I want to spend some time looking at the Christian’s dealings with alcohol. Historically, Christians have taken the road of moderation, accepting the drinking of alcohol while condemning the abuse of alcohol. In the United States, over the last two hundred years, the temperance movement has been strong. This has led the church to re-examine her position, and many have chosen one of two roads: prohibition or abstention. Prohibition seeks to make alcohol illegal (this is the official stance of the Southern Baptist convention, for example), while abstention is about people making personal choices (which some bind on all other Christians, while others see them as personal choices).
I want to spend some time looking at what the Bible says about alcohol, as well as how drinking exists in our culture. To start off, I want to examine the current situation in this country.
Alcohol abuse is a terrible problem in this country. Not only in this country, but around the world. (Technically, alcohol abuse and alcoholism are not the same. Alcoholism is a disease, while alcohol abuse is a pattern of behavior.)
The U.S. Center for Disease Control lists the possible effects of excessive drinking:
- Chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis (damage to liver cells); pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas); various cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx (the voice box), and esophagus; high blood pressure; and psychological disorders.
- Unintentional injuries, such as motor-vehicle traffic crashes, falls, drowning, burns and firearm injuries.
- Violence, such as child maltreatment, homicide and suicide.
- Harm to a developing fetus if a woman drinks while pregnant, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Alcohol abuse or dependence.
It’s a problem that needs to be taken seriously. Anybody who flippantly says, “The Christian can participate in the use of alcohol in this country” is doing great harm, in my opinion. The typical use of alcohol in the United States in the 21st century, while actually improving over much of what happened in the 20th century, is unquestionably abusive. Drinking anything in the quantities that many people drink alcohol would be ridiculous. (Who sits down to drink a six-pack of Dr. Pepper? Who chug-a-lugs orange juice? Had a kegger with milk lately?) Beverages aren’t meant to be recreation. The effects of alcohol compound the damage.
How should the church react to such a problem? What’s a biblical response? Those are the things that I’d like to examine in the next few posts.
[I’ll probably take it slow, so those who comment will get ahead of me as usual. Because of that, I may not always comment on the comments. We’ll see.]
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Great post Brother! Good reasearch and awareness of the issue and disease. Looking forward to further posts and discussion. It is in our midst and we must deal with it in the most “Christ like” manner.
Trent
Looking forward to your prespective.
Grump
Looking forward to this series. I used to work as a motel bellman. I remember folks getting out of their cars and commenting that they needed a drink. I always thought that odd. I never remember anyone saying, “I’m tired and stressed… I need a Dr. Pepper!” Like I said, enjoyed the observation and looking forward to the series.
Danny
Well. we might disagree but I have no moral objection to a Christian consuming alcohol in moderation. I do have a moral objection to drunkenness and I believe there are certain establishments which sell alcohol that a Christian should have no part of.
Having said that…if alcohol completely disappeared from our culture, I am without a shadow of a doubt convinced our culture/community would be a better place. I do not think it will happen through prohibition but it could happen via a cultural mindset turning away from alcohol, much like what is happening with cigarettes/tobaco use these days. And think about this…we live in a culture that has a cultural disdainment now for smoking cigarettes and while I have no doubt that cigarettes are bad for our well-being (I’m an ex-smoker), I have yet to meet one person who smoked a pack of cigarettes and then went home and beat their family up because of it or went out driving a car that resulted in a fatal accident because of the smoking. What I am trying to say is that it is very hypocritical for the larger culture to continue its propaganda against cigarette/tobaco smoking and yet continue in a support of alcohol consumption.
Grace and peace,
Rex
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I look forward to the rest of the series. Alcohol use, especially beer, seems to be deeply ingrained into the fabric of American culture. Without getting too far ahead of you, I’d love to for you address notion that it’s not only permissable but necessary to join in the beer drinking to connect with and reach unchurched.
I almost never transfer comments over from Facebook, but since Al Maxey provided a link to an article he wrote, I thought I’d post it here:
Bro Al said:
There are some brethren, in an effort to reconcile the above biblical citations with their belief that any consumption of alcohol is sinful, who boldly declare that the references to the word “wine” in the Bible simply refer to non-alcoholic grape juice. This argument is so ludicrous that it is almost laughable. Time and again Scripture speaks of those who abuse and misuse “wine,” and in so doing become DRUNK. To my knowledge, one does not become intoxicated by drinking unfermented grape juice. We won’t even dignify such an argument with any further analysis. Even a child could shoot holes through such an illogical attempt at justifying one’s theological bias.
Clay’s response:
If someone you highly respect and trust to be honest with you concerning the scripture misuses the various text concerning wine and later a follower sees that dishonesty, what’s the chances of that one trusting that brother to be honest concerning other text and how they see other teachings?
Not me!
Not only concerning the topic on Wine but others as well.
I believe we have shot ourselves in the foot with our desire to give God a “little help” in determining what God wants for His people. Can anyone say, Instruments?
Grace and Peace Clay
Sorry, Tim, but your argument is not about alcohol. It is about over consumption. You could replace the word alcohol in your article with the word food and make an equal analysis about the effects of obesity on society.
I may not over consume food, but I’m not about to give it up completely.
I recently read a book for one of my graduate business classes called “The Culture Code.” A secular psychologist did marketing studies in America to find what the cultural subconscious imprint was for various ideals and concepts. He discovered that the code for alcohol was “Gun” and that Americans had a strong subconscious connection between alcohol and flirting with danger.
I agree with the comments above that alcohol should be considered in context of how our society views it, even if it isn’t sinful in and of itself.
Incidentally, this same researcher found that the American subconscious code for sex is “violence” and the code for love is “false expectation.”
