Comments on: #34. Subtly finding out if you drink beer too.

By: Shooobooboo

Shooobooboo — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:49:36 +0000

The formula? How about drinking the same # of cans of beer as you would if you were drinking cans of pop? (Unless you drink a lot of pop!!)
I don't know! Does that work?!

By: Matt B

Matt B — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:58:08 +0000

Yes, Jesus turned water into wine, but in that day and time the wine had an extremely low alcohol content. It was used mostly because it didn't go bad like juice. But I agree, drinking is not inherently bad. Drunkenness, on the other hand, is bad.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:27:57 +0000

I don't know. Sometimes I am more relaxed and less self-conscious after I have a drink and I can talk to people about God. SEriously, I've done it plenty of times.

By: Just thinking

Just thinking — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:03:32 +0000

Is this the sign of a generation of Compromising Christians? What ever happened to
1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy
Can we honestly say we are closer to God after slugging down 2,3 possibly 6 Budweisers? I am not judging, because I am speaking to myself too on this rant. Are we really reflecting Christ as we get slowly buzzed from the intoxicants? Where does the line end? Is it ok to have 3 Budweisers, then two tokes off a one hitter, then have an in depth "spiritual" conversation about Christ? How are we acting while we are drinking? What is in our heart at the time of getting buzzed? I often ponder if we are the generation of vipers that will be quite surprised when the day of judgement is at hand. Just a thought folks, because I am guilty too.

By: Cindi

Cindi — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:34:37 +0000

Romans 14:21 and Romans 15:1-3. No, I see no place in the Bible that says "thou canst have a beer or a glass of wine", but I do see many places where we are instructed as Christians to be sober-minded. In these verses in Romans, it tells me as a Christian that I'm not going to be condemned if I have a glass of wine, however, I need to look at the impact that me having that glass of wine might have on the unsaved or weak Christians around me. I might even be having a negative influence on an alcoholic around me. I believe God is asking me to consider them and their needs above my own desires, just as Christ did. If by me having a glass of wine or a beer is going to cause a stumblingblock for them, then I should not do it. Personally, I have made the decision to not drink any alcoholic beverages anymore for a variety of reasons, but I don't judge Christians who disagree with me in this regard. Just my own personal decision.

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:34:26 +0000

I'm a pastor and grew up in a pastor's home – teetotalers! (BTW – no one uses that term anymore…) I was convinced without doubt that drinking was wrong then and gradually gave up that and tons of other hard core legalistic beliefs…

BUT, what has absolutely cracked me up in the years where I think drinking is fine is how many of my friends make it their life's goal to find me something I like. I cannot stand beer. Seriously, it makes me gag. Wine, not so much. (I took a huge tug off of a bottle in my Italian granpa's workshop fridge… it wasn't Kool Aid! That pretty did me in for wine at an early age…) In fact, I get teased by my more "macho" friends that I like girly drinks. Apparently, anything with a citrus flavor isn't manly.

At any rate, I remember a night at dinner with friends -we had long since done the "do you drink beer dance" – and I discovered I liked a mixed drink with some kind of sour taste to it. There was much celebration! That cracked me up, because, what if I was an alcoholic and didn't know it? It would have been my Christian friends who helped me discover it.

Well, I'm not. I enjoy a good Mike's Hard or a Smirnoff Ice and believe it or not some really dark ales and ciders. But my al time favorite now is easily rum and coke. I've mixed coke with enough things to know what I like… I'm still waiting for whatever a buzz feels like though. And I haven't a clue about being drunk. When the parents come, the booze goes away. Call me what you want, my mom would faint, so I put it away for their sake.

Oh, and if you're in my neighborhood, drop by. I've got a great porch for a cold one and a nice fat stogie. Or was that a different blog…

By: colleenW

colleenW — Sun, 30 May 2010 02:31:12 +0000

Haha..gonna be nitpicky here…studies have shown that red wine is actually good for you, it's got antioxidants and all of that. And I also wonder about the effect of a little alcohol on the body making you feel good as a bad thing, I mean food makes you feel full which feels good…"wine to gladden the hearts of men" is in Isaiah somewhere I'm pretty sure.
But dude, thanks for this post I was in the same situation in high school and I'm turning 21 next month so thanks for the food (drink?) for thought.
peace.

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:29:39 +0000

I just started checking out the site (btw, love it) after having listened to the audiobook.

I haven't read any of the comments, but thought I'd share my thoughts/testimony on the topic:

In high school, while I was a born-again Christian, I would get together with some friends to drink for the sole purpose of getting drunk and "having a good time". I won't try to justify it with an excuse or say I was rebelling, I just did it.

After recognizing the effects of drinking heavily during my track season that year, I stopped and decided to hold off at least until I was 21. Then I began to date a girl who is a PK and her family strictly believes that Christians should not drink any form of alcohol. So while we dated I warmed up to the same belief. However, time went on and I broke up with this girl.

As my 21st birthday approached, I began to pray about the decision of whether or not to drink. God gave me the conviction to continue to stay away from alcohol, to which I have done to this day.

I know it's not for everyone and that God personally worked on my heart to stay away from alcohol.

That said, I do have a pet peeve about Christians who drink. It is all in a person's intentions. I know "Christians" who say "I drink, but don't get drunk. I just drink cause I like the beverage and at the end of a long day it helps to relax me."

That last part is what gets to me. To me, if alcohol is consumed for the purpose of having an effect on your body, that is the first stages of drunkenness. While a person may not be crazy drunk, it's an effect on the body and falls into that category. Consuming the alcohol has no medicinal purpose, the relaxation effect of the alcohol as a drug, technically classified as a Central Nervous System Depressant,in the same family as Valium.

Anyways, sorry for the long rant. I'm looking forward to exploring the site more. Keep up the good work!

By: Drew

Drew — Sun, 16 May 2010 00:54:44 +0000

I ordered a beer at a christian singles' lunch after church one Sunday and got a memo from the leader later that week in email. They didn't want us drinking at official church functions. I ran sound at church that day, so by 1pm I had 'worked' six hours that day, and it wasn't like I ordered a pitcher. Maybe I should have.

Anyways, I found a bottle opener keychain that might be a little too racy. It sends the message that I like beer and then some…
http://theybecamefools.com/?p=109

By: A Person

A Person — Sat, 15 May 2010 21:23:45 +0000

I am a recovering Christian rock band member and this one totally cracks me up. This was commonplace on tour as well, secretly trying to find out who in other bands would have a beer with you after a show. I was the only member of my band who enjoyed beer so I always had my “beerdar” going. Sadly, the other members of my band thought alcohol was “poison” and evil and all that so I had to be a stealth drinker. I remember sneaking around with other bands after shows to grab a pint. It’s both sad and quite hilarious, I think. I think there may need to be an entire blog devoted to the weirdness of the Christian music scene… Hmm…that gives me an idea…