Tobacco

1981 Church of the Brethren

In recognition of the responsibility of Christians to be good stewards of the physical body and in humble acknowledgement of the teaching of the Apostle Paul that we … “are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in” … (us) and that “if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy …” (1 Cor. 3:16-17); with the awareness that the body should be nourished with wholesome food; conscious that wide-spread use of tobacco is detrimental to the body, leading to illness, disability, and premature death; and convinced that there is data which indicates the extent of economic and industrial losses in “the form of destructive fires, worker absenteeism, and the fouling of sensitive equipment which is directly attributable to the uses of tobacco;

The Freeport Church of the Brethren, meeting in council on November 4, 1979, requests the Annual Conference, through the District Conference in Illinois and Wisconsin, to develop education and action programs to present its witness against the raising of tobacco as an agricultural crop, its subsidization by the federal government its public sale, and its use as a dangerous and habit-forming drug.

In its place and because of the increased need for food in the world, we request that our Federal Government encourage and help our tobacco raising farmers convert from tobacco to the raising of wholesome and healthful food.

Charles Nettleton, Moderator
Audrey Firebaugh, Clerk

The Illinois and Wisconsin District Conference, meeting in business session at Bethany Theological Seminary on November 1,1980, moved to pass the Freeport initiated query to Annual Conference for its consideration and appropriate action.

Lois H. Snyder, Moderator
Kenneth M. Shaffer, Jr., Clerk

Action of 1981 Annual Conference: The recommendation from Standing Committee was presented by Lois Snyder. The recommendation from Standing Committee was adopted with one amendment. Standing Committee recommends to Annual Conference “the adoption of the query. Tobacco, and that the concerns of the query for action and education be referred to the General Board for implementation.”