25. Question: Why do some Christians say that it is a sin to drink alcohol?

Answer: The following is a compilation and paraphrase of the writings of Dr. John F. MacArthur Jr., Dr. Jack Graham, Dr. Adian Rogers, Dr. Philip M. Riegel and Daniel Akin. Paraphrased and edited by Dr. Philip M. Riegel. The majority of information below is from the writings and sermons of Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr.

It is important to begin by saying that the Lord Jesus Christ loves everyone and gives everyone a free will to choose to drink alcohol or not to drink. The Lord gives us guidance in His Word the Bible in order that we can know His will and then ask for His help to do what He knows is best for us. There are many things in the world that are good for us in moderation, but if we abuse or misuse it, we can be harmed. The Lord does command that there are some things in this world that His believers should have nothing to do with at all because of the harm it can cause His believer and others. The following information gives reasons why many Christians believe that it is a sin to drink alcohol.

There is an abundance of Biblical, historical and statistical fact and evidences to prove that it is the perfect will of our Lord Jesus for His Christians to choose to abstain from the use of intoxicating beverage.

Like our Lord Jesus Christ, Christians love the sinner but hate the sin. The consumption of alcohol has, throughout history, contributed to billions of highway accidents, highway injuries, highway deaths, accidental deaths, homicides, suicides, family abuse, mental disorders, divorce, broken relationships and unemployment.

Many believe that illegal street drugs are the biggest problem plaguing America today. That theory is wrong. The number one problem plaguing our nation that continues, year after year, to cause the most widespread harm is a legal narcotic that is promoted in movies, on television, during sporting events, on billboards, in schools and in businesses in every town...the legal narcotic called alcohol.

In America, over 80% of crimes have alcohol as the root cause. Over 50% of murderers confess that they were heavily involved with alcohol as their drug of choice. 6.6 million children under age 18 live in households with at least one alcoholic parent. 56% of students in grades 5 through 12 say that alcohol advertising encouraged them to experiment with alcohol. In 2002 it was reported that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17. Over 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year and approximately once every week someone dies from this preventable condition. In 2001, it was reported that more than half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present; this is an average of one individual injured every two minutes. Over 65 million people die on our U.S. highways every year due to alcohol. Over 14 million people in the U.S. are addicted to alcohol.

Many ask the question, why is this narcotic that causes so many deaths, so much harm and heartache still legal in America? The sale of the narcotic drug alcohol remains legal in America because the alcohol industry profits over 20 billion dollars a year.

Alcohol is considered a legal narcotic drug by most medical doctors, psychiatrists and clergy. The consumption of alcohol is considered a sin by most conservative, Bible believing Christians of all Christian denominations. The reasons for this conclusion is addressed in the following commentary on Biblical scripture.

The Lord plainly states in 1Timothy 3:3 that one qualification for a bishop (pastor) in the church: "not given (addicted) to wine." The word "addicted" in the Greek is "paroinos" which combines the Greek words "oinos" (a word for wine) and "para" meaning "to be along side." Thus, the literal interpretation of "paroinos" is "to be along side wine." In Titus 2:3 the older women are not to be enslaved to much wine. In 1 Timothy 3:8 a qualification for a deacon in the church: "not given (addicted) to much wine" as well.

So we find that not only those in leadership, but even those members not in leadership in the church, indicated by these "older women" in Titus 2:3, are not to be the kind of people who are associated with wine. Now, what does he mean by this? It is very important to understand these passages of scripture.

We could broaden our concept if we remember that in 1 Timothy 3:2 we have another requirement which is the word "temperate" (Greek: nephalios). It originally meant that he was to abstain from wine completely. A "temperate person" was "an abstainer from wine." It came metamorphically to mean "circumspect, alert, or clear-headed." But the idea is the same: anybody in spiritual leadership is to be clear-headed; so never is he to be given over to anything that dulls the clarity of his mind. All Christians, especially those in church leadership positions, such as pastors and deacons, are to be in control of their senses (mental reasoning) at all times.

Now people always ask, "Does this mean that they never drank any wine at all?" The answer to that question is "No." It doesn't mean that they did not drink wine in ancient times, for wine was the common drink. Although, most people are uneducated about the historical fact (upon which there is overwhelming historical evidence) that the majority of the wine they drank in Bible times was very different than the wine and alcoholic beverages that are sold today. Let me prove this point with reliable historical facts and evidences.

In Bible times, much water was polluted and no one could drink the water without running the risk of becoming ill. Even today in Third World countries, the first thing they tell you when you get off the plane is, "Don't drink the water!" Water has the capability to nurture certain things that can infect your body--bacteria, etc. So the water must be purified and that was true in ancient times as well. As a result of that, unless it was a clear running stream somewhere, any kind of standing water would be potentially a health hazard. Therefore, the people drank the juice of various kinds of fruit. It might be a citrus fruit, it might be something like a pear or an apple, and very commonly it was grapes. The common drink came from these fruits.

Now, to put that into perspective, you need to understand that there was no refrigeration in ancient times. So, any kind of juice standing in the heat of the Middle East, of course, ferments. Even the new wine "glukus," as the Greek word indicates, would ferment rather rapidly; though it was sweet at the start, it wouldn't take long for it to turn. Because of that, they took a number of precautions. The first of which was to mix the wine with water, as much as eight parts of water to one part of wine. This, of course, acted almost as a disinfectant for the water. Thus, mixed eight to one, there wasn't much wine there. But, the fermented wine, with its disinfectant capability, would purify the water, so the water would be more drinkable and less potentially harmful.

The second thing that they did was to boil it. They would take the wine that had fermented and they went through a boiling process. This kind of wine is associated with the Hebrew word "yayin," which basically refers to wine in the Old Testament, but has the concept in the very word itself of "bubbling up;" it's not the bubbling of the bubbly in the wine, it's the bubbling of the boiling process. And what they did was simply boil down the wine which evaporated all of the alcohol content, and evaporated all the liquid, and they ended up with a paste. A thick paste which, by the way, they would even spread on bread to use like a jam as we do today.

