Alcohol: Yes or No?

[Sntrose]

This is something I've always wondered...some Christians say they do not drink alcohol because it is against their religion, and some Christians can drink my atheist friends under the table! For my reference, is there an official stance on alcohol in Christianity?

This is of particular interest to me as I live in the USA and turn 21 next month!!!

I need to know who I may be potentially offending.

Thanks!

[Danmark]

There is a problem with the poll that renders it meaningless. The question posed is ambiguous. Does a 'no' vote say 'no' to alcohol? Or does it say 'no' to the Biblical prohibition of alcohol?

At any rate the Bible is crystal clear that alcohol is not prohibited; that drunkenness is discouraged. That some Christian factions have made prohibition an article of faith is not based on the Bible, but on their own traditions.

[OnceConvinced]

At any rate the Bible is crystal clear that alcohol is not prohibited

Did you not see the bible verses quoted earlier in this thread? The bible is most definitely ok with alcohol and even rejoices over it. It's the drunkedness which is the problem.

[Danmark]

At any rate the Bible is crystal clear that alcohol is not prohibited

Did you not see the bible verses quoted earlier in this thread? The bible is most definitely ok with alcohol and even rejoices over it. It's the drunkedness [sic]which is the problem.

Why point this out? Didn't I say exactly the same thing?

BTW, for many years there were so called Biblical scholars who tried to make the case that 'wine' in the Bible was really just grape juice. I have personally heard Christian pastors [some 50 years ago] make these arguments. They are easily rebutted of course.

[OnceConvinced]

At any rate the Bible is crystal clear that alcohol is not prohibited

Did you not see the bible verses quoted earlier in this thread? The bible is most definitely ok with alcohol and even rejoices over it. It's the drunkedness [sic]which is the problem.

Why point this out? Didn't I say exactly the same thing?

I'm just going by that one statement up there in quotations. Seems you making a statement that the bible said alcohol was not prohibited. Maybe I missed an earlier post.

[Danmark]

At any rate the Bible is crystal clear that alcohol is not prohibited

Did you not see the bible verses quoted earlier in this thread? The bible is most definitely ok with alcohol and even rejoices over it. It's the drunkedness [sic]which is the problem.

Why point this out? Didn't I say exactly the same thing?

I'm just going by that one statement up there in quotations. Seems you making a statement that the bible said alcohol was not prohibited. Maybe I missed an earlier post.

Yes, the Bible does not prohibit alcohol. Perhaps the double negative of 'not prohibit' was confusing. . . or
Maybe New Zealand and America are separated by a common language.

We are both saying the Bible allows alcohol, but preaches against drunkenness.

[OnceConvinced]

At any rate the Bible is crystal clear that alcohol is not prohibited

Did you not see the bible verses quoted earlier in this thread? The bible is most definitely ok with alcohol and even rejoices over it. It's the drunkedness [sic]which is the problem.

Why point this out? Didn't I say exactly the same thing?

I'm just going by that one statement up there in quotations. Seems you making a statement that the bible said alcohol was not prohibited. Maybe I missed an earlier post.

Yes, the Bible does not prohibit alcohol. Perhaps the double negative of 'not prohibit' was confusing. . . or
Maybe New Zealand and America are separated by a common language.

We are both saying the Bible allows alcohol, but preaches against drunkenness.

DOH! I didn't read something properly there. Must have been the double negative, which I now see. lol. I withdraw my original comment.

[pokeegeorge]

[Replying to post 23 by Danmark]

Agreed.

As far as the grape juice theory, unfortunately David Wilkerson was one of them. Author of the well-known Cross and the Switchblade.

No one is perfect, debatably. Maybe I am but I'm not sure I'd bet my life on it.

To PROHIBIT alcohol is to PROHIBIT the symbolic ingestion of Christ's blood. THEY used real wine. So why would we not? Squeemish?

[Sonofason]

This is something I've always wondered...some Christians say they do not drink alcohol because it is against their religion, and some Christians can drink my atheist friends under the table! For my reference, is there an official stance on alcohol in Christianity?

This is of particular interest to me as I live in the USA and turn 21 next month!!!

I need to know who I may be potentially offending.

Thanks!

The Bible, as far as I can tell does not prohibit the consumption of alcohol. What it seems to prohibit is being a drunk.

Geoffrey Chaucer once said, "Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness."
I discovered for myself that he was quite right.

[Danmark]

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man's heart.

_ from Psalm 104

Still... as a drinker for 40 some years, my preference is for whisky,
I've seen its abuse ruin many lives.

I don't recommend starting. No reason to develop a taste for something you don't need. I have developed a small device that makes perfectly clear 2" cubes of ice. The only problem with it, seeing one of these in a glass, you can practically hear it whisper, 'Pour whisky over me.'

[Robert H]

[Replying to post 20 by Choir Loft]

Drinking alcohol isn't the sin, it's being a drunken fool that is bad. A wise person would just stay away from the stuff, because sooner or later it will get you and something really bad will happen. Terrible social ills come from alcohol... drunk drivers killing people, husbands beating their wives, people having unmarried sex and then killing the baby, and on and on and on. Why it is legal to drink alcohol is beyond me. Oh, because the companies get rich off it. Hmmm...