Um, Alcohol
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.
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.
posted by Tom | 9:22 p.m.
9 Comments:
what I think?
I think that it’s different for everyone. If you’re the type of person that has an addictive personality, or you think you might because of your background, then it’d be wise to lay off the alcohol and all the other potentially addictive substances that do nothing good for you – junk food, chocolate, coffee, excessive television...etc.
we all have something that we do too often, that we’re too fixated on, to the detriment of our relationship with God. (not saying that enjoying life’s good things is detrimental....you all know what I mean)
I know that alcohol isn’t it for me, and that although I do love a good wine, etc, it’s not something that I enjoy often enough or intensely enough to ever be a problem. There are many other things though.
Mmmyes. As I said, firm believer the whole individual basis thing. My dad for example: after he became a Christian in his mid-20’s, he did not drink at all until fairly recently, because he was concerned that he’d inherited his father’s alcoholism.
Anywho, I don’t really understand what the big deal is either way – because it’s just never been a big deal to me. Could just be upbringing – we’ve often had wine with nice dinners in my family. But then again, one of my sisters can’t stand wine, she says it tastes like cough medicine.
And now I’m just babbling. I bid you good-day.
absolutely, the scriptures warn against drunkennes, and absolutely, if a life of holiness is the goal, the desire for drunkennes should fade away, i would assume. i grew up with parents that didn't drink alcohol and friends that drank too much alcohol. i'm the type of person that doesn't particularly find any pleasure in rebelling against parents so i didn't do the whole disobey to the nth degree and go way overboard. i just didn't drink. i didn't drink until after my first two years of bible school. i think bible school weakened me a bit, not in a bad way, of course. anyway, to make a long story a bit longer, i do drink alcohol now. i've never had the desire to be drunk, and i've never even been buzzed before. i just enjoy a few drinks. i understand your distaste for alcohol because both wine and beer taste like vomit to me. but i do enjoy some stuff mixed with sweet things, like coke for instance. delicious!! and that's what i think!!
my only issue by the way, is with being labelled. it irritates
i apologize. i didn't know it irritated that much.
it's ok jpunk. sorry for being so unnecessarily tetchy.
it irritates? That's unfortunate, I thought it was all a hilarious joke. *slaps head* We don't actually think you're the alkie.
What about the whole nymphie, narcie, alkie thing? We all got unfortunate nicknames there!
Yeah, I like wine and cocktails. Not beer though, or really strong martinis that taste like drinking cleaning solution in a chemistry lab.
Also, I've never been drunk, although I must admit in my early days of experimenting with alcohol there was one time when I thought I could handle three drinks in one night and I felt fine and not at all drunk or anything but then the next morning I felt kind of crappy. It was pretty weird. Anyway, since then I've had a strict two drinks per occasion limit and have never run into any problems.
it's fine in small doses - with breanne mostly. but all the time it starts to wear. and no, I don't feel that I'm being defensive. I certainly don't FEEL defensive. and it's not actually a big deal, it just got all blown out of proportion in the blog-world. blog world is difficult that way. tone-wise.
good call zoz. it's important to recognize your own limits and how your body responds and such. same with many things - like I know that too much coffee = dehydration and shaky-hand syndrome. too much junk = unfortunate gassiness.
speaking of gassy, I can't BELIEVE how gassy I was on friday. crazy. I'm thinking it was the pineapple...
overposting ending...
I don't think you've ever overposted.
...except maybe that one time. but not recently.
Do we crack jokes like that very often? I thought it was just that one time... I can't even remember any previous offenses... I suppose I wouldn't have logged them in memory though since I didn't realize you were offended :(
In the blog world everything gets defined by volume of verbiage... until you actually read what people are saying, but many people are too lazy for that... haha... lots of misunderstandings do come up that way though
Interesting,
I realize I'm probably late posting on this, but haven't checked this blog in forever.
I was thinking recently how terrible I used to think getting drunk was (even a little drunk) and then... at Roz's house, I drank a daquirie a little too fast (on a full stomach, but I guess I now know my limits) and honestly was just very slightly buzzed. And while I wouldn't want to go any further than that point, you're right Zeb, it's not a big deal. Paul is always saying you shouldn't have an attitude of indulgence because really, then where would we be?
but I think wine in the O.T. was created for celebration and the fact that Jesus filled the wine (when some people had likely already "had enough") says something against us judging what is right and wrong amounts in response to alcohol.
I hate saying, it is whatever is right for you (because that is such an attitude of the culture today). But... I think it kind of fits in this case, like Zeb said, some people eat way too much sugar (ahem...yeah that's me). Others, spend too much time on the internet and procrastinating from homework (oh wait that's me too)
-Cheryl (stupid thing wouldn't let me post
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