Christianity & Alcohol, Any Mix?: Blogpost 1

My hubby’s colleague was relocating to another city and as has become customary, a group of friends and colleagues gathered together to bid him farewell. This isn’t the first time someone will be moving jobs and making a career move, but this particular evening was turning out to be rather too exciting for me.

The group coordinator, as usual, helped people make the best food choices, having been privileged himself to have a first go at most of the delicacies. He would usually be helpful also with people’s choices of drinks. And you can rest assured that if you didn’t want a very sugary drink, then his recommendation would just be fine.

Then came the part that always surprises me. Someone would always ask for a beer or an alcoholic drink. Unlike other outings with this group,  this particular evening was different, I wasn’t going to join the team that would only stifle  at such ‘inappropriate’ orders on a table with only Christians seated.  I lost my usual composure and wifely calmness and out of my mouth spilled; ‘Ha! I thought Jude was a Christian!’  For the rest of the evening, I had to call to action the spirit of wisdom that The Good Lord has generously poured on me  🙂 as someone dug out a Bible from somewhere to buttress a Christian’s choice of alcoholic drinks.

Back home, I knew I needed to study and put together a blogpost on this subject matter; should a Christian drink alcohol? This is a common topic for discussion especially among young Christians with orthodox Christian backgrounds.  Most ‘born-again’ Christian groups abhor even a thought or the slightest suggestion (even as a joke), that a Christian should sip (not gulp) alcohol.

Popular opinions among Christians who drink alcohol include that:

1. Jesus’ first miracle wasn’t only a miracle of luxury. Jesus Christ turned water into wine.  And although the type of wine was not specified, alcohol drinking Christians believe that, considering the class of wedding, the people had no business serving fruit drinks or non-alcoholic wine.
2. Alcohol cannot be harmful because Apostle Paul recommends a ‘little’ alcohol for ‘stomach sake’.

Yes, drinking alcohol is a pretty popular social activity, in fact some persons drink alcohol leisurely.  But are there possible health benefits or risks with alcohol consumption?  And for a Christian, is alcohol a sin?

Well, first, I took a peep into my medical books and dictionary to remind myself what alcohol is and what its possible health benefits could be and this is what I found;

Alcohol is a colourless volatile flammable liquid produced from fermentation of sugars. It is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits and other drinks. Alcohol is a drug and has been useful as preservatives, fuel, antiseptic, antifreeze, solvents and often added as psychoactive agents in alcohol beverages .  Alcohol has sedative effects and can influence the way we feel and act. Because of its depressant effect on the brain and nervous system, alcohol is most widely used as a drug in some parts of the world.  In consistently toxic quantities, alcohol has been shown through research to cause damage to most body organs including the brain & nervous system, liver, heart & blood vessels and stomach. Alcohol has also been shown to adversely affect a growing fetus and it can worsen mental health conditions as well as lead to dependency.

So, there you are!

Alcohol! Alcohol!! Alcohol!!! Do you really need it? Yes, I mean Christianity aside, do you really need alcohol?

I will be sharing my thoughts on whether a Christian should drink alcohol or not in “Christianity & Alcohol, Any Mix?: Blogpost 2“.

AboutGrace Obomanu

Grace obomanu is a Christian Blogger and Founder; 'Grace Obomanu Foundation'. Grace is an inspiring writer who intentionally projects the truth of God's word by sharing simple yet profound truths from the Bible. She writes with a revelational thrust, sharing wisdom, insights relatable to everyday living with particular emphasis on Victorious Christian Living. Her foundation, a non-profit trustee, continues to make impact, adding value to people's lives through outreaches, mentorship, bible teachings and counseling, partnerships. Grace has a diploma in Ministerial Training (with emphasis on Spiritual Leadership from Rhema Bible Training Center Nigeria. She trained as a medical doctor and has years of experience in Health Systems Management. She also holds a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Liverpool.