I say no they should not. But that is me, sincie my dad was an alcoholic and he abused me and yet he was a pastor. I hate drinking. I would date or marry anyone who drinks.
I know the bible does not say do not drink it says be not drunk with wine, but it also says be sober minded and to take care of our bodies because they are scarificed to God. HOly and acceptable That is in Romans I think, and how can they be holy if wine and beer etc are in them it alters your mind and you do things that maybe you would not do if you were not drinking,,,,dont get me started on this subject There is notihg I hate more than drinking,
Drinking is a necessity Okie. You can only live 5 to 7 days without water. If you are talking strong drink, I have a personal conviction not to partake. I do not want to do anything that might hurt my ability to witness. I am frequently around Christians who drink a beer, or a glass of wine. I don't push my conviction on them. If they are pushing past the one beer or glass of wine, it becomes a Biblical issue of intoxication. That is obviously a different question.
You might also ask - should Christians go to movies, dances, smoke, watch TV, or play cards? A missionary friend told me the other day about a joint venture between two different nationalities in the former Soviet Union; they were helping missionaries get Christian literature to Churches. While they waited for the literature one group looked down from a hill side and saw the other group playing cards, and determined they must not be real Christians if they play cards, the other group looked up the hill and saw the first group chain-smoking cigarettes and determined the same thing - they must not be real Christians. Each culture has different views on things like drinking, smoking, card playing. We need to be sensitive to cultures, but we should be careful not to make issues where the Holy Spirit or the Word of God has not made an issue. I wonder how many non-believers would never step inside a Church, because they smoke cigarettes, or have an occasional beer? I know this happens.
In Matt 15: 8-9 Jesus quoted Isaiah when he said – “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men”.
I never want my doctrine to consist of the commandments of men. If the word of God does not say Christians must not drink – then I never want to say it.
I think you covered the bases Okie. My only addition, is that we have Christian brothers all over the world who drink wine or Der Beer much like we drink coffee, Coke, Tea. It doesn't have the same cultural taboos there as here. We are a country of excesses (food, drink, entertainment, etc)and our issues with drinking, may not be relavent to all cultures. I agree we stick to the Bible when it speaks about and issue, and be silent when It is silent.
P.S- My wife makes an awesome blackberry wine cake. I can't see myself letting go of that except through a direct word from God.
BMR I think anything that we do that harms the body is wrong, weather it be food drink or whatever. Just like over eating is as wrong to me as drinking or smoking, I don't eat meat of any kind but I don't think that it is wrong for other people to eat meat if they want to that is different but I do eat other things that are bad for me and to me I am in sin and need to stop it. becauseit is defiling my body.
11 comments:
I say no they should not. But that is me, sincie my dad was an alcoholic and he abused me and yet he was a pastor. I hate drinking. I would date or marry anyone who drinks.
I know the bible does not say do not drink it says be not drunk with wine, but it also says be sober minded and to take care of our bodies because they are scarificed to God. HOly and acceptable That is in Romans I think, and how can they be holy if wine and beer etc are in them it alters your mind and you do things that maybe you would not do if you were not drinking,,,,dont get me started on this subject There is notihg I hate more than drinking,
oops that should say would not date or marry
Drinking is a necessity Okie. You can only live 5 to 7 days without water. If you are talking strong drink, I have a personal conviction not to partake. I do not want to do anything that might hurt my ability to witness. I am frequently around Christians who drink a beer, or a glass of wine. I don't push my conviction on them. If they are pushing past the one beer or glass of wine, it becomes a Biblical issue of intoxication. That is obviously a different question.
You might also ask - should Christians go to movies, dances, smoke, watch TV, or play cards? A missionary friend told me the other day about a joint venture between two different nationalities in the former Soviet Union; they were helping missionaries get Christian literature to Churches. While they waited for the literature one group looked down from a hill side and saw the other group playing cards, and determined they must not be real Christians if they play cards, the other group looked up the hill and saw the first group chain-smoking cigarettes and determined the same thing - they must not be real Christians. Each culture has different views on things like drinking, smoking, card playing. We need to be sensitive to cultures, but we should be careful not to make issues where the Holy Spirit or the Word of God has not made an issue. I wonder how many non-believers would never step inside a Church, because they smoke cigarettes, or have an occasional beer? I know this happens.
In Matt 15: 8-9 Jesus quoted Isaiah when he said – “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men”.
I never want my doctrine to consist of the commandments of men. If the word of God does not say Christians must not drink – then I never want to say it.
Blessings,
BMR
Should? Interesting way to frame a question
Jon, do you think he should have stated the question differently? :)
BMR
our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and I don't think we should defile them by drinking. or drugs or smoking etc.
Maryb
Did Jesus defile his body when he drank wine? Obviously not. Did Timothy, when Paul told him to? I don't think so.
Drugs I would say is a different issue, but even drugs have their place in medicine.
What about the people who say we shouldn't eat hot dogs, because that defiles our bodies?
Ok - Okie you started the dissussion when are you going to chime in? :)
BMR
BMR: Soon...
I think you covered the bases Okie. My only addition, is that we have Christian brothers all over the world who drink wine or Der Beer much like we drink coffee, Coke, Tea. It doesn't have the same cultural taboos there as here. We are a country of excesses (food, drink, entertainment, etc)and our issues with drinking, may not be relavent to all cultures. I agree we stick to the Bible when it speaks about and issue, and be silent when It is silent.
P.S- My wife makes an awesome blackberry wine cake. I can't see myself letting go of that except through a direct word from God.
BMR
I think anything that we do that harms the body is wrong, weather it be food drink or whatever. Just like over eating is as wrong to me as drinking or smoking, I don't eat meat of any kind but I don't think that it is wrong for other people to eat meat if they want to that is different but I do eat other things that are bad for me and to me I am in sin and need to stop it. becauseit is defiling my body.
Maryb
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