Smoking in church

[Jack]

Should smoking in church be allowed? Should people be able to smoke outside the doors of the church, if they wish, as in other public places? Should it be left up to each individual church?

[sweetdaisy]

I would love to know where this question stems from. It's kind of bizarre.

No, smoking shouldn't be allowed in church and smokers should not smoke right outside the doors of the church. In fact, smoking shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the doors of most public buildings, except bars and maybe some restaurants.

How'd you cook up this one, Jack?

[Jack]

Why should we encroach upon a person's 1st amendment right to smoke outside of a church building? I can see banning it from inside, as it affects other people's health. But, why outside the doors but still on church property? What about having designated smoking places in church, so as not to offend anyone?

[sweetdaisy]

If it's private property (owned by the church), they could set up whatever rules they want. I'm no expert on smoking laws. My personal opinion is people shouldn't smoke outside of public entryways, strictly out of decency. If you want facts & figures regarding this issue, it'll have to wait until later tonite...

[Jack]

I actually agree with you sweetdaisy, I was just wanting to open a dialogue on the issue.

[sweetdaisy]

For some reason, I think smoking in church is one of the strangest things I've ever heard of. I would never imagine anyone smoking in church (even though I'm sure it happened not long ago). Perhaps if lots of incense was being burned then no one would notice it? For that matter, I question anyone who needs to smoke in that single hour. Perhaps they do need a smoking section of church, as those who can't wait an hour for a ciggy may need God's help worse than the rest of us?

[Midtowner]

I would hope that churches would be able to regulate the disgusting and harmful habits of their own members at least while they are under the church's roof...

But if not, it depends on the statute that governs smoking in public places.

Title 63, section 1-1522 describes a public place as " any enclosed indoor area where individuals other than employees are invited or permitted."

Churches don't seem to be listed under the exemptions, so it would seem that upon plain reading, smoking would be illegal inside a church.

[Keith]

I would love to know where this question stems from. It's kind of bizarre.

No, smoking shouldn't be allowed in church and smokers should not smoke right outside the doors of the church. In fact, smoking shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the doors of most public buildings, except bars and maybe some restaurants.

How'd you cook up this one, Jack?

To me, this question has an easy answer. The church building, in my opinion, is considered a holy place to worship. I really can't imagine someone wanting to smoke in a church. To me, it is very disresepectful, not only to God, but to others.

Unfortunately, we have several heavy smokers that go to our church, and they are mainly women. They can't seem to go without their smokes for two hours. As a matter of fact, we have an alleyway that is between two of our buildings...the auditorium and fellowship hall. Between Sunday School and church, there are usually at least 3-4 women that are smoking in that alley. It doesn't matter whether it is 100 degrees outside or freezing cold. They will be there. To me, it is embarrassing for the church, especially when we have visitors that walk between the buildings. My mother-in-law smokes, but she never smokes anywhere around the church.

A little story......Years ago, my wife and I worked weddings at our church. I would run the sound system, while she was the wedding coordinator. In all of the years that we had done this, many bizarre things happened that you would not think would happen in a church. Anytime there was a wedding, the bride and groom had to sign a contract with the church. The contract basically went over the rules of using the building. No alcohol and no smoking.

I don't know how many times I would catch the groom and/or groomsmen either drinking a beer or smoking in the choir room (which was the changing room for the men). When I would politely ask them to put out the cigarette or get rid of the beer, they would act offended. There was one time that a groom got so out of hand, that the pastor almost cancelled the wedding. The groom was smoking and drinking in the changing room. I asked him two times, politely, to put out the cigarette and get rid of the beer, because he was violating the contract. He would not listen to me. I told the pastor, who promptly went and spoke to the groom. I have no idea what the pastor said to him, but the groom was very apologetic to me for all the problems he had caused, after he talked to the pastor.

Rules are rules.

[mranderson]

Should smoking in church be allowed? Should people be able to smoke outside the doors of the church, if they wish, as in other public places? Should it be left up to each individual church?

Question number one: No

Question number two: No

Question number three: No.

Smoking should be banned in public, no matter what! No if's, and's or (sorry for the pun), But's about it!

[Midtowner]

Not all churches are public places though.

The question as to whether smoking is allowed does not turn on whether we're dealing with a "church". It turns on whether the church is a place that is held open to the public in accordance with the law of Oklahoma.