This thick "grape paste" or "grape jam" could be contained in skins and kept that way, and at some point in time (it's a thick syrup) could be squeezed out and remixed in its concentrated form with water, and at that point would not have the property to ferment. So that kind of wine, from paste mixed with water, would be non-alcoholic, wouldn't have any alcohol content. The other kind, as I mentioned, would be that which was mixed with water, the alcohol content being diluted so significantly that one could not get drunk on it because your stomach could not hold what it would take to get you drunk, because there was so much water mixed with it.

Wine today is not like that. Wine today comes straight out of the fruit, particularly the grapes, and it is purposely fermented. That's the whole point of it! Wine producing companies purposely make it intoxicating and it is consumed that way. Most persons that drink wine and other fermented, intoxicating beverage enjoy the way it makes them feel. That's why they drink!

To mix wine with water would be a cardinal sin today to most who enjoy drinking wine. Anyone who is "into wine" would tell you that. They would get furious at a bartender for mixing water with their wine. They need their buz! That's what they go for and that's what they pay for! That's what people who frequent "happy hour" continue to say.

Today you don't make wine out of concentrate. People make orange juice and grape juice in your kitchen out of concentrate because you buy the little concentrated frozen stuff and then you mix it. But the kind of wine that we call "wine" today is very different from grape juice or fruit juice. Therefore, we may say with all assurance that the kind of wine that we have today is not the same as the kind that would normally be consumed in Biblical times.

So what then does it mean in 1 Timothy 3:3 when it says this person is to be 'meparoinos' (Greek), literally interpreted "not along side wine." It really does mean what the NAS has translated, "not addicted to it." "Para" (Greek) literally means "to be along side." In our language today, the phrase in scripture can be interpreted "someone who is not always along side the wine" or "someone who does not hang around wine." The intent of that concept here is a person who has some kind of an addiction to alcohol or some kind of need to indulge himself in alcohol to some degree of incapacitation.

In other words, the person who is constantly around wine or drinks wine as a habit daily is not drinking the wine for the sake of quenching thirst. Now remember that the climate in Israel is very much like Southern California. In fact, they are almost identical parallels. It is hot and it is very dry there. It's an arid or semi-arid area and there was a great amount of fluid needed, because the body would lose it's fluid. They didn't have air conditioning for the homes and consequently they needed to consume a lot of fluids just to maintain the needed fluid level in their body. It is common sense that if they were drinking fermented wine then all of them would be inebriated all the time, particularly in the summer. Most persons and families in Bible times would have this mixture (eight parts water and one part wine), and they would use it for the quenching their thirst; or they would use the concentrate which couldn't ferment, then mix it with water and they would drink that. They could drink this mixture by the gallon and still not become intoxicated...because it was not fermented.

In either case, the idea was to quench thirst and to provide some refreshment and enjoyment without bringing about intoxication, quite contrary to what people use wine for today, which is somehow, to one degree or another, to make them feel a little abnormal.

Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:3, by the command of the Lord Who gave this command, that anyone who is a spiritual leader cannot be involved in any of this kind of behavior, any kind of addiction to wine, any kind of coming along side wine, and any lingering around wine. The implication being, you are hanging around it, you are not just drinking it for the sake of quenching your thirst or for the sake of the refreshment of it. You're hanging around it, you're along side of it, it's a major part of your life and you appreciate how it has some impact on your thinking and feeling. Anyone who became intoxicated in Bible times had to first go out looking for fermented wine and then purposely become intoxicated. That's why the Lord prohibits drunkenness (Proverbs 5:18; Ephesians 5:18).

The idea could be one who is a drinker of fermented drink; one who goes to the feast and hangs around the wine; one who goes to the tavern or the inn or the bar, places associated with drinking, where there's potential for drunkenness, where there is potential for indiscretion, where there is a potential for losing control of yourself to the degree that you say things or do things that are inappropriate. Where there is obviously the association with those who are drunkards, and those who enjoy sin and plan to sin. Everyone knows that taverns and inns and bars, things like that in ancient times, were places of debauchery and iniquity. Jesus hung out with those who drank fermented drink for the single purpose of drawing them closer to Himself, not for the purpose of becoming inebriated with them. Remember, Jesus was tempted to sin but never sinned; thus, Jesus never became inebriated, He lived as an example for others and He never drank intoxicating beverage.

These are the reasons the Lord says that no man who is addicted to intoxicating beverage is fit to be a pastor or an elder. When you bring that down into today's world it's still true. People who frequent bars, who drink as a normal course intoxicating beverages, who hang around it, who choose to continually hang around it, and keep drinking and keep drinking until they finally have inebriated themselves, is unfit for ministry or leadership in the Lord's church.

But to take it a step further, I think it is safe to say that in the early church, the people who knew the Lord, for the most part, would drink the mixed wine with water and the boiled and syrupy paste kind reconstituted with water, and not even deal with "strong drink" ("strong drink" was a term for that which was unmixed at all and thereby intoxicating). So they did everything they could to stay free of any intoxicating level of imbibing.

Now when you look at today, we have so many other opportunities that it isn't even necessary to get anywhere near alcoholic beverages. With refrigeration we can preserve every imaginable kind of thing and not have to worry about its fermentation.

This is the reason most conservative Southern Baptist churches like Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas (pastored by Dr. Jack Graham), Calvary Baptist Church in Pilot Point, Texas (pastored by Dr. Philip M. Riegel) and other conservative, evangelical churches like Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California (pastored by Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr.) have submitted to a church covenant that adheres to a total abstinence position for all church members, especially staff and those in church leadership, and affirm that none would ever drink any alcoholic beverage, anytime, under any circumstance-- because it is just not necessary. And because the kinds of alcoholic beverages that we have today are not reconstituted, non-alcoholic, nor are they mixed with water sufficiently to dilute their force; therefore we choose to abstain from all of that. That's been our position. It is not necessary to drink that today, so why would we do it?

Those who choose to remain filled with the joy, peace and Love of the Holy Spirit of Jesus just do not need fermented drink to help our mood. Christians that suffer with depression or other mental illnesses need to take God invented and God approved psychiatric medication to equalize their brain chemicals rather than self medicate with fermented drink that can become addictive and harmful to the body, mind and spirit.

