I actually feel really guilty about something. I had invited a friend to church…she declined because she was going to party the night before and didn’t want to come to church hung over. She said that would be disrespectful and wrong. So, I said “I guess getting drunk is only ok if you don’t go to church the next day?”

I then apologized and asked for her forgiveness. As a Christian I have no right to judge. Jesus didn’t go around telling everyone that what they were doing was a sin and they were wrong. He showed them love and through his love they turned away from their sin. I don’t want to EVER seem like I am ok with drunkenness, but I don’t want to EVER judge someone and make them turn away from the church or God.

We should focus more on ourselves. We are so concerned about other people’s sin. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we felt the same way about the sin in our own lives?

Here’s another take: in Timothy’s day, and in Jesus’ day, and for that matter in other countries, alcohol is treated very differently than it is here in the US. Alcohol seems to be just another drink. But here, it is associated with other very clearly worldly things. The first being drunkenness. I haven’t met Christians who drink who haven’t fallen to this or other morally compromising situations. And what has been happening is that then they don’t think drunkenness is bad.

And doesn’t it damage our witness to the world? We are to be unpolluted by the world. But in the US, when Christians drink, we are considered “the same” and therefore, there’s no reason for anyone to want to be like us, because we are like them.

I am really struggling with this issue. Every time a Christian I know drinks, it opens doors to other sins. And not even directly related sins. It’s almost weird. But honestly, it happens almost without fail. I don’t like being the only non drinker, but I haven’t seen yet where it is “beneficial” as Paul made the distinction between “permissable” and not beneficial things. It seems like drinking is not at all beneficial. By the way, I also have a friend who was “witnessing” to a college roommate and trying to relate to her by drinking with her. This Christian found herself drunk in her dorm one night, and decided it wasn’t worth it.

If a company said “no drinking”. I would consider the fact that the Bible tells us not to be drunk with wine. I would consider the tragedies that occur because of drunk drivers. I would consider the college students that are killed in relation to drinking at parties. I would consider those who have a drinking problem and don’t need to be around drinking. This imposed non-biblical rule reminds me that God’s commandments include “to love others as ourselves”. That God’s word in Matthew 7:12 let us know to treat others like we want to be treated. There are rules that meant to protect us. Unfortunately, we all don’t consider it might hurt someone else, we only think about what we want. If God had not considered us He would not have gave Jesus for us.

When man rights rules there may be some who look for an exact replica in God’s Word. I would say consider the parables.

A person who is familiar with the word of God will, in my humble opinion, understand these things. The idea of these rules being enforced on a ‘Christian’ campus should be a ‘no-brainer’. That’s what I think!! Thanks

In addition, what is often overlooked in these debates is the need for the stronger to mentor the weaker. And this is usually done in Scripture by modeling (“be followers of me as I am of the Messiah”)… so for every risk of “offending” a weaker brother is also an opportunity to show how to drink responsibly (or whatever the issue happens to be)… We cannot just say abstinence is the “safer” route. Wisdom is the safer route, but we have to grow up to learn how to use it. It’s riskier than just having pat answers, but God didn’t say life wouldn’t be risky, but only that he’ll be a loving companion along the way.

The Psalmist said God created wine for a purpose: to make the heart glad. We have to contend with the larger Scripture (including the ones Laura pointed out) instead of merely pulling commendation of Scripture through the keyhole of only a few verses of warning.

I’m not in favor or over-regulating moral and social behavior in church, school, business, govt as this limits a cultivation of virtue out of love. Regulations motivate people with fear. While sometimes this is necessary because people refuse to love and be loved, it is not the healthiest way forward. God’s laws speak into love being at the root and if love isn’t there, then at least the consequences of evil behavior will serve as a “schoolmaster” until someone becomes mature enough to act from love (the law becomes a spiritual discipline, etc)…

Just read your pithy comment, and I agree. I was confused originally by the title and these distinctions are critical.