Tobacco became a disfellowshipping offence only in the early 1970s. Prior to that, more than a few JWs used to smoke a cigarette or two on the sly! Likewise,too, with the chewing of betel nut in certain S.E. Asian countries, and in Papua New Guinea.
The rationale for this (if you could call it that!) was the use of both these and similar substances in spiritism:
- American Indians used to light up a pipe of tobacco to send a signal to the "spirit world" that they wished to enter into communication.
- In other regions of the world, the chewing of betel nut was carried out to serve a similar function.
Interesting now that the JWs have quantified what they consider to be "drunkeness":
- i.e. The consumption of more than 4 to 5 standard drinks in a one hour period, together with the wearing of ones "Wobbly Boots."
During my time with the JWs, capacious drinking of alcohol (principally apple wine) was commonplace. By "capacious", I mean demolishing a whole 2.25 litre flagon of the stuff in one night. All the culprit had to do afterwards was claim that they "had not been drunk." Then, as long as the said booze-artist was not completely legless, or they were not doing it "too often", no action was ever taken against them. This culture of heavy drinking was so heavily steeped in to the congregations that one of the most capacious of all the capacious drinkers was also a very prominent elder.
I do not in any way claim to be squeaky-clean here. Intorduced to drinking by the brother who "brought me into the lie into the truth", I was a very good student!
Bill.