This leads you to do things that you wont otherwise do when youre sober such as brawling and excessive cursing. Theres also no verse that classifies exactly how many drinks you can have and exactly what drunk is. At a family meal, a 17 year old can have some champagne to toast her grandmothers birthday because her father is there, but if her 20-year-old cousin who happens to be visiting without her parents is there she shouldnt because it would be a sin? He gave them to us as a gift that gladdens human hearts. As Ive said to some of my studentstongue and cheek, of course: Look, if I drive by your house at 7 a.m. and I see your girlfriends car outside, Im not going to assume that she slept on the couch. And the same is true of the young freshman who looks up to these studentswho inevitably says: If thats what good Catholics do, then it must be OK.. Yet, even if you dont drink and drive, excessive alcohol consumption greatly impairs your ability to reason. But the reality is the Bible teaches that alcohol can be a good and enjoyable thing. Its sort like of this: if you want to be a Jediif you want to go all in with Christthis is what it takes: for at that point, there is no aspect of ones life over which Christ is not king and Lord. Feeling the effects of alcohol is normal. What does the Bible say about drinking? However, that doesn't mean that Catholics can't drink at all. Its a case of excusing ones own drunkenness and yet somehow still pretending to maintain the letter of the law. Exactly where our actions become sin. Ask a Priest: Is It OK to Go to Nightclubs?, Ask a Priest: Is It OK to Read the Bible on My Own?, Ask a Priest: What If My Friends Family Doesnt Accept My Annulment?, Spiritual Smoothie: The Christian Difference, Ask a Priest: How Do I Respond to Attacks on the Church?. I want to deal with two common misconceptions I see spread all the time about alcohol in the Bible. If you knowingly drink alcohol to the point of intoxication, then thats a mortal sin. why is underage drinking a sin? : r/Catholicism The Pilgrims brought 7,500 gallons of alcohol on their journey across the Atlantic. What does the Bible say about drinking? In the New Testament, Jesus not only turned water into wine. If youre an alcoholic, and having a drink brings you near to the place where you are gonna lose control, that could be viewed as a sin. Some verses warn about the dangers of alcohol while others talk about it as a blessing. Is Drinking Alcohol Inherently a Sin? Lets take a look: For more about reading the Bible in context: How To Read The Bible (the 5 best tips). (Eph. Believers who feel it is safer not to drink any alcohol have the freedom to abstain. Getting drunk can be caused by different situations and some of them may or may not be a sin. Therefore Jesus nor the Biblical writers advocated for drinking. Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin? | Bible Questions - JW.ORG Catechism 101: Is it a Sin to Drink Alcohol? Is it a Sin to Get Drunk? There are numerous Bible verses that extol alcohol and ones that give dire warnings regarding its intake. On the other hand, everyone reading this most likely knows someone who has been hurt in some way because of alcohol. How would you answer the question, what does the Bible say about alcohol? So what about praying while feeling the effects? In reality, the exact opposite is true. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You can go to confession or pray to God for forgiveness. However, that's not what the Bible is saying. Drinking, in itself, is not necessarily a sin. This is absurd. All rights reserved. A radical conversiona person set on fire for Jesus Christdoes this with respect to his own life. Some people think that its a necessary evil and that celebrations arent complete without alcohol. But I wanted to address it from the other side. It is illegal to run a red light. Throughout the Old Testament alcohol is seen as a blessing from God. This just enforces that church teaching that consuming alcohol is perfectly fine. Its a case of excusing ones own drunkenness and yet somehow still pretending to maintain the letter of the law. The Church does teach that drunkenness is a form of gluttony, and a grave sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2290). And in Ecclesiastes 9:7, the prophet is clear that we should enjoy alcohol as a gift from God: Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Here at RCSpirtiuality, we develop and produce online Catholic resources to help all of us grow as Complete Christians. We got one recently saying how someone was shocked we were promoting the consumption of poison on our show. There are many good reasons not to drink, and many more good reasons for the state to forbid minors to drink. Drinking alcohol becomes a sin when you abuse it to the point that you are no longer yourself, and is incapable of making conscious decisions. What ever other benefits a higher drinking age might bring, that is the purpose of the law. Please log in again. (Prov. Sinful. And many Christian celebrations often involve drinking wine and merrymaking. Jesus own mother, Mary, actually brought the situation to his attention (John 2:35). If your drinking hinders someone coming to know Jesus than we should abstain. Rather, it is on the list of sins because it is contrary to our dignity and damaging to the constructive use of our freedom that is essential to our friendship with God. Under that logic, we should all get rid of our money to fend off materialism. It may be imprudent on my part to suggest this example; but underage students use this excuse in spades and I dont think theyre on the same level (that is, underage drinking and going 3 mph over the speed limit). or altar wine thats specifically intended for Eucharistic celebrations. For one thing, it gives the student an overly legalistic approach to the moral law, it reinforces his latent Calvinism, it gives far too much moral authority to the State, it is simply not true. But, if other people see you drinking or purchasing alcohol, and by that are led to go against . Fasting means taking a break from it for a time to grow closer to God. In drunkenness, we willingly defile our rational nature. In fact, I would wager that I have almost never (if ever) seen a student involved in underage drinking who is totally on fire for Jesus. ( 1 Tim. