Featured Alcohol

Some have said that a Christian partaking is sin because of the negative effect it has on one's testimony with others.

In some places and denominations, alcohol consumption is not thought of as a vice as it is in American baptist churches.

Hypothetical question: Would those here who oppose, for the reason stated above, rebuke a German brother for having his beer with lunch in a public setting? Why or why not?

 

No..id probably join him. Why are you bringing ethnicity into it?

 

Article by Daniel Wallace

http://bible.org/article/bible-and-alcohol

Interesting article.

 

Yes, Bronconagurski, very interesting indeed.

From the article,

"The point we are trying to make here is twofold: (1) Christians tend to compile rules and regulations that go beyond what is written; and (2) when such grey zones are considered evil, those who do not abide by such rules are often viewed as ‘the weaker brother.’ In reality, the weaker brother in scripture is the one who has too many scruples, not too few (cf. Romans 14)! It is a tragic irony that as one matures in the faith, all too often his life collects more and more oppressive chains of legalism. As much as there may well be good reasons for one to personally hold to certain convictions, we must be very careful about extending such beyond ourselves.

 

The effects of what alcohol has on other peoples lives should make people want to avoid it. Ann compaired a car in a wreck to a drunk killing people in a auto accident. Driving a car don't intoxicate someone. Now you are compairing eating saturated fats to drinking alcohol. I've never heard of a person eating a big mack and it slows down their reflexes or makes them dizzy or sleepy or makes them mean as a copperhead snake compaired to drinking moonshine. I've never known over eating and becoming fat to ruin a chritians testimony like drinking alcohol in front of a lost person would. Why don't we all get naked and dance down the street like David did, after all, we have bible to back it up.

 

Because I think much of one's opinions on the subject are culturally-influenced.

 

I, and law enforcement, beg to differ!

It's not a question of whether you are legally intoxicated, it's a question of whether or not it is safe to drive when you have consumed any amount of alcohol. Research shows that impairment begins long before a person reaches the blood alcohol concentration level necessary to be guilty of drunken driving.

The Legal Limit
In all 50 states, the legal limit for drunk driving is a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .05. A 120-pound woman can reach a .08 BAC level after only two drinks and a 180-pound man can be at .08 after only four drinks.

A "drink" is either one shot of liquor, a five-ounce glass of wine or one beer, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol.

At a .08 BAC level, drivers are so impaired that they are 11 times more likely to have a single-vehicle crash than drivers with no alcohol in their system. But 25 years of research has shown that some impairment begins for both males and females even after one drink.

.02 BAC Level
At the .02 blood alcohol concentration level, experiments have demonstrated that people exhibit some loss of judgment, begin to relax and feel good. But tests have also shown that drivers at the .02 level experience a decline in visual functions, affecting their ability to track a moving object, and experience a decline in the ability to perform two tasks at the same time.

These changes may be very subtle and barely noticeable to the person who has had only one drink, but in an emergency situation while behind the wheel of a vehicle, they could cause the driver to react (or not react) as they would without having had a drink.

.05 BAC Level
At the .05 BAC level, people begin to exhibit exaggerated behavior, experience loss of small-muscle control -- such as being able to focus their eyes quickly -- have impaired judgment, lowered alertness and a release of inhibition.

If someone with a BAC level of .05 gets behind the wheel, they would be operating the vehicle with reduce coordination, a further diminished ability to track moving objects, more difficulty in steering and a markedly reduced response in emergency situations.

.08 BAC Level
When someone drinking is approaching the borderline of legal intoxication, studies show that he or she has poor muscle coordination -- affecting their balance, speech, vision, reaction time and hearing -- find it more difficult to detect danger, and exhibit impaired judgement, self-control, reasoning ability and memory.

A driver with a BAC of .08 will find it more difficult to concentrate, judge the speed of the vehicle, experience reduced information processing capability and exhibit impaired perception.

Slower Reaction Time
For the person who is drinking, the above impairments may be hardly noticeable at the time, but the slow reaction times that they can produce could prove fatal in a emergency driving situation. That's why it is not a good idea to drive no matter how much or how little that you have had to drink.

There is another consideration: Alcohol affects people differently. Some people have a higher response to drinking alcohol than others. In other words, people with a high response to alcohol can experience signs of impairment at the .02 BAC level that others do not experience until the .05 level.

The Safe Limit
For this reason, in some states drivers can be arrested for driving while impaired even if their blood alcohol concentration is lower than the legal limit, if the law enforcement officer believes he has probable cause based on the behavior and reactions of the driver.

It's simply not a wise choice to get behind the wheel no matter how much you have had to drink. The only safe driving limit is .00 percent.

http://alcoholism.about.com/od/dui/a/impaired.htm


Don't give me the "one drink doesn't impair me" line! It does. I personally don't think a Christian should drink. Even ONE drink CHANGES your judgements. The Holy Spirit should control a Christian, not alcohol. Frankly, I'm amazed at the excuses to drink I see posted here.

 

B4L, the same results happen with lack of sleep, in fact it is just as dangerous. I don't think anyone here is condoning driving under the influence just like nobody would condone driving with no sleep or in a blizzard with broken wipers and bald tires

Also, not everyone is affected by alcohol the same. If you are trying to say just one drink makes you somewhat drunk, then one hamburger makes you somewhat a glutton.

 

.02 BAC Level- LESS THAN ONE DRINK!!!
At the .02 blood alcohol concentration level, experiments have demonstrated that people exhibit some loss of judgment.


"Loss of judgement."

Yes, that sounds exactly like what a Christian should be involved in! That's LESS than one beer, BTW.


I'm NNES judge, but I also do not believe drinking alcohol is something a CHRISTIAN should do. I can tell you for a fact, it DESTROYS your witness!! If that doesn't bother you, that's between you and God.

 

Right.:laugh:

 

Old Union Brother had it right. All things are legal but not all things are profitable. Simple as that.

 

I know the people that take the position that God disapproves of anything short of abstinence have read this post. So what do you say to these verses?

 

As well as the influence of these odious religious types.

 

Yes he does:thumbsup:

 

Well, now, that makes sense. I suppose we'll have to define moderation for this situation. Say, no more than one double bacon cheeseburger a day.

 

WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS NOT DRINK ALCOHOL?

1. Say “NO” because you may justify social drinking as permissible, but it is most assuredly not beneficial, not constructive — not to ourselves, not to our families, not to society.

2. Say “NO” to avoid the ever-present potential of offending or stumbling others. That would be a sin. If I were to choose to be a social drinker and my example led others to do the same, with harmful consequences, then my drinking alcohol as a Christian would have become an occasion of offense and stumbling to them. That alone is reason enough for me to choose continual abstinence from intoxicating drinks.

3. Say “NO” because alcohol is a serious social and public health problem. As the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:13f), Christians should determine not to be part of the problem, but rather part of the solution by choosing the safe path of abstinence from alcohol.


http://www.jimfeeney.org/Christians-drink-alcohol.html

 

Completely relative. Studies also show caffeine to have similar affects.

Actually if you say it destroys my witness you are in fact judging.

 

It depends on the person you are witnessing to. In the past year I've had this conversation or variations on it with a couple of people.

Me: "So where do you go to church?"

Person: "St. Luke's Lutheran on 98th St." (or similar, just not a Baptist church) "What about you?"

Me: "Metropolitan Baptist Church."

Person: "Baptist? So you don't drink, right?"

Me: "Generally no, but I do have a beer or two occasionally."

Person: "I thought Baptists weren't supposed to drink."

Me: "Why do you think that?"

Person: "It's just what I've always heard. Personally, I think it's goofy, considering Jesus turned water into wine."