Another perspective is this: drinking fermented drink tends to be potentially damaging to those who follow us. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8, Romans 14, "I don't want to do anything that's going to cause another believer to stumble." And you can believe one thing for sure, that if people knew that a church leader drank fermented drink, they would say, "Well, certainly if he does it as our Christian example, then we can surely do it," and some of those people who say, "Because he does it I can do it," may end up being irresponsible, out of control, and who knows, maybe even become alcoholics or cause death.

A great problem in America is the liberals teaching on moderation. They say that it is not a sin to drink as long as you drink in moderation and don't get drunk. Then many, including Christians, are led to believe that they can drink intoxicating drink every day as long as they don't get drunk; then many never even realize when they have become inebriated. Most alcoholics never realized they were becoming alcoholics until they were so addicted they could not break free. No alcoholic ever intended to become an alcoholic and there are millions like that in every generation.

The companies that create and sell alcohol spend millions of dollars every year advertising, trying to lure young people to begin drinking alcohol and lure alcohol drinkers to drink more so they can have more fun at their parties. Then they remind you to "drink responsibly." Now exactly what does that mean?!!! How can someone drink responsibly since the person doing the drinking of the narcotic cannot realize when they become inebriated? Other non-drinkers have to persuade them "You've had enough"... then it's too late...the drinker has already had too much and can no longer reason effectively for themselves.

Who can really say how much fermented drink is too much? For one person I know, she has such a low tolerance to fermented drink that after only one small beer she is inebriated. For another, he may be able to drink four small beers and not be inebriated at all. The problem is...who knows when too much is too much unless they become inebriated and then it's too late.

Christians are commanded by the Lord in His Word to live as examples for others to follow; we are our brother's keeper. You may be able to handle your alcohol but that teenager over there watching you may die this weekend (as they do most every weekend due to teenage drunkenness) because they don't know their limit. My friend, in God's eyes, you would be partly responsible for their death and the death of others they kill. Those who drink fermented drink have become angry at me when I said that and they responded: "Don't tell me that! I am only responsible for me and they are responsible for their own actions!" Those folks are very uneducated as to what God says in His Word about how we are responsible for the influence we have on others.

Jesus warned those who influenced others to sin: Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. Matthew 18:6-7. How many lives would have been saved from drunk drivers if no one ever influenced anyone else to drink fermented drink. Since it is against the law for persons to take narcotics, and since fermented drink is a narcotic, then fermented drink should also be illegal in order to prevent millions of deaths every year. If you disagree, wait until you lose a loved one to a drunk driver. Go speak to someone who lost a loved one to a drunk driver and you may change your mind. Most people who lose a loved one to a drunk driver hate fermented drink for the harm, sadness and pain it causes.

Many Christians in history have shunned this conservative teaching that Christians should practice total abstinence from alcohol and later wished they had listened to their pastor. They went out, drank alcohol with the guys, had a good time, never realized they had become inebriated and ended up in prison; a hard lesson to learn. These same Christian men returned to their church after serving time and testified to their fellow Christians in their church that all Christians should obey the Word of God and abstain from alcohol completely. They always say, "I wish I had listened to my pastor when Jesus spoke through him to warn me. Don't argue with God's man. That is a very dangerous thing to do, for you are debating with God, not man. True men of God speak God's Words from God...not the opinions of man. So listen and obey the Lord...or you may be very sorry like I was."

I don't ever want to be in a position of setting a standard that is going to cause another person to stumble; to fall into iniquity. And so Paul says in Romans 14:21, "If I eat meat and it makes my brother offended, I won't eat meat. And if I drink wine and it offends somebody, I won't drink wine." And there are those weaker brothers, also an issue in those same texts, who would be offended by that and so we have taken the position that is something that we do not do at all.

Now there may be an occasion when you are in a Third World country somewhere and you are having a Lord's Supper service, and the church you are visiting serves everyone fermented wine because they have no unfermented grape juice available anywhere in the area. They don't water it down because that is their church tradition. You have an option. Option A is you can choose to drink a bit of the fermented wine because you believe that it may offend someone in the church if you do not. That would be the exception, obviously. Or, option B, you can certainly choose to decline to drink the fermented wine because that is your "personal faith tradition" that others should respect and honor. I personally would choose option B.

In Leviticus 10:9, it was instructed that Aaron and all the high priests stay away from any alcoholic beverages. In Proverbs 31:4-5, we are told explicitly that alcoholic beverages were not for kings and not for princes or rulers. The point being this: anyone who is a priest; anyone who is a king; anyone who is a ruler, is in a position where they are making very significant decisions that have implications for a wide range of people, do not want to be operating without full mental comprehension.

I am confident that our government judges and lawmakers do not intentionally do their business under the influence of fermented drink. Although, one can only wonder what goes on after they have done things at the end of a long luncheon in which they have imbibed and come up with some of the things that they have come up with. Aaron and the high priests, the kings and the princes, the rulers, were to completely abstain from anything that could, in any way, dull their senses.

Then there was that very wonderful and unique vow in the Old Testament, according to Numbers 6:2-4, called "The Nazarite Vow." The Nazarite Vow is associated with people like Sampson, Samuel, and John the Baptist. There were many, many faithful Messianic Jews who took the Nazarite Vow. It was basically a vow of devotion or commitment to God that said, "I want to live at the highest level of self-denial; I will be unconcerned about what I wear; I will be unconcerned about my looks, my hair, and all of that. I will touch neither wine nor strong drink; I choose to live only to be well pleasing to my Lord, cutting myself off from the celebrating kind of life; I want to live in the pure and simple and straight forward and disciplined devotion to God." John the Baptist was such a one. You can read about him in Luke 15, who totally abstained from anything that would in any way potentiate alcohol disability, and he stayed away from wine and strong drink altogether to be sure that he was living at the highest, most submitted spiritual level. That Nazarite vow was taken by many Messianic Jews who chose to live at the highest level of dedication and 100% submission to their Lord. All they were interested in, 24/7, was to honor and glorify their Lord God and to be powerfully used by Him in such a way that would mentor others in the ways of righteousness.

