I don't drink at all. Partly this is due to prejudice, in larger part from doubt that I would enjoy it - the smell alone gives me a headache. Far more than either of these, I don't drink because I hate the industry and what drinking does to people. At least, what it's done to people in my own life. No, nothing traumatizing... nobody's dead or in rehab... this is not the point. Perhaps I should rephrase: Quite possibly I would drink something alcoholic, depending on the situation. If there were enough reason to overcome my distaste and if I was able to satisfy myself that I wouldn't be endorsing anything negative, it could happen. In theory. As a rule, though, I refuse to support that business or that culture.
I know alcohol isn't evil; Jesus turned water to wine. I'm not even fully convinced that being drunk is 'evil', as I expect I would once have said. Reading through the Old Testament especially, has weakened my resolve on that point. It's staggeringly ambivalent on the subject. However, it's strengthened my belief that drunkenness will be soon to disappear from your life, if you set holiness as your goal. The letters warn against it constantly.
I'm having a hard time writing this right now, because I don't really have any desire to talk about my opinions. They seem classical and ubiquitous, mundane even, not at all worth talking about - what I really want to know is what YOU think.
