Individual attitudes towards alcohol consumption

[Mr Dave]

Methodist attitudes towards alcohol have come up in a different thread (http://www.christianforums.com/t7494518/) so I thought I'd do a poll to see where individuals in WP fall on the scale.

 

[Historicus]

I went with option # 1 as a "teetotal/practice total abstinence from alcohol".

However, I do not judge others on their choice in the matter. In fact, the reason I take this position has more to do with my previous denominational affiliation than with Methodism. Whether I will always keep this stance, that I'm not sure.

Now Communion is a whole different story. I'm okay with real sacramental wine being used for the Eucharist, but again agree and understand the reason the majority of Methodists (and some other denominations) choose to use grape juice.

 

[Mr Dave]

I went for #2, I may have a glass of wine with a meal, and do enjoy having a pint at the pub with some friends. I am a member of CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) which supports the vast variety of British ale, and the different flavours of beer that are available. It also supports low abv beers (<2.8%) to promote drinking beer without it having a detrimental effect on the drinker's state of mind.

I agree with Wesley1738 about Communion wine. I have no problem with those churches which use alcoholic wine, but for the emphasis placed in Methodist churches about the church being a 'safe place' I would always support keeping the wine alcohol-free in Methodist churches so that the Christian community can play a role in supporting alcoholics by offering a place which is completely free from alcohol.

 

[Qyöt27]

#2: I drink a little with a meal or a small amount of 'social drinking'

That's not totally the case, but it's the closest to it. Normally it's a very occasional after-dinner mixed drink. I can't stand the taste of beer or wine, and while this does generally mean the alcohol content of said mixed drinks is usually harder liquor (vodka or whiskey, for instance), I've always limited myself to one a night whenever any type of stuff is present. And I don't really care much for the burn - I don't like feeling like fire might start shooting out of my mouth or nose every time I exhale after taking a swig. Therefore, I also take an inordinate amount of time to actually drink the darn things when I do have them. For an 8 or 16 oz. glass it may very well take me 45 minutes to drink it (note, this snail's pace is also true of regular old coffee - I often take 1h-1h30m just to drink a single 4-cup pot, which equates rather neatly into my first cup and a refill).

However, we had abstinence or making sure the focus was not on getting drunk drilled into us over the years - my maternal grandmother is completely teetotal, and even expresses the 'one drink = slippery slope' mentality from time to time. My maternal great-grandfather (on my grandfather's side) was an alcoholic, which may have further influenced that position - his alcoholism is often used as an example of us having it in our genes already, even though I think that's enough generations back to not have much of an impact. Meanwhile, most of my dad's side of the family is Irish Catholic.

 

[Mr Dave]

Normally it's a very occasional after-dinner mixed drink.

"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks" Isaiah 5:22

Maybe you avoid being a champion if it's only occasional

Thanks for your responses, no surprises so far.

 

[Chris81]

I rarely drink but I do enjoy an occasional glass of wine with dinner and will drink alcohol during certain social occasions. I tend to keep some fairly strict rules when it comes to the consumption of alcohol. My father used to lead an alcohol and drug recovery program at church and I very much understand the destructive power alcoholism can cause in a persons life. I very much respect all of those who abstain from alcohol and for a time I considered abstaining from alcohol myself. However, I have come to understand that while some can never drink alcohol, others can drink responsibly.

Regarding communion, I respect churches that serve wine as I have attended Catholic Mass in the past with my mother, and find their services very beautiful. However, for the purposes of serving open communion in the Methodist Churches, I wholeheartedly support serving grape juice or non-alcoholic wine as it allows children and those recovering from alcoholism to partake fully in communion.

 

[NachoND]

I completely obstain from alcohol and I have no problem with it. Alcohol is a stumbling block for so many, so I have no problem with never drinking it again as an example.

I don't look down on those that have a glass of wine with a meal or drink a beer now and then. As long as you are not getting drunk then it is your choice to drink a little now and then.