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from ( Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12 ). What does the Bible say about drinking? I think the scripture has this, near occasion for sin. Of course. St. Paul tell us, So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). But if you get drunk unknowingly (e.g. Ideally a Catholic should always be striving to do the best at every moment. However, similar to the Bible, it cautions against excessiveness. Note, however, that you dont always have to get drunk for it to become a sin. Copyright 2019-2023. The New Testament is even more emphatic in discouraging drunkenness. Alcoholic drinks have been around since 5400BC, which means the availability of fermented beverages was around even before Jesus arrived. The Guinness family created their famous Irish Stout as an act of worship to God. The ideal is that you dont want to get to the point where you feel overly giddy or lose coordination of your limbs, etc. For a sin to be mortal, it has to be grave, you have to know its wrong, and you have to do it willingly. There is also the issue of "not causing anyone to stumble" ( 1 Corinthians 8:13; 10:32 ). It deprives you of judgment and reason, gifts that God has given us to lead a righteous life. Adam: Yeah. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. The Bible talks WAY more about the dangers of money, but I dont see anyone using that logic with money. In some places, it is described as a bringer of joy and a signifier of Gods blessings. Each person is in a unique situation and will have to determine this themselves. If you are in a country where you have to be above a certain age in order to legally consume alcohol, then it is sinful to break the law. No. If alcohol is not controlled in your country, then feel free to drink. The same teaching shows up in 1 Corinthians 8, where the issue is whether or not Christians can eat meat sacrificed to idols. Nor will we be deserving to inherit Gods kingdom. So moderate consumption of alcohol is not a sin. Like the one we are asking, is drinking a sin? 31:45). I have no argument with the purpose of the law, and perhaps it is even a good law, but that does not necessarily make it a sin to break it. Sam is a founder and editor of Catholics & Bible. Is drinking alcohol a sin? - The Irish Catholic sin - According to Catholicism, is it sinful to drink alcohol in order As we mentioned above, drinking alcohol isnt a sin, but overindulging in it can be. However, thats not what the Bible is saying. Try finding a Super Bowl party where alcohol isnt part of the festivities. So there are some things that maybe are a sin for me but not for you, say, for example. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth . Christians should always be sober-minded and watchful: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. There is very good reason to detach young people from giving such over reaching authority to the State. (Gal. It had no part to play in it, I drank wine before I was Catholic. Deliberately and knowingly harming your health is a sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very concise on this point, and simply says, The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. What is the relationship between Catholics and alcohol? Is Getting Drunk A Mortal Sin? Catholics & Bible So by all means, alcoholic drinks are not evil. If Jesus is really Lord of my entire life, then the question is simply this: am I willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of the Gospel? One Bible verse that clearly supports the intake of alcohol is the apostle Pauls admonition to Timothy to drink wine for health reasons: No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. In the middle of the 19th Century, alcoholism was wide spread in America and thus there were many successful attempts to limit its use by pointing out its moral deficiency. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. Jeffery Curtis Poor | March 1, 2022March 22, 2021 | Featured, What Does the Bible Say About What does the Bible say about drinking? Then they go on to define drunkenness as setting in only when one blacks out. It is true that many of the wines probably had a slightly lower ABV (Alcohol by Volume) than todays wine. But theres a borderline that you cross of drunkenness. Jesus drank wine during his time on earth. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Academy of Catholic Theology, and a senior fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. By using this website you are agreeing to our privacy policy. Are we even allowed to drink? Answer: Abusing intoxicating drink is a grave sin if it deprives the drinker of the use of reason. Sins of priest and bishops that were crimes were at times treated with great seriousness. What if the State forbid celebrating Mass (Saudi Arabia)? Driving in an impaired state could be a mortal sin since it puts others as well as oneself at risk of death or serious harm. Not at all. First things first: Catholics have long considered drunkenness a mortal sin; St. Paul refers to it as a sin that excludes one from the kingdom of God (see Galatians 5:21). We dont need to avoid those things just because they might do us harm. But when taken in moderation, it can lead to a great time and awesome memories with friends. Never drink when you are wretched without it, or you will be like the grey-faced gin-drinker in the slum; but drink when you would be happy without it, and you will be like the laughing peasant of Italy. Over time and as such a culture becomes predominantagain, amidst otherwise serious Catholicsthe general temperature of their zeal for holiness begins to go down; they often still go through the Catholic motions, but the vigor and vitality that comes from knowing Jesus personallyto the point where one gives him their entire lifesubsides. Finally, a little tea, coffee, chocolate or such like beverage together with a morsel of bread or a cracker is now allowed in the morning. I would say also the same with sports. The sinfulness of those effects might depend on circumstances. age restrictions for alcohol consumption, intoxication level limits while driving a vehicle, etc.) We, the Lay Cistercians of South Florida, are a community of lay people who seeks to have a deeper connection with God by living a life inspired by the monks and nuns through Lay Monasticism. Weve already touched on this a little above. What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for It also lends itself to a host of other sins, notably sexual ones by weakening our inhibitions. Feeling the effects of alcohol is normal. Excessive drinking, defined as "binge drinking" or. These are verses you will likely never hear preached on in church. Required fields are marked *. Le Ann is managing editor of Beautiful Christian Life. The Bible is clear that alcohol can be abused and that is a sin. And this, according to St. Peter, isnt the true mark of a Christian: For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to doliving in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry. 1 Peter 4:3. More on that later. