Day One: Alcohol

Alcohol has always been a touchy subject for me because I never knew the appropriate stance on it from a Christian worldview. Many Christians advocate no alcohol usage at all, while others freely go out and participate in "social drinking", having a drink in a casual setting with no intention of getting drunk. It's been a topic the church as shied away from openly discussing for the reason that it's a hard line to walk. Do we give the 'okay' for people to go drink, or to refrain from it at all, in fear that we are inadvertently encouraging them to get drunk?

I'll liken the alcohol debate to the usual shortcuts Christians make when discussing sex. Growing up, one tends to hear "Sex is good, but it's bad before marriage", which I fully agree is the truth, for reasons that might be discussed on this blog later down the road. But oftentimes in our conservative worldview, there isn't a middle ground that's easy to walk or discuss, so we begin to 'shortcut' that phrase to "sex is bad" as a way of making an easier rule to follow. This eventually messes with our psyche- the church doesn't know how to approach sex with an enthusiastic attitude without feeling like it's going to encourage all the singles to go sleep around. Sex is also an extremely personal issue, so it wouldn't be as widely discussed from a pulpit as something like finance. Alcohol is the same way. We shortcut "Alcohol is a gift, but drunkenness is a sin" to "Alcohol is a sin." The problem is that drinking in and of itself is not a sin.

This view has been hard for me to come to terms with because of what's been ingrained in my head for so long. I don't blame anyone for this confusion because I know most Christians struggle to find a balance between this as well and have set parameters in a loving rather than legalistic way. So in order to fix this, I read two recent articles about the viewpoint of the consumption of alcohol in the Old and New Testaments.

http://www.thetwocities.com/biblical-studies/alcohol-in-the-bible-part-one-the-old-testament/
http://www.thetwocities.com/biblical-studies/alcohol-in-the-bible-part-two-the-new-testament/

I'll sum up their basic points:

Old Testament- Alcohol is a symbol for joy, and people openly consumed alcohol. However, the Bible is clear that drunkenness is a sin. The author references verses and stories that back both of these claims up.

New Testament - While the new testament is less clear about the consumption of alcohol being good, two major stories emerge- Jesus turned water into wine during a wedding, and He often referenced vineyards and wine in his parables and teachings.

The Old Testament speaks frequently of wine in a positive light if taken responsibly, and the New Testament speaks more of the consequences of drunkenness in every day life and also in the inheritance of the Kingdom of God.

Essentially, what this investigation taught me was that going out and having a drink with a friend at a bar is something that can be enjoyed when it's done responsibly.



.... and we're off to a rough start for my 30 day challenge! hah