 

[Celticflower]

I picked "other" because I rarely drink, and the wording of the options seem to indicate some regularity. If wine is served with a holiday dinner, yes, I will have a glass or two. If not, I don't miss it. In the course of a summer I may down a six-pack of beer - but it takes me all summer.

There are members of the family (both sides), who have/had a problem with alcohol - I choose not to drink when I am around these these people (altho' one BIL is so obnoxious he nearly drives me to drink!). We offered both champagne and sparkling grape juice at our wedding - more juice bottles were opened than Champagne.

 

[Maid Marie]

I am a teetotaler. I was never encouraged to drink and after seeing some bad examples of drinkers, I don't have a desire. The two worst were hearing my college buddy's plethora of stories of life with an abusive, alcoholic father, and my cousin being in jail for 6 months due to drunk driving.

For communion, my Nazarene church uses grape juice and this makes me happy. We have struggling alcoholics in our congregation and I wouldn't want communion to be a stumbling block for them. At the Episcopal church I go, they serve wine. I can hear 5 generations on my mother's side rolling in their graves as I dip the wafer into the wine but I do it cuz I want to participate...and just try not to think about it.

 

[GraceSeeker]

I answered teetotaller, but that is not quite true, just closer to reality than any of the other responses. I'm 53 and in my adult life I have had maybe a half-dozen instances in which I have knowingly drunk an alcoholic beverage (and one case of spiked punch). And in certain unique situations I probably would again.

 

[Rhamiel]

can catholics vote too? or is this just for methodist?

 

[Mr Dave]

Feel free to, Wesley looked on the world as his parish so I guess you fall into our group somehow

 

[Hotpepper]

#1: Drinking is over-rated and wine is disgusting.

 

[Mr Dave]

I picked "other" because I rarely drink, and the wording of the options seem to indicate some regularity. If wine is served with a holiday dinner, yes, I will have a glass or two. If not, I don't miss it. In the course of a summer I may down a six-pack of beer - but it takes me all summer.

There are members of the family (both sides), who have/had a problem with alcohol - I choose not to drink when I am around these these people (altho' one BIL is so obnoxious he nearly drives me to drink!). We offered both champagne and sparkling grape juice at our wedding - more juice bottles were opened than Champagne.

Thanks, yes I was trying to give some sense of regularity. I know someone who may have a glass on Christmas day or a couple of other times a year so is and isn't teetotal, and that was what I had in mind as being a possible reason for choosing 'other'.

 

[JCFantasy23]

I chose the second option but not completely accurate. I do get drunk sometimes, but I didn't want to check the ones that said that as it's not on a regular basis. Never drink with meals.

 

[Rhamiel]

very rarely do i drink with meals
maybe a beer or a glass of wine

sometimes i have cocktails with friends, sometimes i get drunk, but that is very rarely, not saying it is good, but it does happen sometimes

 

[GraceSeeker]

A few here have said that they do get drunk sometimes, but very "rarely". I'm curious as to what qualifies are "rarely". What is "rare" for one person my be altogether too frequent for another.

 

[lucaspa]

I used to drink more in college, but my "major" drinking days came to an end when my older daughter was about 27 months old. My wife and I had gone to a Xmas party the night before and the next morning I was awakened by my daughter to a hangover and her statement "Daddy, I'm hungry." Fixing a child's breakfast with a hangover is not fun.

So I now have 12 year old Scotch in my cabinet that is actually 38 years old.

 

[lucaspa]

A few here have said that they do get drunk sometimes, but very "rarely". I'm curious as to what qualifies are "rarely". What is "rare" for one person my be altogether too frequent for another.

How about twice in 26 years? My younger daughter now lives in Chicago and on a visit to her we went to a restaurant that was a block away. They have really good and really large margaritas and I (deliberately) had 2. I was very happily buzzed -- but not out of control. My younger daughter proceeded to text my older one proudly announcing that she had gotten the old man drunk. The older was jealous because it was the younger sister who had done this. They were quite pleased with themselves.

 

[Celticflower]

I haven't been drunk since the last time I worked with a bar band - about 24 years ago.