In Leviticus 10:9-11 we see that the Lord forbid the use of fermented drink in His temple. Our body is called "the temple of the Holy Spirit." The Lord still forbids the use of fermented drink in His temple, the church building, and He forbids use of fermented drink in His temple, our body. We must honor the Lord in how we use our bodies and what we put into our bodies. It grieves the Lord when a person uses any narcotic as a recreational drug, including fermented drink.

Then many who drink fermented drink ask about 1 Timothy 5:23, where Paul says, "Take a little wine for your stomach's sake." It certainly seems to me that the fact that Paul had to tell Timothy to do that, meant that it was against the grain of what Timothy's normal behavior was like. He had to say, "Take a little wine" for medicinal purposes; most likely because Timothy normally wouldn't take any...even the diluted kind mentioned above. If the Nazarites lived at that level, then certainly those who were leaders in the church would have lived at that level. Therefore, it is likely that Timothy obeyed Paul, who was led by the Spirit of God, and chose to drink the unfermented wine mentioned above that people normally drank every day to hydrate their bodies (eight parts water, one part fermented wine). The unfermented wine was beneficial to Timothy's overall health just as drinking a cup of grape juice daily has been medically proven to be beneficial to maintain optimal health.

Some have argued, "Medical doctors have proven that one glass of wine a day is good for your health!" Dr. Jane Friedman at the Boston University School of Medicine explains her study on the benefits of drinking grape juice. She states, "Purple concord grape juice has some anti-clotting effects and can inhibit inflammatory compounds in the blood. It can also produce a modest increase in good HDL cholesterol." While conventional wisdom has attributed red wine's cholesterol-regulating effects to its alcohol content, health experts have been hesitant to uncritically encourage consumption of a beverage that also carries health risks ranging from dependence to breast cancer to brain damage to stroke. New research raises the possibility that its the anthocyanins in red wine that confer heart health benefits, and apparently, our bodies are able to absorb those anthocyanins more easily from red grape juice than from red wine. It makes one wonder if some medical professionals are being paid by the producers of fermented drink to tell the public they need to drink their fermented drink each day for optimal health.

Many people say that the Bible does not forbid drinking fermented drink. They are wrong. The most direct command of God in the Bible that forbids the drinking of fermented drink is found in Proverbs 23:31: "Do not look on the wine." Read the entire passage of Proverbs 23:15-26,29-35. Most conservative Bible commentators agree that the Lord is making the clear command not to even look at a glass of fermented wine or a bottle of fermented wine, then temptation to drink intoxicating beverage will be done away with. In addition, it is apparent that the Lord is forbiding His followers to drink intoxicating beverage and thereby remain righteous, Christlike mentors and examples for others to follow. The Lord even calls fermented drink a snake that can kill you in Proverbs 23:32. Read the entire passage of Proverbs 23: 29-35 and you will understand more fully the warning of the Lord against drinking intoxicating beverage. Dr. Jack Graham once stated, "Proverbs 23 proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bible forbids the use of fermented drink."

There are many Christians who have argued and stated, "Well Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine! Since Jesus Himself created wine, drank it Himself and made enough for everyone at the wedding feast to drink, then that's all the proof I need that it's OK to drink wine occasionally." Those who make such a statement are not educated about the historical facts presented above (concerning the majority of "wine" they drank in Biblical times being eight parts water and one part fermented wine). In Mark 15:23, we see further evidence that Jesus refused fermented wine: when Jesus was on the cross, He refused to drink the fermented wine when it was offered to Him to ease His pain (as a narcotic) but He did accept and drink the vinegar that was offered to Him.

Dr. Philip Riegel writes: "I personally believe that the wine Jesus created at the marriage feast may have tasted like the very best wine (even much better) but I firmly believe that it had no fermentation at all, whatsoever. Jesus can do anything as God. He would create a drink that people would thoroughly enjoy the taste of and He would never risk the people becoming inebriated. I believe we will drink a similar drink in heaven, as much as we want, and never become inebriated. I know my Lord Jesus well and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my Lord would not create 180 gallons of narcotic fermented drink for everyone to drink, lose their minds and go out and hurt themselves and others. That certainly is never the will of God and Jesus would have never done that. Common sense alone should inform a person of that! Jesus is the same God who commanded His servants to never touch fermented drink in these many passages: Proverbs 23:31, Leviticus 10:8-11, Deuteronomy 32:33, Judges 13:4, 1 Samuel 1:15, Isaiah 5:22, Isaiah 28:7, Luke 1:13-15 and Romans 14:21."

In conclusion, we have reviewed the above historical evidence that there are four different kinds of wine mentioned in the Bible: (1) the fermented wine that people drank for the purpose of effecting mood and mental reasoning; (2) the non-fermented wine that was one part fermented wine and eight parts water for the purpose of having clean water to drink for physical hydration; (3) the non-fermented wine that was a grape jelly paste mixed with water, also for physical hydration and (4) non-fermented wine which was freshly squeezed juice from the grape, used for physical hydration and enjoyment.

Interesting fact: It is a well known fact that U.S. military personnel, law enforcement and fire fighters cannot drink intoxicating drink while on duty. There are severe penalties to those who choose to break the rules. If this law is enforced in secular society, should not the Soldier of Christ, who is commanded to always be on active duty, also live by this strict code of ethics and abstain from the use of intoxicating beverage?

Dr. John MacArthur firmly believes: "Church leaders are not to be near much wine. Whether you are an elder, a deacon, or a Christian in the congregation: avoid that which can intoxicate you."

If you are one honestly seeking the will of the Lord about whether you should begin to drink fermented drink or continue to drink fermented drink, I believe that the Holy Spirit will instruct you about what is best for your life as you seek to mentor others in the ways of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Riegel concludes: "I began to hate intoxicating drink after two of my high school football buddies died in a car accident after drinking too much after a school dance. I hate it more and more each time I hear on the news about a drunk driver killing someone. I love those who choose to drink intoxicating drink but I hate all of the harm and heartache the enemy causes through the easy availability of intoxicating drink. I will do all I can to warn people of its harm until the day I enter heaven. Hopefully many other Christians will save the above information and pass it on to warn future generations long after I am gone."

