There is really only ONE reason these days for drinking alcohol - for the effect it gives. Otherwise, any other non-alcoholic beverage would do (there are near-perfect non-alcoholic stand ins for the wine or beer lovers.)
As I posted earlier, I have yet to know an alcohol defending Christian who doesn't get intoxicated. Their defense is an excuse to do so. (Of course, the alcohol Christian gets to define "intoxicated" while in the intoxicated state they're trying to monitor.)
It appears you are defining drunkenness as anyone who has a drink.
Just saying.
I don't drink alcohol at all, because I can't stand the taste. I defend the use of alcohol if drunkenness does not result. And I am a Christian who believes that Jesus is Lord. The argument of unfurmented wine is just silly.
I have yet to know an alcohol defending Christian who doesn’t get intoxicated.
How do you feel about Prozac? or Xanax? Are those sinful too?
I always figured anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds were for people who didn't drink.
signed, a Catholic who likes his drink.
But there was a solid reason throughout most of history: alcoholic beverages were sterile.
Google "mayflower pilgrims beer". You'll find that the fist thing the pilgrims did upon landing was to start brewing alcoholic beverages. Not because they wanted to get drunk, but because it was the only way the could make sure their water supply wouldn't make them sick.
Drinking low alcohol volume beverages (including adding some wine to water to make it safe to drink) has been a common practice throughout most of history (especially in crowded settlements which made obtaining clean water difficult).
And, this is why drinking wine was not totally banned in the Bible.
If you want to argue about today--fine. But, you can't take today's situation and apply it to all of history.
Hi. I guess you haven't met me. I don't get intoxicated because I have never liked the taste of alcohol. Yet, I don't condemn the drinking of alcohol because the Bible itself does not condemn it. I think people presume to speak for the Lord when they decide no one should ever drink alcohol and use the Bible to defend that belief.
If you don't want to drink it, fine. But the Bible warns about becoming drunk. The Bible also warns about idolatry, putting anything in the place of God. There are numerous ways to idolatry, alcohol is only one of the possible ways.
You phrase that in kind of a tricky way, I have personally know many Christians who drink alcohol and who had no interest in getting drunk, but I wasn't arguing with them about the bible and alcohol.
Many, many people, all over the world, really do believe that a glass of wine, or a beer or two each evening are conducive to good health, both mentally and physically.
You appear to define "intoxicated" as having ANY amount of alcohol in your system. As opposed to the standard understanding as "A state in which someone is incapable of normal speech, actions or thought due to the ingestion of excessive amounts of alcohol and/or drugs".
One or two beers over the course of an evening do not constitute intoxication.