Catholic Q&A
I heard Christians can neither smoke cigarettes nor imbibe alcoholic drinks. Can a person who cannot follow such a strict moral life become a Christian?
The idea that Christians can neither drink nor smoke is probably derived from the teachings of certain Christian denominations, particularly some group of devout Christians from the United States, and this teaching was perhaps conveyed to Japan. I respect the views of those people, but not all Christians think the same way. If you were to go to Germany you will learn that beer and wine were created in breweries located within monasteries, and the drinks made in monasteries were known for a long time as being delicious.
I personally like cigarettes and alcoholic drinks, but that is not the reason why I say this. To begin with, if we were to consider the case of Jesus himself, we see that he freely associated with everyone. He wept with those who were weeping and laughed with those who were laughing, and even the devout Jews of his time accused him of being “a glutton and a drunkard.” (Matthew 11:19). Hence the Church of Christ should be open to all and sundry, and not just to a group of classy elites. Water that has been distilled and made clean by sterilization, is not delicious. Please do not get the impression that Christianity is something so tasteless and devoid of humanity.