Milwaukee Common Council President Willie L. Hines, Jr. and his family worshiped at St. Mark AME Church recently. The Council President was one of three African Americans honored by the church during its 25th Annual Community Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. The other honorees were the late Leonard L. Sykes, Jr., who was a reporter with the Journal-Sentinel and Stanley L. Jackson, a long-time member of St. Mark. The keynote speaker was another St. Mark member, Cynthia Bryant Pitts, who has been involved in missionary and evangelism work for many years at the church. (photo by Harry Kemp)

Religious Commentary

Whisky and Gin, God’s Way to Satisfy Thirst?

by James Strong--AfriChristian Commentary

“Do not drink water only, but take a little wine to help your digestion, since you are sick so often.” (1 Timothy 5:23)

I get sick and tired of hearing self-righteous and sanctimonious people, especially ministers, tell us not to drink beer or sip margaritas because the Bible condemns both liquor and the drinking of liquor.

I don't drink, but I have yet to find any biblical passage that denounces alcohol for alcohol's sake alone or the drinking of alcohol merely for the sake of drinking alcohol. I do find, however, that “Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk.” (Proverbs 20:1).

Commenting on the Hebrew word “Shekhar,” which translates to alcohol in English, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia under the heading “Drink, Strong” says “With the exception of Numbers 28:7, 'strong drink' is always coupled with 'wine.' The two terms are commonly used as mutually exclusive, and as together exhaustive of all kinds of intoxicants.”

With this definition in mind, the Bible gives several reasons why a person may drink a martini or relax on the couch, in front of the TV, after a dinner of baked chicken and corn with a bottle of white wine.

We'll explore three of these reasons, because they are quietly discussed in Christian circles so as not to condone drunkenness or give the impression of condoning drunkenness.

First, is there any sane reason why God would approve drinking a glass of red wine at breakfast, lunch and dinner, as is the habit of many parents and children from Europe to Asia, Asia to Africa and Africa to the Americas?

As part of the Jewish sacrificial system, drink offerings were required so Jews could consecrate their harvests to God.

The “odor of this offering is pleasing to the LORD ... present with it an offering of one quart of wine.” (Leviticus 23:13). Such a sacrifice became a cultural and religious tradition in which wine was divinely ordained to be included in the celebration.

If God considers such drinking of alcohol sacred, why would mere humans insinuate that it is sacrilegious? Tradition, whether cultural or otherwise, is acceptable to him as a reason for drinking liquor.

Second, some think it is okay to drink vodka and gin every now and then for pleasure. But is that thinking good common sense?

Apparently, the God of Pleasure thinks so. “Spend [the tithe] on whatever you want -- beef, lamb, wine, beer -- and there, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families are to eat and enjoy yourselves.” (Deuteronomy 14:26)

If you complained to the Almighty “Why do you allow people to drink liquor for pleasure?” might he not answer “Who are you to question the one who created pleasure about the things he chooses to be pleasurable!”

Once our righteous Father authorizes something, in general, it moves into the region of common sense.

Hence, from a single sip of gin know that the God of Redemption is also the God of Pleasure. Not pleasure in an erotic or morbid sense, but in a spiritual and moral sense, in which drinking recedes, just as a head of hair with age may grow bald, so that the love of God may replace the need for alcohol.

Third, is there a relationship between rum and coke that's symptomatic of God's reasoning for the usefulness of drinking alcohol?

You bet there is. Whereas coke contains carcinogens that have been linked to heart disease, cancer and bad cholesterol, rum may contain enzymes that lower blood pressure and reduce heart attacks.

The January 2007 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine reports a study that analyzed medical and alcohol consumption data on 11,711 men with hypertension. Over the course of 16 years, 653 of the men had a heart attack.

However, those who drank one alcoholic beverage (beer, wine or liquor) daily were 32 percent less likely to have a heart attack than were men who did not drink. Those who had two drinks a day were 28 percent less likely.

So Paul's advice in 1 Timothy 5:23 makes sense. For Christians who place a high value on reason, if you won't believe God about the health value of alcohol, believe the statistics.

If you won't accept the biblical teaching that the moderate use of alcohol promotes good health, at least believe that which is more authoritative than the Bible - at least that which is more authoritative in your eyes.

For those who drink, however, let me give a word of caution. “Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)

So if you're dining at your favorite restaurant, watching a football game and eating ribs and fries and drinking strawberry daiquiris, enjoy yourselves but drink moderately. But if you can't handle liquor, why not just abstain altogether.