The above statements are a compilation and paraphrase of the combined writings of:

Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr.

Dr. Jack Graham

Dr. Adrian Rogers

Dr. Philip M. Riegel

Daniel Akin

Edited and paraphrased by Dr. Philip M. Riegel

Sources:

MacArthur, John F., Jr. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Timothy. Moody Press, Chicago. 1995.

http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/wine.htm

http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/70-9-3.htm

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/powerpoint/listen/total-abstinance-the-consequences-of-alcohol-87339.html

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=23576

http://www.sermonsearch.com/content.aspx?id=23639

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Facts About Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that can result in physical injury; ongoing alcohol-related relationship problems; the failure to attend to important responsibilities at school, work, or at home; and/or the experience of recurring alcohol-related legal problems (such as receiving multiple DWIs and DUIs) during a twelve-month time period.

Another one of the key facts on alcohol abuse is that irresponsible and long term alcohol abuse usually results in various alcohol long term effects that are highly correlated with different diseases, medical issues, and illnesses.

Stated differently, repetitive abusive drinking typically results in a number of alcohol long term effects that manifest themselves as alcohol abuse and alcoholism problems

Yet another one of the alcohol abuse facts and a bit of bottom line alcohol abuse information that many people do not realize is that binge drinking, even if done only a few times per year, is a form of alcohol abuse.

What is worse, apparently many people do not comprehend that binge drinking can and does result in alcohol poisoning, which, in some instances, can be fatal. Such alcohol abuse signs and information about alcohol abuse, binge drinking, and alcohol poisoning, it is asserted, needs to be taught to every student in our school system.

If you engage in abusive drinking you could be gambling with your life. How? Simply this: many individuals who drink excessively, involve themselves in binge drinking . And abusing alcohol in any fashion and long term alcohol abuse can eventually result in alcohol dependence which is a type of drug addiction.

As a consequence, why not break the connection between abuse and alcohol in your life, get some relevant information about alcohol facts and about alcohol abuse, and do some "proactive thinking" so that you can prevent the disease of alcoholism before it ever becomes an issue?

In short, why not avoid any potentially unhealthy alcohol abuse effects, alcohol abuse "signs," and long term alcohol abuse and consider getting the alcohol abuse treatment that you need?

Alcohol Abuse Facts: What is Alcohol Abuse?

Many people think that alcohol abuse and alcoholism are the same. This information is not based on alcoholism facts, alcohol abuse facts, or about alcohol facts.

Indeed, though both alcohol abuse and alcoholism are similar in that both point to the unfortunate connection that exists between abuse and alcohol, alcohol abuse, unlike alcoholism, does not include the loss of control due to drinking, physical dependence, or an extremely strong craving for alcohol.

Definition of Alcohol Abuse . Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following circumstances in a twelve-month time frame:

• Drinking in situations that can result in physical injury such as operating machinery.

• Continued drinking in spite of ongoing relationship problems that are the result of drinking.

• Failure to attend to important responsibilities at home, work, or school.

• Experiencing recurring alcohol-related legal problems. Examples include getting arrested for damaging someone's property, receiving a DUI, or for physically hurting someone while drunk.

An intelligent way of looking at the components that make up the definition of alcohol abuse is this: when a person exhibits problems in any or all of these areas, consider this information as alcohol abuse signs. That is, the manifestation of any or all of these issues is often a red flag that the person is engaging in abusive drinking.

A Definition of Alcoholism

To understand the differences between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, we will provide a definition of alcoholism. According to alcoholism facts, alcoholism, also known as alcohol addiction or alcohol dependence, is a form of drug addiction and is a disease that includes the following symptoms:

• Loss of control: The inability to limit one's drinking over time or on any given occasion.
• Craving: A strong and continuing compulsion or need to drink.
• Tolerance: The need to drink increasing amounts of alcohol in order to "feel the buzz" or to "get high."
• Physical dependence: alcohol withdrawal symptoms when a person stops drinking after a period of excessive drinking. Such symptoms include: "the shakes," nausea, anxiety, and sweating.

When looking at alcohol abuse and alcoholism one key factor is worth mentioning. The longer a person engages in alcohol abuse, the higher the probability that he or she will eventually become alcohol dependent. Stated differently, those who engage in long term alcohol abuse are increasing their risk of becoming an alcoholic down the road.

Facts on Alcohol: Causes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

A question that has entered the minds of many people is the following: why can some individuals drink alcohol without encountering any difficulties or negative consequences while others cannot?

Stated differently, what is about alcohol that leads some people to abuse and addiction while for others, enjoyment and moderation prevail? One answer to this question concerns genetics.

More to the point, according to the facts on alcohol abuse, researchers have found that having an alcoholic family member increases the risk of developing alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

In fact, there may be a genetic predisposition for certain people becoming "problem drinkers." In addition, research scientists have discovered that various environment factors can interact with one's genetics--the result being that both of these components can influence the development of alcohol related difficulties such as alcohol abuse.

Examples of these environmental aspects include where and how a person lives, a person's culture, peer influences, the relative ease of obtaining alcohol, and one's family and friends.

Regrettably, once alcohol abuse starts, the behavior in many instances continues and can result in long term health, legal, and social difficulties and other types of alcohol abuse problems. Also unfortunate is the number of documented cases of adolescent alcohol abuse and youth alcohol abuse, especially the abuse of alcohol that takes place in high schools and on college campuses.

Alcohol abuse facts based on alcohol research have shown that forty percent of ninth-grade students reported having consumed alcohol before they were age 13. In contrast, only 26.2 percent of ninth graders reported having smoked cigarettes, and 11.6 percent reported having used marijuana before they were age 13.

Information About Alcohol Abuse Facts and Alcoholism Statistics

There are certain words that almost always go together. Examples include the following: peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, and unfortunately, abuse and alcohol.

Regrettably, the widespread dangers and destruction of alcohol abuse and alcoholism do not necessarily make a full impact on people until they are introduced to relevant statistics. As a result, we decided to include a few highly significant alcoholism statistics and alcohol abuse statistics.

