Drinking "a choice"?

I was given an invitation flyer at work about the upcoming Christmas party. The instructions said to BYOB (bring your own bottle)....and I told my supervisor I don't drink (alcohol, that is). I was really referring to if the soft drinks are for sale or for free.
She said "That's your choice." Gee whiz, this is the same lady who showed me a poem her daughter or someone did about Jesus last year once....and she said drinking alcohol is a choice.
I was thinking she must not know that drinking alcohol can be risky turning you into alcoholic, or that you cannot drive anywhere if you drink.
What do you think?

I think drinking is a choice for a Christian...but we shouldn't get drunk if we do drink. That's what I gather from the Bible.

Drinking alcohol is a choice. We are told NOT to be "controlled" by alcohol and sadly, many are already influenced with .1 or .2 blood alcohol (.8 = drunk and you get arrested).

How would I get .1 and already be influenced? One drink.

And so I make the choice of abstinence except for minute amounts in medicines.

Drinking alcohol, like everything else in life, IS a choice.

Go to the party and have a good time. BYOP (bring your own pop).

Originally posted by Dr. Bob:
Drinking alcohol is a choice. We are told NOT to be "controlled" by alcohol and sadly, many are already influenced with .1 or .2 blood alcohol (.8 = drunk and you get arrested).

How would I get .1 and already be influenced? One drink.

And so I make the choice of abstinence except for minute amounts in medicines.

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Good answer, Dr. Bob-----are you sure you and I aren't long lost brothers???? But shouldn't your calculations say---".01 and .02" instead of .1 and .2 and .8???

To ME---I do not have a choice----I do not choose alcohol----it cannot/and will not be one of my choices

AMEN Dr Bob and Blackbird!

Blackbird, I agree completely. After living with an alcoholic for 22 years, I knew I would never have a choice to make. He tried every way he could think of to get me to drink, but I was never tempted to. It simply was not an option for me, no matter how bad the abuse was. One cannot become an alcoholic if he nevers takes that first drink, and when anyone takes that first one, he/she never knows how far it will take them. An addictive drug is just that. "addictive" It doesn't matter if it's alcohol, pot, crack or meth. A drug (alcohol) is legal only because the lawmakers are so much into it too.
I'm high on Jesus and life. I don't need any drugs.

My wife and I have, on occasion, ordered a glass of wine with our dinner, or have had a strawberry daquari to celebrate our anniversary. But, that's about as far as that goes, and we haven't really done so for over five years. Vivian's father was an alcoholic, and her two sisters could drink a sailor under the table. So, for the most part, we stay away from alcohol and parties that have such.

You guys are right.... drinking is a choice. But, in my opinion, if you are right with God you wont want to drink. Christian means Christ-like. God never drank so a Christian will never have a desire or want to drink unless they succomb to temptation of Satan. Remember, God will never let anything happen to you that He knows you can't handle. God always provides an outlet to your temptations. Anyway... to stay alchol, wine, drug, etc. free i think that everyone needs to stay away from situations that have such temptations. Many teenagers today who are Christians have fallen to drinking, drugs, etc. because of peer pressure or to drown out problems. The coworkers of one of my friends, who works at a Burger King, said that they thought he was gay because he didn't drink, didn't sleep around, didn't party, etc. He's just stayed away from such situations to abstain from those temptations. 1 Thessolonians 5:22 says to "Abstain from all apperances of evil." Even if you go to an activity that has alchol, drugs, etc. and you don't participate in those ungodly activities that still, in my opinion, not a very good testimony. God wouldn't go into a bar or a bar-like situation to witness so why should you? Im not saying that any of you go into bars.... its just a paraphrase.
Prov:20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Show me a verse that says that you can drink wine with moderation. Oh... by the way.... Wine back in Bible days was either firmented or unfirmented. God served unfirmented wine at the Passover which is grape juice. Proverbs 23:29-35 talks about what happens when someone does drink. Read it and meditat on it (were are not even supposed to drink it let alone look at it. Prov. vs. 31.)Just thought I let you guys know.

Originally posted by HOHNancy:
I was given an invitation flyer at work about the upcoming Christmas party. The instructions said to BYOB (bring your own bottle)....

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I thought it was "bring your own booze". It's a polite way of a host saying "You're welcome to consume an ancolohic beverage if you like, but I won't be providing you with any".

I was thinking she must not know that drinking alcohol can be risky turning you into alcoholic, or that you cannot drive anywhere if you drink.

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It depends. Jesus, a practicing Jew, certainly would have consumed wine with every sabbath meal. In fact, his first miracle was turning water into wine for a wedding feast. I think there is a hugh difference between lightly or casually consuming alcohol, and drinking for the purpose of getting drunk. The latter is of course to be avoided. The former falls into letting each person deciding what is appropriate for him/herself. I'm not much of a drinker, but I will, for example, have a class of blush wine with my Thanksgiving dinner this year. When Mrs Johnv and I got married at Star Trek: The Experience, I had a glass of Romulan Ale with my meal. It was blue, too!!!

In those few times I do consume an alcoholic beverage, I never consume on an empty stomach, as doing so will permit me to feel the effects of alcohol. Not wanting to be controlled by it, I drink only with meals, if I drink at all. But that is my personal threshold. Other people will be different.

What do you think?

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Drinking in and of itself is not a sin. Drunkenness is a sin. Abusing alcohol is a sin. Drinking, in and of itself, need not be a sin. As for yur situation, if you choose not to partake in the consumption of alcohol, then that is your sovereign right. Bring your own soda and get wired off the caffiene

Originally posted by blackbird:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Dr. Bob:
Drinking alcohol is a choice. We are told NOT to be "controlled" by alcohol and sadly, many are already influenced with .1 or .2 blood alcohol (.8 = drunk and you get arrested).