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others safety on the road, at sea, or in the air., Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2290. Even in during Mass, the priests use wine to symbolize the blood of Christ. Harmful to body, mind and soul. With all the churchs doctrine about vices and such, its but natural to wonder: Drinking, in itself, is not necessarily a sin. However, that is a problem because without being able to clearly and accurately articulate what chastity truly Have you ever given a gift that was meaningless to you? But they are put off by arbitrary rules created by Christians. from my ultimate end? And further, one asks this same question with respect to those who may be influenced by my actionseither by knowing me directly or by reputation: am I helping or hindering their pursuit of their ultimate end? Vice. Just like in other things, if you drink alcohol too much, and you are well aware that you are drinking too much, then it becomes a sin. The reason is that in the act of drunkenness we are forfeiting two of God's greatest giftsour intellect and will. We may lose influence because of the choices we make. The Church, then does not consider consuming alcohol to be sinful, however, it does caution against drinking in excess. To become drunk and to lose control of yourself would be considered a sin. Frankly, a serious Catholic should never need a designated driver. So why in the world can they not enjoy a beer? He is general editor and contributor toThe Great Adventure Catholic Bible, published by Ascension Press. A: It is good to hear that you have entered the Church. Often, their lives begin to revolve around a party culture: Which party should we go to? Or, even on an ordinary day in the middle of the week: What are we drinking tonight?. However, as my favorite Dominican priest quoting St. Thomas pointed out to me once in talking about this issue, Not all crimes are sins and not all sins are crimes. While the author here makes very good points about underage drinking having the ability to lead to laxity, scandal, and other undesirable things, we must be clear that it is not a sin for a 19 year old to have a drink. Catholics are welcome to drink and appreciate alcohol. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. We should not be made to feel that drinking is a sin ( 1 Corinthians 10:30 ), although, at times, it may be inappropriate ( 1 . What does the Bible have to say about the topic of alcohol use? an unjust law. As Catholics, we are required to respect the civil governing authority assuming that they are working for the common good and that the law is not unjust. But the case is different with underage drinking: in the vast majority of places across the country, one certainly would not drink underage while standing next to a police officer. Its more or less recognized that going five miles per hour over the speed limit is still within the bounds of the law. It wasnt until recently that Christians started to ask, is drinking a sin? We should always seek to bring honor to the Lord in all our activities: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Scripture warns kings not to crave alcohol because a ruler needs a clear mind to uphold justice and protect the oppressed (Prov. Everything You Need to Know About Holy Week. One aspect of the sinfulness of drunkenness is also how it impacts your health and body. The Bible describes wine as a gift from God that can make life more enjoyable. Or are we kind of beating a dead horse here? As interpreted by most Catholic theologists, its not against the Bible to take alcoholic drinks like wine, but getting drunk goes against the Word of God. The short answer is, if you are trying to get drunk on purpose, then the answer is basically "yes." That is a sin, and a grave (mortal) one. This means that the drinker no longer has the freedom necessary to deliberate responsibly about what he should do or not do. St. Thomas defines temperance as the disposition of the mind which binds the passions. Paul explains that it may be all right for those who know that the idols are not real. It is important to remember that even if gravely wrong actions (fornication, violence, etc.) The Real Catholic Teaching on Underage Drinking In drunkenness, we willingly defile our rational nature. God is never outdone in generosity; when we go all in, he often blows us away with blessings we could never imagine. 20:1), Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affliliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. When youre drunk, you wont have full control of your faculties. What Is the Catholic Church's View on Alcohol? - We Dare To Say Here are a few of them: Romans 13:13, Galatians 5:19-21, and Ephesians 5:18. Leave a comment below! Is getting drunk a mortal sin? She is exceedingly grateful for both the loving kindness of many people and the sound Christian doctrine that helped her to keep on living after her son died in a skiing accident in 2006. This is because excessive drinking robs us of our reason and leads us to act in destructive ways that simply are not in harmony with our own human dignity and the dignity of those around us. 5:23) Jesus had the following to say regarding people who criticized him for drinking alcohol: Where To Donate Catholic Religious Items. If we consume so much that we cannot properly make decisions, we go too far. All rights reserved. In extreme cases, it can even lead to sexual harassment and murder. Alcoholic drinks are a part of todays society and can be seen as something both positive and negative. Thats adding to the Bible, it doesnt say that. In other words the Bible is warning of the damage that being addicted to alcohol can bring.
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