Such alcohol abuse information, "alcohol abuse signs," and alcoholism facts, it is asserted, will not only help put alcohol abuse and alcoholism in a more understandable perspective, but it might help lead to more effective alcohol abuse prevention.

Concerning alcohol abuse statistics and basic alcohol facts and info about alcohol abuse, according to a study undertaken by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in 2005, the following alcohol abuse statistics and alcoholism statistics were discovered:

• According to alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts uncovered by alcohol research, American youth who drinking before the of age 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than young people who do not drink before the age of 21. This statistic focuses on the importance of drinking at a later rather than at an earlier age. This statistics also points out very clearly how abuse and alcohol go together, even for teenagers.

• The 25.9% of underage drinkers who are alcohol abusers and alcohol dependent drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is consumed by all underage drinkers.
• Every day in the U.S. more than 13,000 children and teens take their first drink. Among other things, this means that many of these teens will understand first hand the relationship between abuse and alcohol.
• Every year, 1,400 American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related accidents and injuries, including motor vehicle accidents. Traffic fatalities, perhaps more than any other statistics, point out the devastating realities that often result from alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
• In the United States during 2004, 16,694 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol-related motor-vehicle crashes. This amount was approximately 39% of all traffic fatalities. This amounts to one alcohol-related death every 31 minutes. This statistic, quite honestly, is overwhelming. Talk about abuse and alcohol---one alcohol related traffic fatality every 31 minutes and the grief and devastation suffered from these deaths is beyond comprehension.

• Here's one of the alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and an alcohol statistic that though logical, is something that most drinkers and non-drinkers probably do not know: The 9.6% of adult alcoholics drink 25% of the alcohol that is consumed by all adult drinkers.
• Every year in the U.S. more than 150,000 college students develop health problems that are alcohol-related. This is additional evidence that alcohol abuse and alcoholism, unfortunately, are intimately interrelated to one another.
• Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) and obesity ($133 billion). Though dollar amounts like this are hard to comprehend, at least they make an attempt at placing a dollar value on the relationship of abuse and alcohol.

Alcohol Abuse Facts About Binge Drinking

Here' some more important facts on alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse information, and alcohol abuse signs. It appears that many people do not understand that getting drunk "only" once or twice per year is neither "drinking in moderation" nor "responsible drinking." In fact, there is a term for this kind of occasional alcohol abuse: binge drinking.

Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks at one sitting for women and five or more drinks at one sitting for men.

Stated another way, when an individual consumes an excessive amount of alcohol over a short period of time, or abuse is continuous over a number of days or weeks, this is called intensive use, bingeing, or binge drinking. Obviously, binge drinking perfectly illustrates the relationship that exists between abuse and alcohol and is one of the most dangerous alcohol abuse problems that a person can experience.

According to the research literature based on alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts, people who obtain professional treatment and participate in Alcoholics Anonymous in the first year after initiating help are more likely to achieve remission for up to 15 years later than are individuals who obtain professional treatment alone.

It is interesting to note that hangovers are frequently more common in light to moderate drinkers than in heavy and chronic drinkers, suggesting that binge drinking can be as threatening as chronic drinking.

Therefore any man who drinks more than five drinks or any woman who has more than four drinks in one sitting is at risk for a hangover. When used intelligently, such alcohol abuse signs can help prevent abusive drinking as well as hangovers.

Through scientific advances, alcoholism facts, and facts on alcohol abuse, we now know significantly more about how drugs such as alcohol work in the brain. Additionally, we also know that drug and alcohol addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and alcohol and reclaim their lives.

Binge drinking not only significantly increases the risk of injury and contracting sexually transmitted diseases, but it can also result in alcohol poisoning. Considering the fact that 60 percent of American men between the ages of 18 and 25 binge drink and in 2002, a reported 2.6 million U.S. binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17, binge drinking is not only extremely dangerous and potentially fatal, but it is also a drinking pattern that affects millions of teens, pre-teens, and young adults.

To state the obvious, people who regularly engage in binge drinking need alcohol abuse help because they are actively engaging in abusive drinking.

Info about alcohol abuse and about alcoholism facts: more than 2 million Americans suffer from alcohol-related liver disease. Some drinkers, moreover, develop alcoholic hepatitis (that is, an inflammation of the liver) as a result of long-term heavy drinking. Apparently, many people are unaware of alcohol abuse facts and alcohol abuse "signs" such as these.

Alcohol Long Term Effects and Long Term Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol research and basic information about alcohol facts reveal that long term alcohol abuse typically results in a number of negative alcohol long term effects. For instance, one of the more typical alcohol long term effects concerns liver disease such as hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Pancreatitis, the inflammation of the pancreas, is also highly correlated with long-term alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Another one of the more common alcohol long term effects concerns the many different types of cancer that are directly or indirectly interlinked with long-term abusive drinking. Examples include cancer of the throat, kidneys, colon, liver, mouth, rectum, voice box, and esophagus.

Vitamin deficiencies, sexual problems, and ulcers also result from long term alcohol abuse. And finally, another of the more typical of the alcohol long term effects are various circulatory disease such as strokes and heart disease.

In sum, it can be determined that chronic abusive and excessive drinking and long term alcohol abuse result in a number of negative alcohol long term effects and alcohol abuse signs that manifest themselves as health-related diseases, illness, and medical problems.

Alcohol Abuse Treatment

In spite of the fact that alcohol abuse is not the same thing as alcoholism, alcohol abuse is a serious problem in the United States. In fact, roughly 14 million Americans currently abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. Not only this, but several million more Americans engage in risky drinking patterns such as binge drinking that could lead to chronic alcohol abuse or to alcohol dependency.

Based on the significance of this condition, there are many alcohol abuse therapeutic approaches and methodologies that help those who abuse alcohol either significantly reduce the amount and the frequency that they drink or help them totally abstain from drinking.

Due to the significance of alcohol abuse, some individuals are sure to ask the following question: "What is the most effective type of alcohol abuse treatment"?

Although there are many effective alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment approaches, individuals who abuse alcohol have to first realize that they have a drinking problem before they can get the assistance they need.

