Is Drinking to Excess Wrong?

[gratienpatrick]

If so, why?

I personally believe that it is wrong, because when you drink to excess, you're not yourself, and usually end up doing bad things, especially if you are surrounded by people who are doing bad things. At the very least, it's wasteful, because you throw up all the food that God gave you that day once you get too drunk. Plus, in Ephesians or somewhere it says something like "enjoy alcohol a little bit, but don't get drunk" (right?).

My girlfriend, however, is of the opinion, that drinking itself isn't wrong, it's what you do when you're drunk. She says if you get drunk and sleep around, then the sleeping around is wrong, not the drinking. She says that her uncles and stuff get drunk sometimes at home, and the only thing that happens is they just tell a lot of stories and stuff.
Basically, she think's it's totally okay to get drunk, as long as you've got good people looking out for you and you don't do anything horrible like get in fights or sleep around. What do you think?

 

[explodingboy]

I think that there is two different situations here.

It sounds like your Gf is referring to drinking at home/family get together in which she is pretty correct in that the worst that will happen is some very fruity story telling or in the worst case scenario your grandma trying to flirt with your little sisters boyfriend (true story)
In the small gathering such as family parties shes correct in saying that the drinking is pretty harmless in my experience the worst I have ever had occur was vomiting on the couch but that had allot to do with the Very greasy food and then playing on a trampoline (it seemed a good idea at the time but me and friend had just finished a bottle of vodka + some beers)

Your own example seems to be looking at the stereotypical large party with all sorts of chaos that can be expected from such a gathering. Only done a couple of small social [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth]ups due to my overall loathing of large parties but in all cases they met with nothing that spectacularly bad happening, no drugs/sex and everyone who couldn't walk got sent home in a taxi or crashed overnight, and the only property damage would of been if you consider the relocation of front room furniture into the garden a bad thing.

As by most Christian standard an excessive drinker myself (halfway through my third fosters for this evening) I honestly will say that the whole your not yourself when drunk is a lie, and you'll very rarely throw up (once in 4 years) As to the right and wrong, I'd side with your Gf although everyones limit will be at a different bar, I can out drink pretty much all of my mates so I'm used to doing the looking out for people in party situations. I will say biblically, your on the right tracks and essential drinking itself is not a no no but becoming drunk is as to where it says that, not a clue off the top of my head.

 

[K9_Trainer]

I have to side with your GF as well. If your a happy drunk and you just end up entertaining people and providing your friends/family with funny stories, there's really nothing wrong with that....You aren't committing any sins.

And I gotta agree with explodingboy on the idea that you aren't yourself when you drink. During my few encounters with excess drinking, I didn't do a single thing I wouldn't have done sober.

 

[The_Dan_x]

Drinking in excess wrong? Yeah, probably. Here's what the Bible says about it in Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Good thing I don't like wine!

Seriously, though, what the text is saying is that getting drunk, and the way I take it, it must mean talking about getting totally slammed, is that by doing that, it could potentially lead to "debauchery," which by definition can mean, "indulgence[SIZE=-1] in sensual pleasures; [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]scandalous activities involving sex, alcohol, or drugs without inhibition." Does that happen when people getting hammered? Sure it does. But, not all the time, as people are different. [/SIZE]

Do I drink? Yes. Do I drink in excess? Not usually. I personally don't see putting back a few drinks with your buddies as something wrong. And I know there are people out there that don't agree with that. I guess with it all, what are the reasons you're drinking in the first place? Obviously, if you're depressed or something of the sorts and are trying to make yourself happy with alcohol, that's not a good thing to do or a good place to be in life. The way I see it, what is your purpose for wanting to do it in the first place?

 

[Soul_Golem]

Drinking to get drunk is definitely not supported in the Bible. LOL!

I have a lot of experience with drinking. Everyone in my family likes beer, and so do I. I used to drink quite a bit, but then as I got older that sort of drinking kind of lost its luster. I think that is the case for a lot of people. It inevitably becomes too much of a chore to drink to excess or you just fall asleep before you begin to test your level of tolerance. Drinking also puts on some unwanted weight, and in my case it kept me also smoking cigarettes. When a smoker drinks he has to have his cigs handy, and that kept me from quitting smoking many times too. Just speaking from my experience, I would say it is kind of immature and makes a person sarcastic and physically weak. But, I cannot deny I certainly felt like I genuinely enjoyed it.

