due. Every sin that we perpetuatlly commit with no effort for change takes away from his worship and glory and though if you are in Christ, won't send you to hell, will leave you in a state of possible discipline from God. I know I have dwelt in such places before. But Discipline doens't mean hell. God disciplines us to bring us back into a state of righteousness for his own glory. He disciplines us to bring us back to himself.
So I can enjoy a pipe or a beer or a big steak or whatever, but if the pipe becomes something that I can't live without, it takes the place of God meeting all of my needs, then it needs to go. That is what we mean when talking about being mastered by something. The only thing I can't live without is God.

Yes, Jesus fulfilled the law so we do not have to (because we can't!)

@shaintigues +1000

The Bible does not prohibit smoking tobacco or drinking. It does prohibit getting drunk. That being said we all sin and "fall short of the glory of God". "Christians" over the ages have added to the Bible making certain behaviors sin with no biblical evidence. The Pharisees committed similar sins (adding to the law) enslaving the Jews of Christ's time. Christ said "the truth will set you free". He meant this, however, as pertaining to His plan of salvation but it can be also applied to the man-made laws religion can use to enslave.

I used to be a Moron, then I took up the pipe and joined a Presbyterian church. :D

I used to be a Moron, then I took up the pipe and joined a Presbyterian church.

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Lol!!
I am interested that most of the church-going pipe smokers are presbyterian... why? Is it just a coincidence? Or is there a long tradition of Presbyterian pipe smoking that has somehow carried on (presbyterian mixture?)
I grew up in a Baptist church, so I didn't see pipes until going to the Preb. Church!

Non denominational Army Chaplain here. Both pipe and cigar smoker.

I'm a Buddhist priest, working and teaching primarily at a Catholic university. There's nothing in Buddhist teaching which prohibits pipe smoking, or, for that matter, much about any other "vices" -- we have this neat little concept called "karma," which basically says that you're responsible for your own behavior, but that actions and intentions have consequences. Since my pipe smoking doesn't harm anyone else, I don't worry about its karmic consequences. ::
Several of the Catholic priests at the university also enjoy an occasional bowlful.

Non-denominational lay-person here. Long-time pipe/cigar smoker.

Great thread. Thanks for starting it.