Does being a Teetotaler Make One a Better Christian?

[ViaCrucis]

As the saying goes -- 'drugs is drugs'

Not being able to know the difference between heroine and sugar sounds like the sort of problem one should probably take care of before waving around their morality stick in everyone's faces.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Tammy]

Just interested in your thoughts.

Yes, for sure! Alcohol destroys brain cells...The Bible says, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. God's temple is holy. And you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:17.

As Christians, our bodies are the temple of God and it is our responsibility to take care of our bodies...

Drinking socially is the first step towards becoming an alcoholic...and like you said...every instance of drunkenness in the Bible is associated with someone committing some pretty bad sins...

Alcohol and Christianity DON'T go together...never have and never will....Yes, there are some who want to think they can have their alcohol and still be on the road to Heaven...but sooner or later, they will find out they were wrong...I just hope they find out before it is too late...

 

[MoreCoffee]

Yes, for sure! Alcohol destroys brain cells...The Bible says, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. God's temple is holy. And you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:17.

As Christians, our bodies are the temple of God and it is our responsibility to take care of our bodies...

Drinking socially is the first step towards becoming an alcoholic...and like you said...every instance of drunkenness in the Bible is associated with someone committing some pretty bad sins...

Alcohol and Christianity DON'T go together...never have and never will....Yes, there are some who want to think they have have their alcohol and still be on the road to Heaven...but sooner or later, they will find out they were wrong...I just hope they find out before it is too late...

Actually alcohol doesn't destroy brain cells; getting drunk day after day for a considerable time will do that but that is far from the same thing.

 

[Knee V]

Actually alcohol doesn't destroy brain cells; getting drunk day after day for a considerable time will do that but that is far from the same thing.

Repeated drunkenness certainly wreaks havoc on one's liver.

 

[Tammy]

Thanks for setting the record straight, MoreCoffee...it is the neurons that are affected by alcohol in the brain...not the cells themselves. Either way, alcohol isn't good for the body... Any "good" side-effect that supposedly comes from drinking alcohol, most likely comes from other healthy sources, too, WITHOUT the alcohol...

 

[ViaCrucis]

Yes, for sure! Alcohol destroys brain cells...The Bible says, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. God's temple is holy. And you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:17.

As Christians, our bodies are the temple of God and it is our responsibility to take care of our bodies...

Drinking socially is the first step towards becoming an alcoholic...and like you said...every instance of drunkenness in the Bible is associated with someone committing some pretty bad sins...

Alcohol and Christianity DON'T go together...never have and never will....Yes, there are some who want to think they can have their alcohol and still be on the road to Heaven...but sooner or later, they will find out they were wrong...I just hope they find out before it is too late...

Seeing as I don't want to go to Hell, perhaps you could help me with this question.

What diet should I be on in order to be a True Christian(TM)? Should I do the Atkins? Should I avoid red meat altogether? Should I only eat green vegetables?

Since I want to go to heaven when I die, and since my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and thus to not take care of my body means I'm not on the road to Heaven, then this seems like some really serious stuff I should consider.

I'm overweight, obese even. Is my soul at risk for eternal damnation? Which also begs the question, why does God hate fat people? Or is it because Jesus only died for the physically fit? I'm a bit confused.

I ate some pizza the other day, I assume that definitely scored me low on the divine brownie point level.

I was about to have an ice cold Coca Cola, but seeing as it contains high fructose corn syrup and caffeine, I suppose I should rethink that--it will put my eternal soul in jeopardy after all.

And perhaps at this point you are able to see why conflating the temple language of St. Paul with physical fitness is of course absurd (it isn't what he means) and also why attempting to delineate a person's eternal destiny to matters of physical health to be wholly abominable.

Unless of course you really do want to explain to me why the Gospel doesn't apply to obsese people like myself. In which case I'm all ears. By all means, here's a shovel, you're welcome to keep digging a hole with it.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Yes, for sure! Alcohol destroys brain cells...The Bible says, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. God's temple is holy. And you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:17.

As Christians, our bodies are the temple of God and it is our responsibility to take care of our bodies...

Drinking socially is the first step towards becoming an alcoholic...and like you said...every instance of drunkenness in the Bible is associated with someone committing some pretty bad sins...

Alcohol and Christianity DON'T go together...never have and never will....Yes, there are some who want to think they can have their alcohol and still be on the road to Heaven...but sooner or later, they will find out they were wrong...I just hope they find out before it is too late...

1 Corinthians 9:4
Do we not have a right to eat and to drink?
1 Corinthians 8:9
9 But beware lest somehow this right of yours become a stumbling block to the weak ones.
.

 

[freezerman2000]

Drinking a craft beer or two at times has not affected my faith at all..I was once an alcoholic;now,I control it,instead of it controlling me.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Thanks for setting the record straight, MoreCoffee...it is the neurons that are affected by alcohol in the brain...not the cells themselves. Either way, alcohol isn't good for the body... Any "good" side-effect that supposedly comes from drinking alcohol, most likely comes from other healthy sources, too, WITHOUT the alcohol...

Jesus used wine in the first communion on holy Thursday night so all of the ancient churches use wine in holy communion and it is alcoholic - as wine always has been - yet it is blessed by God like God blessed the wine at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. These things being so I cannot agree with you when you said "alcohol and Christianity don't go together" since in holy communion they most certainly do.

 

[Tammy]

Since I want to go to heaven when I die, and since my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and thus to not take care of my body means I'm not on the road to Heaven, then this seems like some really serious stuff I should consider.

It is some really serious stuff, ViaCrucis.... Sadly many Christians seem to think they can eat/drink anything they want, as long as they pray over it....somehow praying over it is going to make something unhealthy - healthy. But it doesn't work that way... For the most part, you can go to most any church and the people in the church are as sick and unhealthy as the people who are in the world... WHY? Because they eat like those in the world. God is no respecter of persons...if we choose to eat like the world then we can expect to be sick like the world...