Jesus liked to drink, but I think that he put alcohol in the same category as a food or any other drink. I don't think it is about the amount, because what is a lot to most is usually very little to me. I think it is about how you really feel when you drink. Are you doing other things with your time too? If not, you should probably rethink your habit. Are you acting unusual? If so, you should probably rethink it before you regret something you say or do. Do you feel like alcohol is the only drink for you? Another sign your drinking is going to an extreme.

Another thing you should consider is who you hang out with. When I wanted to quit drinking all the time I had to stop hanging out with certain friends, because they kept me going. It was the same with cigarettes. I had to quit hanging out with people who smoke around me. I started drinking heavily when I was your age nineteen, and I did it for well over a decade. If I had all the money I spent on cigarettes and beer in my wallet today, I could buy one nice car or pay off my college loans. That is not to even mention how much time I spent drinking that could have been spent doing other things with my life.

My advice to those who drink to excess is to explore a real hobby and allow drinking to be a more practical part of your life. You can still have fun with it!

 

[Exodus1513]

I don't think drinking is a sin. I think what you do when you're drunk can be a sin and for that there is no excuse.

 

[Religious Crisis]

While I don't think drinking in itself is a sin, I do believe that getting drunk and putting yourself in a situation in which you may sin is unwise and should be avoided. Therefore I do not believe that people should drink in excess. Also older people who know their limits when drinking set a bad example to younger ones that do not know theirs.

 

[justineubanks]

i think if you drink in moderation then you are not sinning. you have to know your limits tho. i think it is the state of being drunk that you are sinning. thats why i said you have to know your limits. if you have a record of family members that have problems with stopping, then there is a good chance you will to. also, remember where you are drinking and who are you doing it with.

 

[Trashionista]

I agree with your girlfriend.

Personally, I'm not one to get drunk or even tipsy [purely for anti-aging reasons].
But if you're getting tipsy and/or drunk, in the privacy of your own home or at a friend's karaoke bash, I don't see the problem.
Providing you aren't going to go out and drive while drunk.

 

[thistle1963]

i dont mind drinking itself, but personally, i am against drinking in excess. people can do some odd and sometimes stupid things, even if they dont mean to.

 

[Atlantians]

Recreational use of anything that takes away our volition as thinking reasoning beings (which is to say the image of God) is in fact a vile insult and denigration of the human being and an insult to God Himself who so created us.

Being a tad tipsy is not sin. Drunkenness is sin.
Taking pain killers and using anesthesia for medical purposes is an obviously acceptable exception.

 

[BranwenUerchLlyr]

I’ve been hammered many times, and I mean absolutely smashed, and I’ve never once had behavioral control issues. Never lost my clothes, never hit on strange men, never thought driving home would be a good idea. I have never had an issue with this and I have a hard time understanding it when people do. The craziest things I’ve ever done would be organizing a pick-up game of sand volleyball at 3 AM, or perhaps bringing up political discussion topics more than my fellow partiers would have liked.

On the other hand, I’ve witnessed friends drink half a beer and act as if they’ve been waiting their whole lives for an excuse to behave ridiculously. “Innocent” girls making out with multiple men or losing their clothes after one Mike’s Hard Lemonade, people invoking the excuse of “blackouts” after one shot of whiskey. And I’m the one, 6 shots and 6 beers later, taking keys out of peoples’ hands and reminding them that TV sets are bad things to lean on. No, you cannot let that stranger drive you home. No, swinging from the kitchen light fixture would not make people laugh. Please, put your shirt back on, you’re making a fool of yourself. There are also those friends, like me, who are emotionally stable and sane people sober and therefore the same when drunk—which I think is really the biggest determining factor when trying to predict how people will behave. These are the people I choose to drink with again. The others.. I serve only lemonade.

There have actually been studies showing that some people have a tendency to act drunk and even fail sobriety tests (not breathalyzers obviously) when they think they’ve been drinking. The mere suggestion of alcohol—when the bar is really serving only “virgin” drinks—is enough to make some people change their behavior. I’d say, it’s less to do with the drink, and more to do with the personality of the drinker.

tl;dr: "drunken behavior" is not as much of a function of amount consumed as it is the overall mental stability of the person.

