Beer and the Bible

St. Louis Post Dispatch ^ | 01/27/2007 | Tim Townsend

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

In a back room at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, about 50 people gathered on a recent Wednesday night to talk rock 'n' roll.

Why are Bob Marley and Kurt Cobain considered by some to be messiahs? When did rock music lose its edge and become another product manufactured and marketed by huge conglomerates such as Viacom?

It was a conversation perfectly suited to the setting. Beer-stained wooden tables and the smell of hops complemented a free-flowing, spirited debate among hip young people in scruffy beards and T-shirts.

In 2007, this is church.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Posted on Drudge.

I beer the Baptists no ill will, nor will I wine they won't unwind.

[Red Badger]

I'm a Baptist, and I drink beer and wine occasionally.......

[CottShop]

God made the fruit of the vine to cheer the hearts of man and did state a dying man be given strong drink- He did however warn agaisnt being consumed cosntantly- in otherwords, being a drunk controlled by the urge to drink non stop-

[Eagle Eye]

So it is true that Baptists won't make love in the shower lest someone spy on them and think they're dancing?

[azhenfud]

I, being both a wine-bibber and a glutton, am a devout Baptist.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I think this is from your home town. This is understandably a cause of stumbling for the Baptists. I don't think Luther would have a problem with this form of outreach. Not sure how it stands in your synod.

[Auntbee]

Pete, you from Shawnee Mission, KS?

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I suppose a lot depends on your pastor or your convention affiliation. Some are tee totalers, some are not. No matter your affiliation alcholism is not encouraged.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

If you mean the postal district, I do!

[Auntbee]

I live in Lenexa, work in Olathe.

[ConservatismNow]

Moderation in all things, including moderation- Buddha

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Diana, anything like this where you live?

[Charles Henrickson]

I don't have a problem with drinking beer. I don't do that in church, but I don't have a problem with beer (unless it's lousy beer).

What I do have a problem with is bad doctrine and practice, and that's what I don't like about this "church."

[Red Badger]

I don't dance anyway........You wouldn't want to see me even try...........

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

With your name I was thinking a small town in Georgia! Today, in my pajamas in P V.

[Auntbee]

Howdy, neighbor!

[Amalie]

"It is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but what comes out."

That guy Jesus was called a drunkard and glutton by the people who didn't like him or the rabble he was associated with. Christians are called to be holy, but the Biblical admonition is against 'too much' and 'drunkenness,' not alcohol in and of itself. Nonetheless, it is for each person called to the faith (not religion) of Christianity to determine whether using alcohol is right for them, and, if so, they should do so in accordance to the edicts of their surrounding community (both of faith - IE thier own church - and civil government - IE drunk driving laws)to maintain the bonds of peace.

By the way, I didn't read the rest of the story; is this actually a bible study or is it just a group of people getting together to discuss things?...

[Sensei Ern]

Here, I thought this was going to be about beer drinking IN the Bible, not the hypocracy of those claiming Christianity.

FWIW, Read Numbers 21:16.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

And there is a lot of lousy beer (and "malt beverge") around.

"The Schlafly program is part of the church's outreach ministry. ... First-timers are invited to check out the church on Sunday, and Journey leaders say many have."

Sounds like the brewpub is kept separate from Church. I don't see much about doctrine in this story, which is written from a popular perspective.

There are certainly differences in liturgy. (All Church's have one whether they admit it or not.) The Baptist convention appears to agree with you in this regard.

[bahblahbah]

What do you know of this church's doctrine? The Calvinism?

The pastor of that church comments at http://www.stevekmccoy.com/reformissionary/2007/01/beer_darrin_pat.html#comments .

It is really unfortunate that the reporter chose the title Beer and the Bible. He promised to make the article about our church, not the controversy. The content of the story is decent and toward that promise, but the title is distracting and will be disruptive to what we are trying to do in our state convention. The Journey's policy on alcohol is that we do not personally encourage nor do we corporately promote alcohol as a church. The article could be read to sound like we have grown as a church because of our "beer ministry." Totally ridiculous. We have a current event discussion once a month in a bar. Far from a "beer ministry" Please pray for unity in our state convention so that we can stay focused on planting churches that reach people in culture