A Burning Issue

Recently I was perusing the website of an international missions organization and pulled up the application they use for initial screening of those who are interested in working with the organization.

At the top of the application, the applicant is asked to please consider a series of statements and to state whether they can answer affirmatively to all of them before proceeding with the application. If they cannot answer "yes" to them all, the application must be put on hold until they've talked with someone at the organization. Most of the questions are the usual ones such as "I am at least 18 years old" or affirming that you've read and agree with their doctrinal statement. However, as I got towards the bottom I was taken aback by one of the questions:

"Are you free from tobacco usage for at least six months?"

Just prior to that question the potential applicant is asked to affirm that they have been free of alcohol or drug "addiction" for at least one year, which I can kind of agree with since drunkenness is a scriptural prohibition (though why its picked out from among a myriad of other scriptural prohibitions for the initial screening process I don't quite understand. How about "have you been faithful to your spouse for at least the last year?", for instance).

Tobacco though? I mean tobacco use is not even mentioned in scripture and even with those substances that are mentioned such as alcohol, the sin is with regard to their abuse, not their use. Its interesting to me in fact that they don't ask about the use of alcohol, only what they call addiction to it.

I have to wonder what kind of theology is behind such a question being included in the initial screening of candidates. I mean is it really important enough to possibly eliminate someone right out of the gate or even to require a "discussion" before the candidate can proceed?

Of course some may say it has to do with caring for our bodies that the Lord has given us but then why not ask if the person has had a Big Mac in the last six months or has failed to achieve his aerobic heartbeat for 20 minutes 3 times a week? Others may say that its about being sensitive to others in the culture. However, I've been in foreign countries where Christians smoked like factories and thought nothing of it. Would it be OK if a person smoked on those particular mission fields? I kind of doubt it.

I just don't get it. No missions organization that I know of has to maintain a waiting list for people wanting to commit to full time missions. Why would they want to include extra-Biblical qualifications in their application process?