 

[GujuNilesh]

Drinking in itself is not a sin but drinking in excess is a sin.
Drinking has few benefits. I am not aware of them all but for one they are supposed to be good for your health (at least red wine).
Drinking also has negatives such as it makes you throw up, makes you lose control of yourself, can lead to alcohol poisoning which could kill you!

One thing I have noticed and I am trying to figure this out myself is that if its ok for a Christian in this generation to take part in alcohol. I have been testing my theory that it should be ok to drink but whenever I do drink something bad happens to me. One time I got drunk, someone ran into my car and hit my left rearview mirror. Last time I drank (did not get drunk at least I dont think so) and ended up getting sued lol. So.. I think that, at least for me, Gods protection possibly is removed when we try to indulge in sin such as drinking. not sure.
just my thoughts. But one thing to note is that we are supposed to be the light in this world and many people in this world are suffering from alcoholism and many families are suffering from abuse by those addicted to drinking so as Christians we should try to seperate ourselves from the world.

 

[Atlantians]

I’ve been hammered many times, and I mean absolutely smashed, and I’ve never once had behavioral control issues. Never lost my clothes, never hit on strange men, never thought driving home would be a good idea. I have never had an issue with this and I have a hard time understanding it when people do. The craziest things I’ve ever done would be organizing a pick-up game of sand volleyball at 3 AM, or perhaps bringing up political discussion topics more than my fellow partiers would have liked.

On the other hand, I’ve witnessed friends drink half a beer and act as if they’ve been waiting their whole lives for an excuse to behave ridiculously. “Innocent” girls making out with multiple men or losing their clothes after one Mike’s Hard Lemonade, people invoking the excuse of “blackouts” after one shot of whiskey. And I’m the one, 6 shots and 6 beers later, taking keys out of peoples’ hands and reminding them that TV sets are bad things to lean on. No, you cannot let that stranger drive you home. No, swinging from the kitchen light fixture would not make people laugh. Please, put your shirt back on, you’re making a fool of yourself. There are also those friends, like me, who are emotionally stable and sane people sober and therefore the same when drunk—which I think is really the biggest determining factor when trying to predict how people will behave. These are the people I choose to drink with again. The others.. I serve only lemonade.

There have actually been studies showing that some people have a tendency to act drunk and even fail sobriety tests (not breathalyzers obviously) when they think they’ve been drinking. The mere suggestion of alcohol—when the bar is really serving only “virgin” drinks—is enough to make some people change their behavior. I’d say, it’s less to do with the drink, and more to do with the personality of the drinker.

tl;dr: "drunken behavior" is not as much of a function of amount consumed as it is the overall mental stability of the person.

That is actually very interesting.

 

[leothelioness]

Also older people who know their limits when drinking set a bad example to younger ones that do not know theirs.

How? The older people who know their limits should educate the younger ones to know theirs.

I would think it would be the older ones who DON'T know their limits that would be the bad examples.

 

[Trashionista]

Recreational use of anything that takes away our volition as thinking reasoning beings (which is to say the image of God) is in fact a vile insult and denigration of the human being and an insult to God Himself who so created us.

Being a tad tipsy is not sin. Drunkenness is sin.
Taking pain killers and using anesthesia for medical purposes is an obviously acceptable exception.

You can be a pill-popping Xanax enthusiast or an morphine addict, and that can be just as damaging as being an alcholic or an obnoxious drunk.

 

[ruperik]

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:19-21

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 5:11

But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.


There are other verses in both the new and the old testament that talk about getting drunk, but for the sake of space I will not list them all. Drinking alcohol is not a sin. Jesus himself ingested alcohol. However, I will point out that he probably did not drink the same stuff we drink. People of his day would purify their water with alcohol for meals. Its alcoholic content would have been lower than beer, and they certainly wouldn't have drank as much. Strong drink, in fact, has a different word in the new testament. This would have been the stuff found at parties (though if it was a meal, they would have probably had the other type for the meal and the strong drink for after).

