Drinking Alcohol Moderately

I think when Christians drink, they are flirting with sin. Some Christians feel that casual drinking is OK. I however do not agree with this concept. It only takes one drink too many for it to become "sin." Quite frankly I think casual drinking with Christians is just a way for them to justify their sin.

Forgive me for this example, but its one of the best I can think of. The bible clearly speaks of fornication being a sin. Many "non-married" couples believe they can justify their sin by participating in every other sexual activity other than "sex," and they believe they are still being obedient to God's Word. How sadly mistaken are these people.

Christians who drink are no different. Not to mention it's a horrible witness as many of you have already stated.

 

Well if you are a baptist, no amount of hamburgers is too many. LOL

Thats a loaded question. Depends on the person I suppose. But to the best of my knowledge, no amount of hamburgers can cause you to become drunk.

 

Your opinion is your own, but I just have a tough time convincing myself that Jesus would fit in at one of these "Christian casual drinking parties." I was always taught that if the act is questionable ask yourself a couple questions:

1. What are my reasons for doing this?

2. Will I be glorifying God with my actions?

3. Will this be a good witness?

I highly doubt there will be any casual drinking in Heaven.

 

Agreed. Eating should be done in moderation for it can become gluttony. I don't believe drinking should be done at all. It is bad on the to liver, its too easy to cross the line to becoming drunk, and it is doing nothing to glorify God.

 

So where does the line that devides sin and non-sin? If Jesus drank wine and that makes drinking wine ok, then what about beer, whiskey, or vodka? I am sure you believe the wine Jesus drank was fermented. If that is so, do you think Christ ever got drunk, or even tipsy?

 

You have made some good points here. But, what about in the scripture when it speaks about not making another brother stumble? Whats your opinion on this in regards to drinking alcohol?

 

Our pastor's son and his wife bought a restaurant early this year. The previous owners had a karaoke stage and a bar in it.

Our pastor's son struggled with the decision whether or not to keep the bar as it brought in the most revenue. Sadly, he kept the bar.

Last week, he stood before the church and admitted that he had become an alcoholic.

There is no good to come of alcohol. At the last, it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

 

You mean that no good can come of abuse of alcohol. It wasn't the alcohol which was the problem but his immoderate use of it. Same with food, same with sex.

Besides, anecdotes are useless in a discussion since for every anecdote you pull our in favor of your side, I can pull out the same or more in favor of the opposite. Plus, anecdotes tend to ignore or pass over important details.

Furthermore, lets be careful and quote principles in their context. Here is the full context:
29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

You argue, not to partake at all. But the context of Scripture is that of those who abuse wine, who are addicted to it. After all, the things described - the insensitivity to pain, the lack of inhibitions, the red eyes, the abnormal bad temper, being accident prone, getting into fights, babbling, etc. - don't happen to those who drink in moderation but to those who get drunk or are alcoholics. It is those who tarry long at wine and seek it out that this passage is speaking of. It says nothing of moderate use of wine.

 

It is good that you live by your convictions and conscience.

However, one should not confuse convictions and conscience with Scriptural teachings. As long as one's argument against alcohol use is personal and specific to their own lives, I have no problem with it at all. Its when they seek to restrict the liberty of other's on things Scripture does not teach - in fact, things which Scripture often affirms. So, the brother/sister weak in faith who cannot partake in good conscience, I support their decision to refrain, and to those who can partake in good conscience I recognize their freedom to do so in accordance with Scripture. But I will vehemently argue against those who try and apply their own extra-Scriptural set of rules to all believers and bind their conscience thereby - that is legalism and not to be passed over.

It is also sad how sex and food have destroyed so many lives as well. But the sadness is not due to food, sex or alcohol, but to men abusing these things - seeking from them things they were not intended for.

Ditto to the above. It is a good and commendable thing to live so that you don't violate your conscience.

 

Because Scripture does not condemn it. In fact, it affirms it (in its proper context). If Scripture does not condemn it then for us to do so would be legalism and wrongful binding of other's consciences. Paul and Christ did not tolerate such things, nor will I.

I feel especially strong about not binding other's consciences after having come out of a cult which did so. I saw the spiritual devastation that could cause first hand.

Absolutely. A lot has to do with the conscience of the believer and the culture of the unbeliever lives in. If the believer cannot drink with a clear conscience, then that will affect their witness. But if the believer can partake in good conscience, and the unbeliever has no reason to see moderate drinking as anything other than normal (as the vast majority of Americans), then there is nothing odd or damaging to one's witness while drinking in front of an unbeliever.

In fact, drinking in moderation could be a positive thing to one's witness. If the norm for the unbeliever is to overindulge and drink for the purpose of getting drunk, then a Christian modelling self-control and moderation by drinking could enhance their witness.

Well sure, thats because your conscience is bothered by this. You conscience sees it as wrong and your conscience reacts on that basis. Those who can partake in faith won't see things the same way, they won't have the same reactions. Its a meat-offered-to-idols thing.