 

[Tammy]

Jesus used wine in the first communion on holy Thursday night so all of the ancient churches use wine in holy communion and it is alcoholic - as wine always has been - yet it is blessed by God like God blessed the wine at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. These things being so I cannot agree with you when you said "alcohol and Christianity don't go together" since in holy communion they most certainly do.

I understand where you are coming from, MoreCoffee.... I don't believe that when Jesus turned water into "wine" that it was alcoholic wine...I believe it was grape juice. Weddings back then lasted a week. Can you imagine people drinking for a week straight and it not turning into a drunken brawl??? Never....Jesus would not officiate at something like that....

Wine sometimes means GRAPE JUICE in the Bible, and sometimes it means ALCOHOL. Two very different things called by the same name....makes it a little confusing sometimes!

 

[Knee V]

We are defiled by what we do and say, which reflects the condition of our hearts. We are not defiled by having a bacon cheeseburger and a beer.

I admire those who stick to keeping away from alcohol and to eating a clean and healthy diet. But let's not delude ourselves into thinking that wine isn't alcoholic. There is no exegetical, historical, or scientific reason to think that wine in the Bible is anything other than alcoholic wine. That only comes from a doctrinal bias being read back into the Scriptures.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I understand where you are coming from, MoreCoffee.... I don't believe that when Jesus turned water into "wine" that it was alcoholic wine...I believe it was grape juice. Weddings back then lasted a week. Can you imagine people drinking for a week straight and it not turning into a drunken brawl??? Never....Jesus would not officiate at something like that....

Wine sometimes means GRAPE JUICE in the Bible, and sometimes it means ALCOHOL. Two very different things called by the same name....makes it a little confusing sometimes!

I am not sure about the weddings lasting a week, in India they last a few days but those are Hindu weddings. In ancient Israel there was a wedding and a wedding feast but it lasted for part of a day and into the night. So I would not be alarmed at the Lord giving wine to the guests as part of the joyous celebration of God's ordinance of marriage. And when you say that wine 'sometimes means grape juice' that may be true but wine usually means wine and at the wedding at Cana the steward of the feast commented that "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now" so the wine that Jesus made was without doubt alcoholic.

 

[Tammy]

We are defiled by what we do and say, which reflects the condition of our hearts. We are not defiled by having a bacon cheeseburger and a beer.

I admire those who stick to keeping away from alcohol and to eating a clean and healthy diet. But let's not delude ourselves into thinking that wine isn't alcoholic. There is no exegetical, historical, or scientific reason to think that wine in the Bible is anything other than alcoholic wine. That only comes from a doctrinal bias being read back into the Scriptures.

Well, I beg to differ with you....

Nehemiah 10:39
(39) ForH3588 the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 and the childrenH1121 of LeviH3878 shall bringH935 (H853) the offeringH8641 of the corn,H1715 of the new wine,H8492 and the oil,H3323 untoH413 the chambers,H3957 whereH8033 are the vesselsH3627 of the sanctuary,H4720 and the priestsH3548 that minister,H8334 and the porters,H7778 and the singers:H7891 and we will notH3808 forsakeH5800 (H853) the houseH1004 of our God.H430

If you look up #H8492 in the Concordance, you will find that it says it was fresh squeezed grape juice...

That is what the "new wine" was.... The "old wine" was the alcohol.

 

[Tammy]

I am not sure about the weddings lasting a week, in India they last a few days but those are Hindu weddings. In ancient Israel there was a wedding and a wedding feast but it lasted for part of a day and into the night. So I would not be alarmed at the Lord giving wine to the guests as part of the joyous celebration of God's ordinance of marriage. And when you say that wine 'sometimes means grape juice' that may be true but wine usually means wine and at the wedding at Cana the steward of the feast commented that "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now" so the wine that Jesus made was without doubt alcoholic.

What makes you think that "good wine" means alcohol? There is grape juice, and then there is REALLY GOOD GRAPE JUICE.

 

[Rick Otto]

wine is wine, juice is juice. Proverbs prescribes it.
Beg to differ with Proverbs.

 

[freezerman2000]

I understand where you are coming from, MoreCoffee.... I don't believe that when Jesus turned water into "wine" that it was alcoholic wine...I believe it was grape juice. Weddings back then lasted a week. Can you imagine people drinking for a week straight and it not turning into a drunken brawl??? Never....Jesus would not officiate at something like that....

Wine sometimes means GRAPE JUICE in the Bible, and sometimes it means ALCOHOL. Two very different things called by the same name....makes it a little confusing sometimes!

Here's something that you may want to look at..
Alcohol – What the Bible Really Says | Grace Communion International

 

[Rick Otto]

I like Cognac (distilled wine) best.
But lately, I can't make myself drink enough to get a good nightcap buzz.
I'm so satisfied by the taste of one sip, that I forget to keep drinking it.
This last 375 mil. bottle is on it's 3rd week and not half gone.
I'm considering trying Scotch.

 

[MoreCoffee]

What makes you think that "good wine" means alcohol? There is grape juice, and then there is REALLY GOOD GRAPE JUICE.

I appreciate your humour but I think wine means wine and not grape juice and I already explained why I think it means wine in my previous post.

Mind you, if you prefer to avoid wine that's okay with me, all it would mean is that you would avoid the cup in communion and take the body of Christ in the host but not the blood of Christ in the cup. Since one receives the whole Christ, body, blood, soul and divinity in either the host or the cup it is still communion when you take the host alone.

 

[Tammy]

Sorry..I am out of time...will try to catch back with you all later....have a good night!