Policy Quick Hits #1 - Christians and Drinking
Devin sent me an email, reproduced below, with his thoughts on drinking. I asked and he gave me his permission to print it here:
During a recent game of quarters with Soleil Moon Frye, the topic of alcohol came up. Eventually the conversation turned into the standard whether or not, or just how much, Christians should drink alcohol, liquor, aqua vitae, firewater, booze, hootch, bling-bling, or whatever it is the kids are calling it nowadays, arguments. As with all such conversations, eventually this one turned to the Miracle at the wedding at Cana [John 2:1-11]. In this well-known miracle, Jesus, at the behest of Mary turns water into wine so as to prevent the embarrassment of the newly married couple.
Many people, including Soleil, say that this just an example of Jesus showing love and respect for his mother, a reaffirmation of half of the 5th Commandment and not an endorsement of drinking the fermentation of the grape. This reading, however, does not take into account one of the most important parts of the miracle, the circumstances. Jesus is not simply turning water into wine at a wedding, He is turning water into wine after the people at the wedding have already drunk the place dry.
Not to mention the fact that its not like Jesus made a bottle of wine or two, instead its "six stone jars...Each holding twenty to thirty gallons" [Jn 2: 6] - Jesus made 180 GALLONS of wine, after the guests had already drunk all the booze in the Cana Community Rec. Center.
So, Jesus isn't just endorsing drinking, He's endorsing binge drinking - He's the guy at the party who makes a 2 AM beer run just to keep things going, He's throwin' his credit card on the bar and making everyone do one more shot of Tequilla before the bar closes, He's holding your feet as you do a keg stand.
So there you have it, Christians drink your hearts, er, livers out. In fact, to all those non-Christians out there I say: become a Christian and the first round is on us. And remember at the Catholic Church its all you can drink every night, 33 A.D. through the Reckoning.
During a recent game of quarters with Soleil Moon Frye, the topic of alcohol came up. Eventually the conversation turned into the standard whether or not, or just how much, Christians should drink alcohol, liquor, aqua vitae, firewater, booze, hootch, bling-bling, or whatever it is the kids are calling it nowadays, arguments. As with all such conversations, eventually this one turned to the Miracle at the wedding at Cana [John 2:1-11]. In this well-known miracle, Jesus, at the behest of Mary turns water into wine so as to prevent the embarrassment of the newly married couple.
Many people, including Soleil, say that this just an example of Jesus showing love and respect for his mother, a reaffirmation of half of the 5th Commandment and not an endorsement of drinking the fermentation of the grape. This reading, however, does not take into account one of the most important parts of the miracle, the circumstances. Jesus is not simply turning water into wine at a wedding, He is turning water into wine after the people at the wedding have already drunk the place dry.
Not to mention the fact that its not like Jesus made a bottle of wine or two, instead its "six stone jars...Each holding twenty to thirty gallons" [Jn 2: 6] - Jesus made 180 GALLONS of wine, after the guests had already drunk all the booze in the Cana Community Rec. Center.
So, Jesus isn't just endorsing drinking, He's endorsing binge drinking - He's the guy at the party who makes a 2 AM beer run just to keep things going, He's throwin' his credit card on the bar and making everyone do one more shot of Tequilla before the bar closes, He's holding your feet as you do a keg stand.
So there you have it, Christians drink your hearts, er, livers out. In fact, to all those non-Christians out there I say: become a Christian and the first round is on us. And remember at the Catholic Church its all you can drink every night, 33 A.D. through the Reckoning.
posted by BertramWooster at 1:50 PM
2 Comments:
Why were you having this discussion with Punky Brewster?
Because Ricky Schroder hadn't gotten to the party yet.
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