The Watchtower, “Keeping God’s Congregation Clean in the Time of His Judgment”
“If persons already baptized are not willing to abandon their addiction to damaging and enslaving products, what then? Then they show that, like Esau, they do not ‘appreciate sacred things,’ preferring such habits to the privilege of being part of Jehovah’s clean people. They should therefore be removed from the congregation due to such conduct unbecoming a Christian.”
The article that made tobacco use a ground for removal from the congregation, arguing from the Greek word pharmakia that tobacco belongs with addictive drugs, and also barring unbaptised smokers from baptism.
Official source (opens in new tab)
Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower, Keeping God’s Congregation Clean in the Time of His Judgment
Confidence note. Document opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026; the wording was read in full and the page number taken from the library's own page markers.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-chg-d-w-1973-0601-tobacco-removed