I've had a problem with alcohol and gambling in the past. Gambling was primarily in pool halls, but later poker rooms also.
When I was in my 20s, my mom would harp on me to stay out of "Satan's house" (pool halls). In my 30s I almost lived in a pool hall, always looking for a game. Even though I was there primarily to gamble, I often had talks with people about Christ. I never looked at the gambling as a sin, figuring I was simply using my skills to earn a living, much like a wall street investor "gambles" the market to make his living.
I rarely play anymore, and especially not for money.
The church I attend now has a men's fellowship periodically on Friday nights, where we meet at the church to pray, address our responsibilities in the church from scriptural gleanings, and then out for an evening of pool.
The first time I was told about it, I laughed and told them about my mom's words to me. The pastor looked confused and asked me what's so bad about going to play pool. I told him about the gambling I've done, and he said he was totally oblivious to the degree of gambling that goes on in pool halls.
Not everyone sees the same venues in the same light. It sometimes depends on our own background.
As for a bar - even though I once had a problem with drinking, I am not a preacher of abstinence. Every adult is responsible for knowing himself and whether or not it's ok for him. There are plenty of people who look down on a certain establishment as being the "house of the devil"
If Satan's House is where sinners are, then every church would be Satan's House.
In the town I moved from, there's a believer who spent time in jail. For what I do not know. But he got a lot of tattoos while in jail, and became fond of them. He opened a tattoo shop in town, and shortly after felt that God was calling him to start a church in his shop. So that's what he did.
There are quite a few "crazy" looking people who like him and his church. They've got tattoos all over them, big holes in their ear lobes, and just look weird to many people. They wouldn't have a chance in the Southern Baptist church I was at. Too stuffy, too many Fringe Fundamentalists to be judged by, and the idea of a boring potluck dinner isn't appealing to them. The bottom line is that they feel accepted in that little tattoo shop, and they hear the word of God. They fellowship with people who they "get" and they're not in a hurry to get out the door after "service" is over.
Back to the drinking, I used to really like the taste of wine coolers. About a year ago, I was helping my brother-in-law paint their house one weekend. I was running a spray rig on trim and ceilings, and had worked about 14 hours on Saturday. I went into the garage about 1am to see if they had a soda in the fridge, but there was none. But, they had two wine coolers. I thought "Man, I sure am thirsty. I would prefer a soda, but that cold sine cooler sure would go down nicely right about now."
So I popped one open and took a sip. MAN, was that good. I forgot all about the alcohol content, and chugged it like soda. I went and got the other one and drank it the same way, because I was thirsty. I had no inclination to get drunk, but considering that I hadn't had a drink in several years, I got buzzed in a hurry. My sister came out and sat in a chair next to me, and I told her that I was buzzing form those drinks.
She said she couldn't believe I was drinking. I confessed that I was glad there were only two, because I just might have gone for a third, and maybe fourth. There was beer available in that garage I was in, but I don't like the taste. So I passed. And I haven't had a drink since that night.
I guess the bottom line for me is that the establishment is not what makes the drunk, or the gambler, or the tattoo enthusiast. And the establishment is not what makes one a Christian, either.
Those who are led by the Spirit will be led by the Spirit wherever beer is sold, or wherever pool is played. And those who are in the flesh will be in the flesh...even if they're in church