I’m all for considering alcohol in a societal context, but we need to be very, very careful to clarify that we’re discussing it sociologically. It is too easy to say “alcohol is a problem in society” and have it heard as “consuming alcohol is sinful”. It would be inappropriate to bind abstention from alcohol on Christians because of a social argument.
I agree with Brad about over-consumption. I’ve never had a problem with someone having a drink with dinner, etc. My former neighbor used to claim he would have a beer each night when he got home, yet if you talked to him by 8:00pm, there was a noticeable sway when he stood still and VERY glassy eyes. I always wondered how big that beer was.
Should we all get together and discuss it over a case of beer? (and that was a joke…)
I don’t drink and don’t particularly like being around those who do. That said, on a related subject I remember growing up in Alabama (I’m grateful to remember anything these days!) when the churches of Christ had absolutely no use nor respect for the Baptists … until it was time to vote to keep the counties “dry.” Then they would all band together like best friends until the election was over.
When people would seek signatures for a petition to just bring up the matter for a vote, preachers would find out from the courthouse who had signed the petitions and God help your soul if you happened to exercise your right as an American citizen just to allow an election to take place!
I find it “strange” that we perfer not to be around alcohol.
Jesus didn’t seem to mind.
In fact he did so to the point of being accused of being a wine bibber. I strongly suspect that was because he drank form the cup
himself.
At least that’s the way the text reads to me.
Luke 7 ESV
33For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”
How can we or how will we reach a lost world when our self righness of “church religion” becomes our own stumbling block to reaching the lost. “I don’t even want to be around it”
I am thankful that was not the attitude of our savior.
Why have we become so self righteous?
Perhaps we might learn something from our Savior in prefrence to “our churches” position on the matter.
1 John 2:6
6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Grace and peace Clay
I don’t think we can justify being around alcohol on the basis that Jesus was around it. The culture Jesus lived in and the culture we live in are two drastically different contexts. I do think a missional case can be made for going among and around certain places where alcohol is present (and even potentially consume it on missional grounds) but it must be done on other grounds (presumably, missional theory) than just assuming that because it was done that way then that it is ok to do it that way now.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Rex I think thats fine for you.
I’m not sure it is either of our places to tell other mature Christians what they must or must not do in matters of opinion.
Been there, done that.
I have listened to others tell me “what they think you should do”
and I have told others “what I think they should do.”
I now try to determine what the Lord would have me to do.
I’m sure you do the same.
Grace and peace Clay
Sounds good. A group of men here did a recent study beginning with
John Mark Hicks’ “Come to the Table.” There are some passages that seem to indicate that God wants us to party with him, Dt. 14, Jn 2, and Lk 15 among others. With the prodigal son, no wine is mentioned, but it gets a solid word in the tithing and wedding passages. As they say in Spanish, may you go with God.
I know Jay is new to The Kitchen (though we’re old friends), and I think this may be David’s first time as well. Welcome guys!
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I have a “small” problem with Brad Palmore’s comparison of alcohol and food. Food is needed for life, but life can be lived without alcohol. Overconsumption of food is detrimental to life, as has been proven medically, as has overconsumption of alcoholic beverages.
Jeanne – But the problem is not with necessity. The issue at hand has to do with whether Christians can/should use alcohol. If the criteria for Christian participation is necessity we would soon discover a very short list of things that Christians can be a part of. We could not use television, internet, computers, etc. because they are not necessity (although the over consumption of these items are also detrimental sociologically). The issue addressed here is a sociological issue based on over consumption. In that comparison, food and alcohol are very similar in their detrimental effects on society when over consumed.
H Clay McCool,
Sorry, I am not trying to legislate for anyone whether it is ok to have a beer or glass of wine. I believe it is a matter of conscience. With that being said, I do want to help Christian work through the ethical issues (whether it is consuming alcohol or some other issue) and help them to make a decision based on a good, coherent, hermeneutic. From where I sit, there are too many ethical decisions being made from an inconsistent and incoherent method. I hope that clarifies my last comment a bit.
Grace and peace,
Rex
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Brad,
Your statement is wrong. You can’t read that article and replce food for alcohol. I tried it doesn’t work.
I don’t know of a problem with fat people killing others. I don’t know of obesity being a major contributor to teenage pregnancy.
I don’t thing people often over eat and then get into a fight and kill someone because of the food.
I don’t know of anyone who ate too much then said a bunch of things they regret due to the influence of the turkey sandwhich they ate.
Sure food, T.V. and lots of stuff have bad conseuquence but alcohol is a mild alter drug. So you are either for drug recrationally or you are not.
Joe
sorry I made a couple errors. My fingers move too fast some time.
I meant I don’t think people often overeat and get into a fight and kill someone due to food.
Mind altering drug
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Good discussion. This and other topics have been a stumbling block for a good many years. I will concede that over indulgence is not good for you, and yes I know people who will sit down and drink a 6-pack of Dr. Pepper or Mtn. Dew (if your diabetic it is not good for you). Paul told Timothy to STOP drinking Water, and drink Wine. We also want to push this idea we have to now to the “Weaker” Brother. Ok if he is a New Convert, show some concideration while teaching. For An Older more Mature Brother, tell him to Grow Up, quit making “Milk” your diet cause your ready for some “Meat”. Paul said Everything is Permissible to him, but not Everything is benificial. Spirits, be they Beer, Wine or Whiskey may be permissible but too much is not benificial. Now the Real Question is this a Faith Issue OR a Salvation Issue? If it is a Faith issue it is a Debatable issue and who really cares? If it is a Salvation Issue there needs to be se clearly defined standards. Your choice! Peace & Grace to all – Richard