"I believe
ALL believers carry some shame. Some
more than others. None of us are
perfect and we all have some sin or
another that we cannot shake.
Addiction to a substance is evil
when it affects others, as well as the
addict. Addiction to any substance
is a profound weakness but is not evil
unless it causes misery to others.
Cigarette smoking is unhealthy but
is not evil. It's what we do with our
souls - our spirits - that counts.
The 10 Commandments do not even
mention substance abuse. The
commandments are all about spiritual
health. They are all about lying,
stealing, coveting, keeping the Sabbath
Holy to God etc."
As for your
statements "what we do with our souls - our
spirits - that counts," and "the commandments
are all about spiritual health," I think it
also counts as to what we do with our bodies
because making graven images with our hands
and bowing down to them is something that is
done with the body. Taking the Lord's name in
vain (swearing) is something we do with the
speech that comes out of our mouth and so does
lying (bearing false witness). We are to guard
the tongue by what we say (1 Peter 3:10, James
1:26, 3:5-8). Not doing any work on the
Sabbath day has to do with resting our body.
Killing with the hands or stealing with the
hands also have to do with the body, and so
does committing adultery with the body.
So that covers 7 of the 10 commandments that
have to do with the body; these 7 commandments
aren't just about our soul and
spirit. Our body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you
according to 1 Corin. 6:19 so we should guard
what we do with our body as well.