Anyways...off topic. Excess in general is advised against in the Bible, but excess of alcohol is specifically mentioned quite a bit. If you watch the effects that it has on people, I think the reasoning is obvious. Maybe you have control of your body or maybe you don't when you get drunk...but what reason do we have to find out? Do you take a gun and shoot someone to figure out if it will kill them? Do you grab an electric wire to figure out if it will shock you? How about sticking your hand in a fire? or on a stove? The point is that we don't learn everything by actually experiencing it. If we did, we wouldn't make it very far. True, alcohol isn't as deadly as some of those other things...but it can be. Is there any difference between taking a gun and shooting someone and taking a few drinks, going for a drive, and crashing into someone causing a death? They both had the same result, and yet one is just an accident and one is murder.

If you want to drink...fine. However, know your limits. When you start to feel buzzed, stop. In the future, know what your limit is and stick to it. Stop at 3, or 4, or 5 drinks. You will have far more fun with only 1 or 2 drinks under your belt then with 10. You can actually remember what you are doing then and enjoy it while you are doing it.

 

[MrAlan]

A beer or glass of wine now and again is not bad in my opinion. I rarely drink these days, and I find that my friends tend to drink a lot less when I don't drink. I guess this happens because I don't go somewhere just to drink anymore Its a waste of your two precious resources: time and money. There's more fun to be had then to drink.

The thing I've noticed about drinking and drugs in general is that everyone thinks that they're the special case where nothing bad can happen to them because they have a plan to keep it under control. I'm sure most of you reading this has been touched by drunk driving, alcoholism, and addiction in your circle of friends and family. Best case scenerio when it comes to drinking/drugs is wasting your time, and worst case I'm sure you've known people who got there.

Some truths about drinking from Proverbs (most are common sense)

17) Proverbs 4:17 - Alcoholic drink is called the wine of violence.​

18) Proverbs 20:1 - Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging.​

19) Proverbs 23:19-20 - A wise person will not be among the drinkers of alcoholic beverages.​

20) Proverbs 23:21 - Drunkenness causes poverty.​

21) Proverbs 23:29-30 - Drinking causes woe, sorrow, fighting, babbling, wounds without cause and red eyes.​

22) Proverbs 23:31 - God instructs not to look at intoxicating drinks.​

23) Proverbs 23:32 - Alcoholic drinks bite like a serpent, sting like an adder.​

24) Proverbs 23:33 - Alcohol causes the drinker to have strange and adulterous thoughts, produces willfulness, and prevents reformation.​

25) Proverbs 23:34 - Alcohol makes the drinker unstable​

26) Proverbs 23:35 - Alcohol makes the drinker insensitive to pain so he does not perceive it as a warning. Alcohol is habit forming.​

27) Proverb 31:4-5 - Kings, Princes, and others who rule and judge must not drink alcohol. Alcohol preverts good judgment.​

28) Proverbs 31:6-7 - Strong drink could be given to those about to perish or those in pain. Better anesthetics are available today.​

 

[Trashionista]

A beer or glass of wine now and again is not bad in my opinion. I rarely drink these days, and I find that my friends tend to drink a lot less when I don't drink. I guess this happens because I don't go somewhere just to drink anymore Its a waste of your two precious resources: time and money. There's more fun to be had then to drink.

The thing I've noticed about drinking and drugs in general is that everyone thinks that they're the special case where nothing bad can happen to them because they have a plan to keep it under control. I'm sure most of you reading this has been touched by drunk driving, alcoholism, and addiction in your circle of friends and family. Best case scenerio when it comes to drinking/drugs is wasting your time, and worst case I'm sure you've known people who got there.

​

If you're drinking crappy domestic beer from kegs, maybe that can be a waste of time.

But going on wine route, eating cheese? Maybe that's not your idea of a great time to be had, but many would disagree, foodies and winos in particular.

 

[MrAlan]

But going on wine route, eating cheese? Maybe that's not your idea of a great time to be had, but many would disagree, foodies and winos in particular.

There's nothing wrong with a glass of wine or beer now and again, I think I think more the point is are you drinking to get messed up or is it more like having a cold beer after an afternoon of yardwork or having a glass of wine with your pasta.

Sorry to go off topic, but I've always wondered: where does one go to sample all those fancy cheeses? Once in a while restaurants put them on the salad bar, but it'd be fun to get to try a bunch of those at once without bringing home a ton of cheese and spending a stack of cash.