Once involved in treatment, furthermore, problem drinkers need to "buy into" and follow through with the treatment protocol if they are to overcome their drinking problems. In a word, those who abuse alcohol need to either want to quit drinking altogether or learn how to drink in moderation in order for their treatment to become successful.

Alcohol Abuse Intervention

It is important to note that if you see your family members or friends displaying any of the above listed behaviors, consider them as signs of alcohol abuse that could possibly reveal important information about alcohol abuse and the need for treatment.

And if your family members or friends in fact do display some of these signs, they may require alcohol abuse intervention, treatment, or alcohol abuse rehab. More specifically, your family members or friends may require alcohol abuse counseling, alcohol abuse education, or they may need to enter a treatment center or facility for alcohol abuse rehab.

Although some individuals are able to recover from chronic alcohol abuse without medical or personal help, many, if not most, people who regularly abuse alcohol need professional assistance.

Regrettably, this seems to be a fact about alcohol abuse that over time does not change significantly. Fortunately, through treatment, rehab, and support, many individuals who abuse alcohol are able to either abstain from drinking or regulate their drinking behavior and reclaim their lives.

To make the argument for alcohol abstention and pregnancy even stronger, according to alcohol abuse facts based on recent studies, women who continue to drink even small amounts of alcohol while trying to become pregnant, may reduce their chances of conceiving.

According to information about alcoholism facts received from a recent research study, problem drinkers trying to quit drinking who become involved in both Alcoholics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery and professional treatment programs fare much better than those who only go to treatment or only go to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Alcohol Abuse Facts: Conclusion

Some Basic Facts on Alcohol Abuse . Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in ongoing alcohol-related relationship problems; the failure to attend to important responsibilities at home, work, or at school; the experience of recurring alcohol-related legal problems; and/or drinking situations that can result in physical injury.

Unfortunately, long-term alcohol abuse results in a number of negative alcohol long term effects that manifest themselves as health-related drinking problems such as binge drinking, liver disease, cancer, pancreatitis, heart disease, and strokes. All of these, it might be emphasized, can be considered as "alcohol abuse signs" and alcohol long term effects.

When focusing on various alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and statistics, then, it becomes apparent that continued, repetitive abusive drinking usually results in a number of alcohol abuse problems.

To make matters worse, people who engage in long term alcohol abuse also increase the chances that they will eventually become alcohol dependent. In other words, the longer problem drinkers exhibit abusive drinking, the more likely they will become dependent on alcohol.

Unfortunately, for many people, abuse and alcohol go together similar to the way that peanut butter and jelly go together: it appears difficult to engage in one activity without the presence of the other. The same sort of logical connection, regrettably, applies to the terms alcohol and abuse.

There are many kinds of alcohol abuse facts, alcohol abuse signs, information about alcohol facts, and a lot of alcohol abuse information that needs to be examined in order to better understand alcohol abuse and the drinking problems that are associated with excessive and hazardous drinking.

Indeed, there are social, behavioral, psychological, physical, and health aspects about alcohol abuse that ironically lead to and also result from alcohol abuse. One of the most important alcohol abuse facts, however, is this: when people abuse alcohol on a regular basis, they increase the risk of becoming alcohol dependent. And keep in mind that since alcohol is a drug, alcoholism is a form of drug addiction.

According to alcohol abuse and alcoholism facts and research, regrettably, at some point, the line between alcohol abuse and alcoholism becomes blurry and the problem drinker makes the transition from being able to control his or her drinking to a total lack of control. This is especially sad when teen alcohol abuse or alcohol abuse in teens is considered.

In short, and in accordance with the research literature about long term alcohol abuse and alcoholism, the earlier and the more frequently a youth starts to drink alcohol, the more likely he or she will eventually abuse alcohol, which can in turn, lead to alcohol dependency. These are alcohol abuse facts and info about alcohol abuse that though based on reality, are most unfortunate.

If you abuse alcohol, do you think it is worth gambling with your life to the extent that you could become an alcoholic and experience the drinking problems that are usually associated with alcoholism?

The bottom line: what is it about alcohol abuse and alcoholism that is worth the ill health, relationship problems, financial difficulties, employment issues, and education problems that are typically associated with excessive, abusive drinking?

In short, you need to learn how to read the alcohol abuse signs and alcoholism signs so you can get the treatment you need and avoid the alcohol long term effects that are often associated with hazardous and irresponsible drinking.

According to alcoholism and alcohol abuse facts, “eye-openers” are common during the third stage of alcoholism. That is, drinks that are taken whenever the person awakens. Eye-openers are normally taken to lessen a hangover, calm the nerves, or to quiet their feelings of remorse the drinker experiences after a period of time without a drink.

According to alcoholism facts, during the last stage of alcoholism, benders are typical. More specifically, during this stage, the alcoholic frequently gets helplessly drunk and may remain in this condition for days at a time. The unattainable goal for the alcoholic at this time is to find the feeling of euphoria they once experienced.

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Alcohol Use Statistics

As discovered by alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics and facts, even though alcohol has been used in a number of diverse ways throughout history that can be called "beneficial" it was, however, observed thousands of years ago that excessive drinking and abuse led to social as well as to personal problems.

Concentrating on current alcohol statistics in general and on alcohol abuse statistics and alcoholism statistics in particular, it is claimed, is an informative way to analyze the social and the personal problems that are associated with drinking alcohol to an excess.

Regrettably, the full extent of the destructive and pervasive effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism are not typically comprehended until relevant alcohol statistics and facts and alcoholism statistics are overtly expressed.

As a consequence, the following alcohol statistics and alcoholism statistics and facts, that have been acquired via different research studies and surveys on the Internet, will be outlined below:

• Employees who were in serious trouble with alcohol showed significant improvement in drinking behavior and job adjustment during the months immediately following an intervention to confront problem drinking that was intruding on their work.
• A study of fifth and sixth-grade students found that those who demonstrated an awareness of beer ads also held more favorable beliefs about drinking and intended to drink more frequently when they grew up.
• An estimated 6.6 million children under 18 live in households with at least one alcoholic parent.
• By the time they are high school seniors, 80% have used alcohol and 62% have been drunk.
• In the United States, roughly 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year, and approximately once every week, someone dies from this preventable condition.
• Classical alcoholism takes about 15 years to develop, but it can happen much quicker in adolescents and young adults.
• Treatment for alcoholism has been shown to reduce criminal activity up to 80% among chronic offenders, has increased their rate of employment, decreases homelessness and reduces all health care costs.

