News flash - You're wrong. I love a good debate :)

DAMNIT!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You expressed yours very nicely. A person shouldnt be judged if they smoke. Nobody looks down on people who drink coffee and thats addicting and unhealthy too.

Smokers are running your country into the ground by dying younger and not burdening the younger generations with extra decades of expensive medical care? How dare he save you having to pay, via taxes or insurance premiums, for years and years of diapers, hip replacements, heart bypasses, wheelchairs, care homes and 24/7 care nursing staff for him! If he wants to kick the bucket before his mind goes or his body falls apart, then that's his business, and you should be thanking him for saving you the expense.

Not really. If everybody stopped buying cigarettes and used that money for something actually usefull, they could help the world. Not saying that every problem can or should be fixed, but some things do need to be done, and people keep complaining about them but then they go and spend all their money on things that kill them and pollute the air. That's smart. It's like with reality t.v. shows, think of how much money they spend on those things! Like that show "New York Goes to Work" or something. She doesn't need that show! She has enough money as it is! There are some people who don't have homes or food or anything, who don't even deserve it. That's not right. I'm not saying that I'm offended by the fact that those people who smoke make that decision, I'm all for making your own choices. That is none of my business, whether you want to kill yourself or not. But the rest of the world is my business, it's everybody's business. All I'm trying to say is, stop being selfish with money for a while, and contribute just a little bit. Cuz I'll bet you over half of the people in America don't.

#242 That's totally irrelevant. How old are you ? How do you think the economy would fare if it was based solely on absolutely essential things ? (like, not browsing sites like FML, which requires at least a computer and an internet connection, which both cost money, just so you know). And, breaking news, the economy is actually what makes people live. Charity is good, but it just helps. That's right, starving African children couldn't care less about smokers smoking and people willingly wasting their time and money on a computer, because all in all, it certainly wouldn't help them if they'd stop. And if you don't agree with this statement, you may be a dirty commie.

Yes, I know the middle paragraph was a bit off-topic. And in some ways you are right, but I know that I also am right in some ways. All I'm trying to get across here is that choosing what you want to do with your life is fine and all, but actually contributing all (or some, whatever) that money people spend on cigs to something useful, instead of something destructive to yourself, others around you, and the environment, could give greater statisfaction to a person. Knowing that you helped save a life or two, and knowing that you did good in the world is probably more satisfying than some hits of tar and rat poisoning, and other junk in tobacco. Not to mention, you'll spend even more money getting kemo, or surgerys, or whatever needs to happen to you due to cigarettes. And I know it's hard to quit, extremely hard. But if there's a will, then there's a way. And if you want to save innocent people's lives badly enough, you can eventually do it. Quitting may be difficult, but it's not impossible.

I fail to see how I'm ignorant. I know what I'm doing, and I know what smoking does to my body, others, and the environment. I also fail to see how my bad habit is running the economy to the ground. As far as I'm concerned, I'm spending money on something, thus giving people jobs. You have to spend money in order for money to be made. Also, human beings are selfish creatures. They may argue that they care for others, donate for another s well being, but in reality they are doing it for selfish reasons- the satisfaction it gives them. Do you really think that if I didn't spend so much money on cigarettes, I would give it to someone else? I work for my money. I'm going to use it and buy myself pretty things. That money would go to things I want, but do not need. And as a nonsmoker, you wouldn't understand the satisfaction I get from cigarettes.

Well if you just read other things I talked about above, that answers a few of your questions. And I do realize that humans are selfish. I'm not an exception either. And I'm not saying that if you didn't buy cigarettes that you would spend it on charities and such. I'm just saying, if everybody who smoked did, we could probably put an end to world hunger. Or give every homeless person a survivable home. Or whatever. Something... Don't you care at all? Let me ask you something, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I respect any religion you have. But are you a Christian? And I do know the satisfaction of smoking a cigarette. I used to be a smoker myself. I know that it's satisfying, but I meant don't you think it'd be even more satisfying seeing a child grow up that would have otherwise died of thirst, all because of you? I think that is by far.

#252 So you say I'm partly right but you're in fact totally ignoring my point ? Nice. This whole concept of "if all people stopped doing xxxxx and gave all that money they would have spent on it to charity all of the world's problem would be solved !!!", this idea would make any economist go crazy, period. Even a socialist one, believe me. And you know, nothing forbids a smoker to give to charity now and then. Smokers do have interests besides smoking... Btw, when did I say a goddamn thing about the difficulty of quitting ? What does that have to do with anything ? Did you ever consider that some people actually enjoyed smoking and did not feel the need to make up any excuse for it ? I used to smoke. For my own set of reasons I've quit since a good while. But I can say that I most definitely enjoyed it, and that I may start smoking again some day, despite not really feeling the need most of the time, because it's a real pleasure. And it does not necessarily involve the killing of babies and cute kittens, despite how hard you try to make it look like it does.

Wow. Way to exagerate what I said completely. I never said anything along the lines of "instead of doing xxxx and giving all that money to charities the worlds problems will be solved". Of course I don't expect people to give all of their money to charities and crap. And I never ever expect all of the world's problems to be solved. Not even half. Just a little bit. Did you not even read what I wrote above that? About the satisfaction of saving a child? And I never said you mentioned quitting. You don't have to get your panties in a bunch, I was just saying, some people do use that excuse. I never said you did, I never said the OP did, I never said everybody did. Just some. And while I love sarcasm, it is very difficult to quit once your very addicted to it. Ask anybody who's been smoking for 5+ years and has quit or tried quitting. And I know smokers do give and help out. I know that, all 4 of my parents are smokers, but they're wonderful people anyway. I never said smokers were heartless, or didn't have common sense, or anything like that. I was just saying that if they didn't spend all that money, they could get other nice, useful things. Oh, and p.s. Calm down. It's the internet, seriously.

Oh hey guess what, if churches were taxed then maybe America's economy would be a little better. You know, instead of the churches being blinged up. We now have christian churches in my area with colored bank signs that tell you the time and temperature reciting bible scripture. Think about how much money that church spent on that sign, think about how much good they possibly could have done with that 100,000 dollars they spent on that, or however much it was. So **** being a christian, they are more selfish than anyone.

Well see, now you're just stereo-typing. And you're just assuming. I agree, what that church did was wrong. They could have done what mine is doing, which is using all of their donations to build a well in Africa. Sure, my church is popular, and we could probably have one of those big fancy signs, and rebuild, and get the walls repainted, and get new band equipment, but we don't. Because we are good Christians. Don't assume, and don't stereo-type, because now you sound like a dumbass.

#258 "I'm just saying, if everybody who smoked did, we could probably put an end to world hunger." Those are your words. Where am I exagerating anything ? And how do I need to calm down ? I am calm. You're just being outrageously demagogic and I'm simply pointing it out. I mean, the environment (lol what a joke), the starving children, the logical fallacies, intentional or not, everything is there. What were you expecting ?

It's actually all the churches around my area. So it's not really stereotyping especially since I didn't say that all churches do this. But still i think that churches should be taxed since religion and state are supposed to be separate, not an exception.

Yes, I did say it COULD be. Not that it WOULD be. I don't expect that to happen. Ever. But helping is never bad. And to Lunelle, I do believe you said these exact words : "**** being a christian, they are more selfish than anyone". That is very stereotypical.

No it's not stereotypical, it's my opinion of the Christians that I have been in contact with. Therefore in my life and in my experiences, they are the most selfish people. It's my opinion. That's all.