How would I get .1 and already be influenced? One drink.

And so I make the choice of abstinence except for minute amounts in medicines.

Click to expand...

Good answer, Dr. Bob-----are you sure you and I aren't long lost brothers???? But shouldn't your calculations say---".01 and .02" instead of .1 and .2 and .8???

To ME---I do not have a choice----I do not choose alcohol----it cannot/and will not be one of my choices </font>[/QUOTE]Thanks for that! I've pondered about this from time to time.

Originally posted by Clean1:
You guys are right.... drinking is a choice. But, in my opinion, if you are right with God you wont want to drink. Christian means Christ-like. God never drank so a Christian will never have a desire or want to drink unless they succomb to temptation of Satan. Remember, God will never let anything happen to you that He knows you can't handle. God always provides an outlet to your temptations. Anyway... to stay alchol, wine, drug, etc. free i think that everyone needs to stay away from situations that have such temptations. Many teenagers today who are Christians have fallen to drinking, drugs, etc. because of peer pressure or to drown out problems. The coworkers of one of my friends, who works at a Burger King, said that they thought he was gay because he didn't drink, didn't sleep around, didn't party, etc. He's just stayed away from such situations to abstain from those temptations. 1 Thessolonians 5:22 says to "Abstain from all apperances of evil." Even if you go to an activity that has alchol, drugs, etc. and you don't participate in those ungodly activities that still, in my opinion, not a very good testimony. God wouldn't go into a bar or a bar-like situation to witness so why should you? Im not saying that any of you go into bars.... its just a paraphrase.
Prov:20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Show me a verse that says that you can drink wine with moderation. Oh... by the way.... Wine back in Bible days was either firmented or unfirmented. God served unfirmented wine at the Passover which is grape juice. Proverbs 23:29-35 talks about what happens when someone does drink. Read it and meditat on it (were are not even supposed to drink it let alone look at it. Prov. vs. 31.)Just thought I let you guys know.

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Not to be mean spirited or anything, Clean....you're adding into all of these verses YOUR INTERPRETATION of what the Bible says and not letting the Bible say what it says, plain and simple. You're incoherent throwing in of all other kinds of situations shows a lack of organized thought in your post. In your comment about "wine is a mocker"....did you read the whole verse? The operative words are "whosoever is DECEIVED"....not all are deceived. I know many good, strong Christians who can drink a glass of wine with dinner and have no problem with it at all. Their testimonies are cleaner, clearer and more Godly than most pastors I know.
Please, prove your assertion that "God never drank wine". Do you know this for a fact? Also, please, prove the assertion that those who do drink on occasion are "not right with God" or have "succombed to the devil". These are blanket statements that leave your opinion open to challenge and open discussion.

Originally posted by HOHNancy:
I was given an invitation flyer at work about the upcoming Christmas party. The instructions said to BYOB (bring your own bottle)....and I told my supervisor I don't drink (alcohol, that is). I was really referring to if the soft drinks are for sale or for free.
She said "That's your choice." Gee whiz, this is the same lady who showed me a poem her daughter or someone did about Jesus last year once....and she said drinking alcohol is a choice.
I was thinking she must not know that drinking alcohol can be risky turning you into alcoholic, or that you cannot drive anywhere if you drink.
What do you think?

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I think you should have said "are soft drinks or other non-alcoholic drinks provided, or should I bring my own?"
It would avoid any confusion over the reply. What you said most likely left the impression that you thought maybe you HAD to bring an alcoholic drink for yourself, so she replied with "it's your choice"...meaning no, you don't have to. It does no good to surmise her reasons for giving an answer to something that wasn't a clear question in the first place, and seems a bit unfair to even try.

When you want an answer to a specific question, you have to ask the specific question!

Psa 104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;


Psa 104:15 And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man's heart.

Hmm.

I agree with Dr. Bob.

I think it is unwise for Christians to drink.

I disagree with the statement that Christ did not drink.

The last supper refers to Christ drinking wine. The wedding feast does as well. I've heard the theory it didn't have alcohol in it, but if that was the case - why DOES the bible caution against becoming drunk?

I think Christ, like most Jewish individuals of that age, had a glass of wine with meals.

I don't think that means Christians should run to the local liquor store.

Alcohol controlled my life for 25 years you couldn't make me take a drink today.
I think that it is a choice.If you choose to drink you've made a poor one.

Originally posted by SAMPLEWOW:
Alcohol controlled my life for 25 years you couldn't make me take a drink today.
I think that it is a choice.If you choose to drink you've made a poor one.

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A poor choice for you maybe but not everyone. If you feel that way about yourself, that's fine but alcohol does not control everyone.

Originally posted by SAMPLEWOW:
Alcohol controlled my life for 25 years you couldn't make me take a drink today.
I think that it is a choice.If you choose to drink you've made a poor one.

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Because of YOUR experience with alcohol, it would indeed be a poor choice....FOR YOU. In YOUR OPINION, it would be a poor choice, but not in everyone's. Many can, do, and will continue to partake of alcoholic beverages with no problems whatsoever. It is NOT unscriptural by any stretch. For those who can partake and have no problems, more power to them. For those who cannot or feel it would be a sin, more power to them, also. It is an area of scripture that is left open to intepretation in both ways, just as the subject of partaking of meat was/is.

I made the choice to drink many years ago (when the drinking age was 18 - Hi Mom! ).
I found that it was a very expensive to fall asleep .
i chose to give it up three days later.
But, since there is no biblical mandate against drinking, it doesn't bother me if christians chose to drink (in moderation, of course).

Rachel,

The thing about alochol is that you don't know whether it will control or not until it is too late.

Why take the risk?