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How Methodists Invented Your Kid's Grape Juice Sugar High
Christianity Today ^ | 09-23-2016 | Luke T. Harrington

Posted on 09/24/2016 9:04:55 AM PDT by NRx

It’s weird to think about, but a lot of the things we take for granted are almost shockingly recent inventions. The can opener didn’t exist until 1870—nearly a full century after canned food was first produced (people ate so much canned food that year, you guys). Doors have been around forever, but doorknobs weren’t invented until 1878 (and people were finally able to leave their houses). And grape juice?

(Excerpt) Read more at christianitytoday.com ...


TOPICS: History; Humor; Mainline Protestant; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: alcohol; grape; grapejuice; grapes; juice; methodist; methodists; wine; yeast
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It’s weird to think about, but a lot of the things we take for granted are almost shockingly recent inventions. The can opener didn’t exist until 1870—nearly a full century after canned food was first produced (people ate so much canned food that year, you guys). Doors have been around forever, but doorknobs weren’t invented until 1878 (and people were finally able to leave their houses). And grape juice?

Grape juice wasn’t a thing until 1869.

That may surprise you. There have always been grapes, and they’ve always had juice, right? Well, yeah...no...sorta. See, the thing about grapes is that their juice is loaded with sugar, and their skins naturally cultivate yeast, so the moment you squash a grape, the yeast gets in the sugary juice and starts turning it into alcohol. The label on that thousand-dollar bottle of cabernet you’ve got in your cellar might tell you otherwise, but, like most of Francis Ford Coppola’s career, winemaking is something a toddler could do by accident.

Prior to the post-Civil War era, if you wanted your grapes to last past next Tuesday, you only had two options: Dry them out and make raisins, or squash them to make wine—and since raisins are only useful for ruining perfectly good cookies, there was really only one option. This was okay, though, because—according to the psalmist, at least—wine is a gift from God:

He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts. (Ps. 104:14-15)

Christians generally recognized this as true—that is, until Methodists decided it wasn’t true sometime in the early 19th century.

1 posted on 09/24/2016 9:04:55 AM PDT by NRx
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To: NRx

Ooops. I posted what should have been the excerpt into the first comment block. Read the rest at the link.


2 posted on 09/24/2016 9:06:17 AM PDT by NRx (A man of integrity passes his father's civilization to his son, without selling it off to strangers.)
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To: NRx

Interesting and entertaining. Thanks for posting.


3 posted on 09/24/2016 9:07:42 AM PDT by Drew68
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To: NRx

I did a sermon on this a couple of years back...very fascinating. The premise is why do we use wine instead of grape juice in a Passover ceremony...it’s because that’s what Christ HAD to have used himself...


4 posted on 09/24/2016 9:10:42 AM PDT by DouglasKC
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To: NRx

Methodists on a grape jihad?


5 posted on 09/24/2016 9:13:13 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: NRx
See, the thing about grapes is that their juice is loaded with sugar, and their skins naturally cultivate yeast, so the moment you squash a grape, the yeast gets in the sugary juice and starts turning it into alcohol.

This also answered my question of why we make wine from grapes but not so much other fruits.

6 posted on 09/24/2016 9:14:04 AM PDT by Drew68
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To: NRx

I have heard the Baptist evangelist Jack Van Impe preach more than once that “oinos” in the NT always refers to unfermented grape products, even jam. An interesting piece of revisionism.


7 posted on 09/24/2016 9:14:07 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.)
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican

bookmark


8 posted on 09/24/2016 9:21:47 AM PDT by StarFan
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To: NRx

Bookmark


9 posted on 09/24/2016 9:25:02 AM PDT by Fiddlstix (Warning! This Is A Subliminal Tagline! Read it at your own risk!(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: NRx

Difficult for me, a recovering alcoholic. When I visit a church, I always have to ask if they are going to use grape juice or wine.


10 posted on 09/24/2016 9:26:20 AM PDT by Fido969 (Maybe I';ve been posting for the last 10 years, and rather than spew cr@p you could look up my posts)
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican

Of course with the massive revisionism going on in Methodism today it is more likely a progressive pastor would use some form of liquid pot. She might even lace it with blood for authenticity sake. http://www.salvationanointed.com/about-the-church/the-holy-herb-cannabis-sacrament-of-the-religion-of-jesus-church/


11 posted on 09/24/2016 9:26:56 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Stop the Left and save the world.)
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican

Vam Impe as wrong. Kids frequently drank alcoholc products to keep them from getting water borne diseases. Which were very close to 100% lethal.

In Israel it was wine, in America they drank apple cider. Basically apple beer.

Recently apple beer or cider has had a rebirth in the US. Pick up a 4 or 6 pack and you will find out. Very tart and one of the best drinks out there. Way better than beer.


12 posted on 09/24/2016 9:30:54 AM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: Louis Foxwell

There was an article posted on FR a few weeks back in which the author advocated marijuana use “because Jesus created it.” That was from a “progressive Christian” site, so I would be surprised that there are those who advocate it use in “worship.”


13 posted on 09/24/2016 9:33:21 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Danged Methodists STILL only give you unfermented grape juice at Communion.

At that, they are still a step ahead of the Mormons, who only give you water with leavened bread for their version of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.


14 posted on 09/24/2016 9:33:47 AM PDT by alloysteel (Of course you will live in interesting times, Nobody has a choice, now.)
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To: buffaloguy

I knew the Welch story a long time ago, so I knew Van Impe was being creative when I heard him say it. I am a fan of Woodpecker and Woodchuck ciders. I have wanted to try some of the others.


15 posted on 09/24/2016 9:39:51 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.)
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican
There was an article posted on FR a few weeks back in which the author advocated marijuana use “because Jesus created it.”

What? God didn't create marijuana? Genesis 1:29?

Regards,

16 posted on 09/24/2016 9:49:40 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: alexander_busek
God also created Oleander. Enjoy your smoke.
17 posted on 09/24/2016 9:53:16 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles!)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear
God also created Oleander. Enjoy your smoke.

I don't advocate the consumption of Oleader. But neither do I advocate spending tens of billions of dollars to pursue and prosecute those who do choose to consume Oleader, and then to throw them into prison at an additional cost of tens of billions of dollars.

Regards,

18 posted on 09/24/2016 10:01:47 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: NRx

Oral tradition was that unfermented Concord grape juice was a very small, niche market until Prohibition came along. Then there were thousands of small vineyards whose produce had almost all gone into the production of wine, and the market disappeared.

The growers formed a Cooperative, which began promoting Concord grape juice as a healthy drink, to create a market for their grapes. That is why we identify the flavor of Concord grapes as “grape” but virtually never see those purple grapes in the market.


19 posted on 09/24/2016 10:05:51 AM PDT by daifu
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To: alexander_busek
Neither do I.

I was addressing the stupid idea that if God made it that we should consume it.

Perhaps my point was a bit too subtle for you.

20 posted on 09/24/2016 10:09:49 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles!)
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