Is it a sin to drink alcohol

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blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
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An alcoholic never sets out to become an alcoholic. It starts with moderation. Why even go there? “Well, I can control it.” Ask the millions of people who said this, even fellow Christians.

Alcoholism runs in families. Babies are born with fetal alcohol syndrome, if the mother drinks while pregnant. Fact is some people CAN hold their liquor. Some can't live without it therefore they drink themselves to death..
 
Mar 26, 2020
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The word itself calls wine a mocker. Do you really think the Lord turned water into a mocker? If so, for what purpose? Did you know that wine, fresh grape juice, was a privilege? Not all had access. Kings and people in high authority had cup bearers. They could have fresh wine anytime they wanted, straight from the wine press.

Ok.. No this makdes sense
Not trying to be, but a simple question. Why drink at all? I watched my alcoholic father. It wasn’t good. Guess what, he started out in “moderation.”
Ok now, this makes sense. John, I am sorry that you had to witness and experience that. That is a serious problem.

Respectfully... However, I don't have that problem and I feel strongly about what I call pendulum Christianity. Meaning, too often when something goes wrong we tend to overcorrect and swing too far in the other direction. I believe in balance. This goes for alcohol, sex, money, etc. We need a biblical (not legalistic) perspective on all of these issues. Sin is sin. Alcohol, sex, and money are not sinful in themselves, they are in fact all good gifts. We are sinners and must repent of our sinful behavior, Drunkeness, sexual importantly and greed. We as followers of Christ have to be careful that we have a godly perspective on these things so that we can glorify God in our beings, and show the world how God wants us to enjoy these good gifts according to His will, not ours.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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Uhh, I agree with you. :unsure: My religion hasn't messed me up. I'm Christian. :)

But nobody has yet answered my question: did JESUS himself partake of the wine He made? If He did, then surely it must be okay to partake of small anounts of wine on rare occasions.
Six water pots of stone would have been about 72 to 162 gallons of wine, which would have got everyone drunk that was there. If this wine was fermented then Jesus broke the law and was a sinner. We know this is not so because our Lord is sinless and that Jesus made new wine, which is grape juice.

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also..
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
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OK, so if everyone there took ONE SIP of wine, then they're drunk? I think not, sorry.. :rolleyes:
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,097
3,683
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Ok.. No this makdes sense


Ok now, this makes sense. John, I am sorry that you had to witness and experience that. That is a serious problem.

Respectfully... However, I don't have that problem and I feel strongly about what I call pendulum Christianity. Meaning, too often when something goes wrong we tend to overcorrect and swing too far in the other direction. I believe in balance. This goes for alcohol, sex, money, etc. We need a biblical (not legalistic) perspective on all of these issues. Sin is sin. Alcohol, sex, and money are not sinful in themselves, they are in fact all good gifts. We are sinners and must repent of our sinful behavior, Drunkeness, sexual importantly and greed. We as followers of Christ have to be careful that we have a godly perspective on these things so that we can glorify God in our beings, and show the world how God wants us to enjoy these good gifts according to His will, not ours.
Did the Lord give us wine, fresh grape juice, or fermented wine? Which one comes naturally from the cluster? To make it fermented, man has to mess with it and add things like yeast.
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,920
9,668
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Back in my younger, stupider days I drank an entire bottle of Southern Comfort without chasers. Got sick as a dog. Guess what, that cured me of EVER drinking again..
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,097
3,683
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New wine can be made by squeezing a bunch of grapes into a cup according to the below verse.

Genesis 40:11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,726
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To make it fermented, man has to mess with it and add things like yeast.
Actually all you have to do is leave it alone then strain it. Yeast occurs naturally on the skin of grapes. Man likely made wine first by refining the natural process he observed in God's creation.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
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Did the Lord give us wine, fresh grape juice, or fermented wine? Which one comes naturally from the cluster? To make it fermented, man has to mess with it and add things like yeast.
You have this backwards. There is naturally-occurring yeast on grapes. If you take a bucket of grapes, crush them, and leave them, they will ferment with nothing else added. In order to preserve the juice as juice, you must add other things. The addition of yeast just allows the vintner a measure of control and predictability in the process.
 
Oct 25, 2018
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Actually all you have to do is leave it alone then strain it. Yeast occurs naturally on the skin of grapes. Man likely made wine first by refining the natural process he observed in God's creation.
Yes. Sugars in fruit will naturally turn to alcohol if given time. Seems like if it was a sin to consume alcohol God would not have made it fermentable.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also..
Finish the quote. It's woe unto those that make their neighbors drunk IN ORDER TO do something to them.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
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Actually all you have to do is leave it alone then strain it. Yeast occurs naturally on the skin of grapes. Man likely made wine first by refining the natural process he observed in God's creation.
Methinks we're drinking the same coffee this morning. :cool:
 
Oct 25, 2018
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Six water pots of stone would have been about 72 to 162 gallons of wine, which would have got everyone drunk that was there. If this wine was fermented then Jesus broke the law and was a sinner. We know this is not so because our Lord is sinless and that Jesus made new wine, which is grape juice.

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also..

Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness! You left that off. The problem was not the drinking, but to get them naked and take a gander. 👀
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,726
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New wine can be made by squeezing a bunch of grapes into a cup according to the below verse.

Genesis 40:11 And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
Where is this freshly-squeezed juice actually called 'new wine' in Genesis 40?
 
Oct 25, 2018
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Yes. Sugars in fruit will naturally turn to alcohol if given time. Seems like if it was a sin to consume alcohol God would not have made it fermentable.
This isn’t strictly grapes either. Corn ferments into whiskey and moonshine. Watermelon and other fruits make wine. Potatoes ferment into vodka. Anything sugar(also starch in vegetables) will ferment into alcohol.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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They give half-truths, half quotes of a verse to prop up their theology.
Right.

It's not the worshiping idols, it's the drinking (it doesn't even say wine in Exodus 32)

It's not the raping drugged unconscious people, it's the fact they drank.

Priorities eh
 
Oct 25, 2018
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Right.

It's not the worshiping idols, it's the drinking (it doesn't even say wine in Exodus 32)

It's not the raping drugged unconscious people, it's the fact they drank.

Priorities eh
That’s a backerds theology. Pronounced Back-erds. Slang for backwards.