On what basis do some denominations prohibit Christians from drinking alcohol?
score:13
My denomination is one that is very strongly in the "Christians shouldn't drink - at all" camp. Very strongly. And my Pastor, whom I love and respect, is very strongly in that camp as well. Yet even he, in his sermons, will tell you that nowhere in the Bible is drinking explicitly called a sin.
However, in many places, drunkenness and even alcohol consumption is called foolish. And to him, and every other Baptist Pastor I've heard preach on the subject (and that's quite a few), the problem isn't so much that drinking alcohol is a sin, it's that drinking alcohol lowers our inhibitions, and sinful behavior often follows. It's really easy to give into temptation if you're under the influence of alcohol.
That said, there are other theories about the prohibition against drinking.
From http://www.brucesabin.com/alcohol.html
In the history of Christianity, alcoholic prohibition is a relatively new idea. In fact, alcohol was a normal part of life. In Colonial America, the Puritans expected Christians to drink (Hearn, 1943). In the 1700s, a Baptist minister created the formula for bourbon whiskey (Hailey, 1992). During the 1800s, many Southern ministers operated stills, and sold alcohol (Hearn, 1943). Parishioners who owned stills would tithe their alcohol; and preachers' salaries often included whiskey. All this began to change, however, as the Temperance movement took shape (Hailey, 1992).
So even in Baptist Churches, it hasn't always been that big a deal.
However, the article does go on to echo some of the reasons for abstaining altogether.
One that I've heard from the pulpit, and that I personally can't argue with is echoed here:
For some Christians, a sense of love and justice leads them to abstain from alcohol. Seeing alcohol's devastating effects on society, these Christians feel compelled to act. Taking a strong stand against alcohol and its consequences is a tangible way that they can demonstrate their faith. These Christians believe that abstaining from alcohol is the best, possibly the only, solution to this societal problem. In addition, abstaining from alcohol guarantees that one will never fall prey to alcoholism (Hanc**k, 1999).
Quite frankly, even though most people never have a problem with alcohol, it can ruin lives. And in the spirit of 1 Corinthians 8:9 (King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.))
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak
It's just considered a good idea to set a good example. As my Pastor often says: "People are always watching you. The lost are always looking for an excuse to say, 'He's not a real Christian - I see him down at the bar all the time Who is he to try to act all holier-than-thou?'". In the interest of maintaining a good witness, and staying credible, it's simply more constructive to abstain.
As an added list of reasons some Christians believe that it's wrong, I'll include this link: http://www.scionofzion.com/drinking.htm
I am not saying I agree or disagree with any point on the list. I'm also not debating what my Church preaches is Truth. I'm just presenting it, like the rest of this answer to address why some believe drinking is wrong, not addressing whether drinking is wrong. My own views aside, this isn't the place to determine such things.
Upvote:1
I'm not personally from a denomination that believes drinking alcohol is wrong (we in fact have a theology class that meets in a bar and drink beer during it), but my understanding from talking with Christians that don't believe in drinking tend to stem from the passage "all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial" (1 Corinthians 10:23)
Thus, while it may not be spoken to as a sin, they see it as causing more harm than good and since most would agree that the goal of a Christian lifestyle is to be more Christlike, they seek to remove things that they don't see as beneficial.
The same argument can be applied to many other things that the broader church more commonly considers to be negative, such as swearing (other than using the Lord's' name in vain which is directly mentioned), premarital sex (only adultery is really strongly spoken against and there are actually cases of use of prostitutes in the old testament by Godly people who were not spoken against (neither was it approved of). Ultimately though, the core derivation is trying to live a better life and avoiding things seen as having only negative impacts.
Upvote:5
Biblical Background
If you do an in-depth Bible study on alcohol, one finds that... it doesn't take that long. There really isn't much written about it. Just don't get drunk, but give it to those who are perishing (Proverbs). However, there is another key verse of note:
1 Thessalonians 5:22 is translated in the KJV to be "abstain from every appearance of evil". The NAS, ESV, and other translations render this as "Abstain from every form of evil".
The word in question is the Greek word εἶδος. The KJV itself translates the word differently in different places as follows:
shape 2, fashion 1, sight 1, appearance 1
There is a significant distinction between avoiding every appearance of evil and avoiding every form of evil, and it is perhaps this possible mistranslation that has given rise to things such as the abstinence from all alcohol, because the Bible never completely prohibits the consumption of any alcohol at any time. One would indeed wonder why God created the process of fermentation if its only usage was evil.
Biblical Application
The logic goes like this... Drunkenness is strictly forbidden in Scripture, but to avoid the appearance of evil--that is, ever being drunk--one should never consume any alcohol at all.
This is also applied to other things as well. Some movies have scenes in them that give rise to the sins of lust. Therefore, in order to avoid the appearance of evil--that is, going to see such a movie--one should never go to a movie theater at all. (I have personally attended a church where this was actually taught.)
Of course the list can go on and on... don't eat a restaurant that serves alcohol... don't have cable... don't have a television... don't go to a movie rental store...
Conclusion
So, there is nothing in the Bible that prohibits the consumption of alcohol. As David mentioned, the Bible does exhort us not to use our freedom to indulge the sinful nature or to make our brothers stumble. Alcohol should be, in my opinion, something that a Christian is willing to give up entirely. It should not be a right we demand. It just isn't a big deal.
The idea of "avoiding the appearance of evil" may possibly be a mistranslation that has led to the position that no alcohol should ever be consumed by any Christian in any situation--not because it's wrong, but because someone might think you could get drunk.
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