Alcohol

Staying with the spirit of controversy, my new post is a discussion on alcohol use (or abuse depending on how you look at it.).  I had written an email on this topic to a former pastor of mine while attending a local Lutheran church.  I felt it good enough to share it with you all.

This was an email written in August of 2007. It supplies the essence of what has burdened me about the church for sometime. This is an issue not confined to Lutheran churches, but all churches that take the liberty to consume alcohol, seemingly without a thought about the damage that occurs from its abuse of those coming out of the world into the glorious light of the Gospel.

We as a family have expressed a grave concern regarding drinking at social events at _____.  Without trying to sound too legalistic and knowing full well the panoply of scripture verses that relate directly to alcohol consumption (all negative; but not going so far as to outright condemn the practice), my question to you is, don't you think that _____ gives a confusing message especially to our youth about drinking?  The very least that it is not o.k before you are 21, but suddenly somehow it is permissible after that magical age, seems a bit puzzling.  Sex is that way too isn't it?  But one is ordained by God after an act of God; the other is ordained and approved by man but with a warning from God (just a little sidebar!).  I realize that this denomination has not been founded during the 'holiness' tradition, which is marked by its legalism, but frankly I don't agree with the abuse of freedom marked by this church concerning this topic (which should be as no surprise to you). There is much to be said for being a peculiar people by not participating in the acceptable practices of the world.  Our culture drinks way too much and many don't care that you preach moderation at all.  All they see is the source of their particular form of vise is freely displayed in your refrigerator.  Your witness is thus rendered powerless; of no effect, in their life.  I am speaking generally of course.  Not you personally pastor.

Though I do not drink, I choose not to because of what alcohol has done to my family growing up.  Scripture declares that “wine is a mocker and beer a brawler” and I attest this is emphatically true.  It also says that it is unwise to be carried away by the substance.  In fact a television commercial aptly paints the true character of the person who drinks to excess as a donkey.  But I would go further by saying a person is a donkey who cannot understand what the big deal is – after all everybody's doing it right? 

So again, another question related to the first I have to ask is, what is the message am I giving my children who know my position on this issue because of the evil it has done on lives we see daily?  More so, how about the confusing message that it is Christians who condone the practice that the world embraces so closely?  We can deal with the social pressure easier when we can say it is those who are not Christians who are pressuring our young people into taking drugs or alcohol.  But when Christians are the ones who accept the practice, what lasting effect can the parents have?  The pressure is increased ten fold because, it is o.k. after all, my Christian pastor boasts from the pulpit that this church is a drinking church! 

It is amazing to me how human beings can not ever seem to find balance.  It is either total legalism which takes the Spirit out of our faith or extreme liberalism where everything is permissible in the name of Christ.  Regarding alcohol, on one hand, it is an evil to beat off and if consumed you are considered 'unspiritual'; or on the other hand, it is embraced and boasted about.  Whatever.  To me, I have balance and there is no temptation. I never had it even while living on the 21st floor of the Kennedy Tower at Zoo Mass. But I know of one in this church who struggles with it; and I know of a young man who asked these very questions out of concern for his young child.  Regrettably, from all appearances, he has surrendered to the pressure of Christian 'fellowship'.  I admit that I say this with some bitterness.  What message do we wish to give our young people who are faced with this sometimes on a daily basis?  I know the message I will continue to communicate to my growing family:  Not to judge those who think differently on such matters. But if we are truly mission minded we will reconsider how our lifestyles and habits affect those who watch us in the world, and we will not be afraid of being different and even peculiar all while making the Gospel plausible to their needs without fear of succumbing to their vises. 

 

-Joe