Drinking and an issue of pride

[JimB]

I'm 33 and I've never had a drink of alcohol. In social situations, this often makes me stand out as weird. I typically have to explain my reasons; I don't want to become an alcoholic and my grandfather drunk himself to death.

Sometimes I feel pride about my choice not to drink. Being that pride is a sin, I sometimes wonder if I should just take a drink so I don't have this area of pride in my life.

Now, I actually think it's ok to drink as long as you can control yourself, my reasons for not drinking are a fear of becoming a drunk. Probably irrational, but, I just see way more negatives coming from drinking than not.

I have the same issue with swearing, as I haven't swore since 1988.

Should I swear too and free myself of this pride?

Pride exists with or without ones choice of beverages. Some Christians are filled with pride because they are tee-totalers and others are swelled with pride because they can drink a beer in public.

It is a matter of conscience and one person’s liberty (to drink or abstain) should not be judged by another man’s conscience?

~Jim.

God brings us into deep waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us.​

 

[JimB]

That's not weird at all. As a Christian, I don't want to contribute to the alcohol epidemic.

*****

Hmmmm. Then you need to be consistent. Do you shop for groceries at stores where alcoholic beverages are sold? Do you eat in restaurants where alcohol is served? If so, then aren’t you contributing to the “alcohol epidemic”?

~Jim.

God brings us into deep waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us.​

 

[lismore]

I typically have to explain my reasons; I don't want to become an alcoholic and my grandfather drunk himself to death.

My Grandfather also was a compulsive gambler and a alcoholic.

For me its a fine line between keeping off booze and gambling myself and becoming judgemental of others.

However I think the world would be a much happier place if booze and gambling were illegal. I have seen Christians get into social drinking, or doing a little bet, then finding they are hooked with no way out.

The only sure way out is not to start in the first place.

 

[Alpine]

The only sure way out is not to start in the first place.

That's what I mean that the negatives outweigh the positives.

 

[JimB]

*****

However I think the world would be a much happier place if booze and gambling were illegal.

*****

We tried that during Prohibition (1920-1933) and it gave America Al Capone, Bugs Moran and organized crime and while alcohol consumption decreased, crime increased and the problem of alcoholism did not disappear. Prohibition created as many (if not more) problems than it solved so that in little over a decade it was repealed.

Banning sinfulness does not solve anyhting. John Calvin in Geneva and the Puritans in New England tried that and it didn't work. They did learn, though, that self-righteousness is a sin, too.

~Jim.

Write kindness in marble and injuries in dust.​

 

[Alpine]

We tried that during Prohibition (1920-1933) and it gave America Al Capone, Bugs Moran and organized crime and while alcohol consumption decreased, crime increased and the problem of alcoholism did not disappear.

That's true.

 

[Faulty]

We tried that during Prohibition (1920-1933) and it gave America Al Capone, Bugs Moran and organized crime and while alcohol consumption decreased, crime increased and the problem of alcoholism did not disappear. Prohibition created as many (if not more) problems than it solved so that in little over a decade it was repealed.

Then of course the government (in their wisdom ) decides to try to curb alcohol consumption through extremely high taxation and the bootlegging business became all the rage.

Then of course bootleggers became the foundation NASCAR was built upon (i.e. Junior Johnson and his contemporaries).

...and its been all downhill since.

 

[hislegacy]

I'm 33 and I've never had a drink of alcohol. In social situations, this often makes me stand out as weird. I typically have to explain my reasons; I don't want to become an alcoholic and my grandfather drunk himself to death.

Sometimes I feel pride about my choice not to drink. Being that pride is a sin, I sometimes wonder if I should just take a drink so I don't have this area of pride in my life.

Now, I actually think it's ok to drink as long as you can control yourself, my reasons for not drinking are a fear of becoming a drunk. Probably irrational, but, I just see way more negatives coming from drinking than not.

I have the same issue with swearing, as I haven't swore since 1988.

Should I swear too and free myself of this pride?

My Brother are you serious?

Have you been faithful to your wife? Is your faithfulness something that you are proud of?

Maybe you should comity adultery to keep the sin of pride away. Duh!!

Even Paul boasted in what Jesus had done in his life. That was pride. It not sin. You got some really bad teaching somewhere.

 

[Elijah2]

Looks kinda good..

Terrible pourer, and looks like "creaming soda".

 

[Faulty]

My Brother are you serious?

Have you been faithful to your wife? Is your faithfulness something that you are proud of?

Maybe you should comity adultery to keep the sin of pride away. Duh!!

Even Paul boasted in what Jesus had done in his life. That was pride. It not sin. You got some really bad teaching somewhere.

Interesting. I've never equated a beer with adultry before.




I still don't.

 

[Optimax]

The word "wine" in the bible can mean either alcoholic wine or non-alcoholic wine, depending on the context. You see scriptures condemning the drink that "bites like a serpent" (Prov. 23:32), and also scriptures such as the "new wine" that is "found in the cluster" (Isa. 65:8) which in that context implies that the wine referred to is not fermented.

I don't believe Christ changed water into alcoholic wine. The weddings in those days tended to last 2-3 days or so. Does it fit the character of God to create gallons and gallons of alcohol for a 3-day binge? Just like today's weddings, I hardly think everyone there would've 'drunk in moderation'. Not to mention wine tends to have more alcohol in it than beer, so there's the potential to get drunk quicker. I can't imagine Jesus' first miracle on earth was to promote an alcoholic binge which I'm sure fights, arguments, and drunken behaviour would've ensued by at least a few of the patrons.

What would Jesus say to those patrons that had too much to drink? "Well, you should've drunk responsibly. All things in moderation." Would He really create the best wine they've ever tasted, then condemn them when they drink too much? That's almost tempting them, and James 1:13 says God does not tempt anyone. Why would Jesus promote something that is warned about some 60 times in the Old Testament?

Let's take an even closer look. The master of the feast compliments the servants and says that most people start with the good wine, and "when the guests have well drunk" (John 2:10), then the inferior wine comes. But "you have kept the good wine until now!". So Jesus waits until everyone is "well drunk" and then caps off the party with the best alcoholic wine ever? Was there anyone left standing?

That doesn't ring true with my perspective of a righteous God, who says "be holy, for I am holy" (I Peter 1:16), and a God who gives good gifts to His children (Luke 11:13).

Now, I don't believe having a drink is a sin per se, although drunkenness clearly is (I Cor. 6:10) But why walk the line like a tight-rope? I'd rather try to "abstain from every appearance of evil" (I Thes. 5:22) and stay as far away from the line as possible.

What's the real reason many drink alcohol? To relax or to not be so uptight? Isn't that the slow effect of losing one's sobriety? We're called to be sober-minded and have self-control. Not allowing our minds to be given over to another influence, which causes us to speak or act foolishly. Which can still happen even when we're not fully drunk.

Very well thought out and presented.

 

[Prizm]

Looks kinda good..

Why does it look good? Because you like the taste?

Or because you like the effect it produces? God's word says be sober. Just because we're not outright drunk doesn't mean we're not fully sober either.

Hmmmm. Then you need to be consistent. Do you shop for groceries at stores where alcoholic beverages are sold? Do you eat in restaurants where alcohol is served? If so, then aren’t you contributing to the “alcohol epidemic”?

Not if I'm not purchasing or consuming alcohol. That's almost like saying if I go to a catholic church, then I'm promoting pedophile priests. Or if I rent a kids movie, then I'm supporting the inappropriate contentography industry.

 

[Faulty]

Why does it look good? Because you like the taste?

Or because you like the effect it produces? God's word says be sober. Just because we're not outright drunk doesn't mean we're not fully sober either.

Believe it or not, some people actually do enjoy the taste.

 

[Optimax]

A question thought of while reading through this thread.

Is it obvious from reading the post, who does and who does not?

 

[hislegacy]

I'm 33 and I've never had a drink of alcohol. In social situations, this often makes me stand out as weird. I typically have to explain my reasons; I don't want to become an alcoholic and my grandfather drunk himself to death.

Sometimes I feel pride about my choice not to drink. Being that pride is a sin, I sometimes wonder if I should just take a drink so I don't have this area of pride in my life.

Now, I actually think it's ok to drink as long as you can control yourself, my reasons for not drinking are a fear of becoming a drunk. Probably irrational, but, I just see way more negatives coming from drinking than not.

I have the same issue with swearing, as I haven't swore since 1988.

Should I swear too and free myself of this pride?

My Brother are you serious?

Have you been faithful to your wife? Is your faithfulness something that you are proud of?

Maybe you should comity adultery to keep the sin of pride away . Duh!!

Even Paul boasted in what Jesus had done in his life. That was pride. It not sin. You got some really bad teaching somewhere.

Interesting. I've never equated a beer with adultry before.




I still don't.

Hope the red bolded letter help you understand my reply a little better.

Not sure how you read that and thought I was equating beer with adultery.

 

[Faulty]

Hope the red bolded letter help you understand my reply a little better.

Not sure how you read that and thought I was equating beer with adultery.

Easy enough to come to that conclusion with the way it was written, but for the record, I was really just messing around with you a bit.

 

[Leimeng]

Hmmmm. Then you need to be consistent. Do you shop for groceries at stores where alcoholic beverages are sold? Do you eat in restaurants where alcohol is served? If so, then aren’t you contributing to the “alcohol epidemic”?

~Jim.

God brings us into deep waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us.​

~ On top of that, do you eat candy, cake, sweets, fast foods, pasta, potatoes, or drink sodas, which all screw up your pancrease and can cause diabetic problems?
~ Do you go to buffets where you can indulge beyond satiation and contribute to an establisment which causes obesity? Obesity is linked to cancer, hypertension, heart disease, arthritis and other joint problems, bad kidneys, bad sex, bad eyesight, and really nasty images in the minds of the viewers...
~ Do you eat seafood from East Asia which has a high concentration of mercury and is a leading cause of stomach cancer?
~ Consistancy is a good thing.
~ Continue to discuss amongst yourselves...

Peace,

Leimeng

Flatulo Ergo Sum ~~~

(***Insert Personal One Liners Here***)

 

[Alpine]

My Brother are you serious?

Have you been faithful to your wife? Is your faithfulness something that you are proud of?

Maybe you should comity adultery to keep the sin of pride away. Duh!!

Even Paul boasted in what Jesus had done in his life. That was pride. It not sin. You got some really bad teaching somewhere.

I've not committed adultery on my wife, though I actually have never felt pride about that, now that I think about it.

 

[pinetree]

Why does it look good? Because you like the taste?

Or because you like the effect it produces? God's word says be sober. Just because we're not outright drunk doesn't mean we're not fully sober either.



Not if I'm not purchasing or consuming alcohol. That's almost like saying if I go to a catholic church, then I'm promoting pedophile priests. Or if I rent a kids movie, then I'm supporting the inappropriate contentography industry.

Lighten up.

 

[nephilimiyr]

I'm 33 and I've never had a drink of alcohol. In social situations, this often makes me stand out as weird. I typically have to explain my reasons; I don't want to become an alcoholic and my grandfather drunk himself to death.

For a guy living in Milwaukee I can see why you often have to explain yourself.