• In 2002, U.S. alcoholism statistics reported that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.
• In the United States, almost three times as many men (9.8 million) as women (3.9 million) abuse alcohol or are alcohol-dependent.
• 56% of students in grades 5 through 12 say that alcohol advertising encourages them to drink.
• Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of the preventable deaths in the United States.
• Statistics reveal that for American employers, alcohol abuse accounts for roughly 67% of total number of substance abuse complaints.
• Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school.

• Approximately 14 million people in the United States are addicted to alcohol or abuse alcohol.
• Alcoholics spend four times the amount of time in a hospital as non-drinkers, mostly from drinking-related injuries.
• 65 people each day die on our highways due to alcohol.
• It is estimated that over 3 million teens between the ages of 14 and 17 in the United States today are alcoholics.
• Approximately 14 million Americans — about 7.4 percent of the adult population — meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

• Girls are beginning to drink at younger ages. In the 1960s, 7% of 10- to 14-year-old females used alcohol; by the early 1990’s, that figure had risen to 31%.
• More than seven percent of the population ages 18 years and older -- nearly 13.8 million Americans -- have problems with drinking, including 8.1 million people who suffer from alcoholism.
• In 1988, 25,000 Americans were killed in auto accidents involving alcohol. More than 500,000 were injured.
• Studies have shown that the drinking patterns of employed women are different from those of women not employed outside the home, with less abstinence, increased consumption and greater frequency of drinking occasions observed among employed women.
• Long-term, heavy alcohol use is the leading cause of illness and death from liver disease in the U.S.

• The cost of untreated drug and alcohol abuse in the U.S. in a year is estimated at $276 Billion in lost productivity, law enforcement costs, health care and welfare programs.
• Drunk drivers are responsible for 50% of highway fatalities.
• 95% of alcoholics die from their disease and die approximately 26 years earlier than their normal life expectancy.
• There are approximately 14 million people in the United States addicted to alcohol and millions more who display symptoms of abuse, including binge drinking.
• Currently, approximately 14 million Americans, 1 in every 13 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.
• There are higher rates of alcoholism in the unemployed, laborers, those of lower socioeconomic status, those that drop out of high school, those who entered college but failed to earn a degree, and those under more stress.
• More than one-half of American adults have a close family member who has or has had alcoholism.
• Alcohol is a factor in nearly half of America's murders, suicides and accidental deaths.
• The highest rates of current and past year heavy alcohol use are reported by workers in the following occupations: construction, food preparation and waiters/waitresses, along with auto mechanics, vehicle repairers, light truck drivers and laborers.
• Twenty one percent of workers reported being injured or put in danger, having to re-do work or to cover for a co-worker or needing to work harder due to others’ drinking.

• Up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of injuries in the workplace are linked to alcohol consumption and alcoholism.
• Non-alcoholic members of alcoholic's families use 10 times as much sick leave as families where alcohol is not a problem. 80% of these family members report their ability to perform work is impaired as a result of living with an alcohol abuser.
• Absenteeism among alcoholics or problem drinkers is 3.8 to 8.3 times greater than normal.
• More than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence reported that their assailant had been drinking or using drugs.
• Underage drinking costs Americans nearly $53 billion annually. If this cost were shared equally by each congressional district, the amount would total more than $120 million per district.
• Individuals in stable marriages have the lowest incidence of lifetime prevalence of alcoholism ( 8.9%) as opposed to co-habiting adults who have never been married (29.2%).
• More than one third of pedestrians killed by automobiles were legally drunk.
• 500,000 Americans who are dependent on alcohol are between the ages of 9 and 12.
• Low to moderate doses of alcohol can increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse.
• About half of state prison inmates and 40% of federal prisoners incarcerated for committing violent crimes report they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of their offense.
• Research indicates that adolescents who abuse alcohol may remember 10% less of what they have learned than those who don’t drink.

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SBC Resolution On Alcohol And Drugs
SBC June 1972

WHEREAS, Millions in our society are now tragically addicted to alcohol and other habit-forming drugs, and
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WHEREAS, The most widely abused drug, alcohol, has not received the urgent attention needed to prevent its epidemic abuse in our society, and
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WHEREAS, July 17, 1971, the Congressional Record states: "It is estimated that there are nine million alcoholics and problem drinkers in the nation. A total of 36 million Americans or approximately one in every six is adversely affected. Alcoholism and alcohol related problems cause more than 85,000 deaths annually. More than 50 percent of persons age 15 and older killed on the highway each year have alcohol in their blood at the time of the accident. One third of all deaths reported as suicide are known to be alcohol related and one-half of all homicides are also alcohol related. In conservative economic terms alcoholism costs the nation over 15 billion dollars per year--10 billion dollars in lost work time, two billion in health and welfare costs, three billion in traffic accident costs . . .," and

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WHEREAS, The effect of alcohol and drugs on increased crime, necessity of abortions, broken homes, increased cost of automobile and hospital insurance is evident, and
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WHEREAS, There are many things now being done by government, industry, and the business community to combat the evils of alcohol and drugs,
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Therefore, be it RESOLVED, that we commend American business, industry, and government for increasing numbers of programs designed to educate their employees and families on the dangers of alcohol and drugs, and
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Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on the surgeon general of the United States and other government officials to use their full resources to focus now on the problem of alcohol abuse with even more intensity and greater urgency than that given in recent years to the relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, and
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Be it further RESOLVED, that we call Southern Baptists to work as citizens for better education in our homes, our churches, the mass media, and the teaching institutions of our society, and
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Be it further RESOLVED, that we support more effective rehabilitation of addicts through appropriate agencies in our society.

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Calvary Baptist Church Bylaws

The Calvary Baptist Church Bylaws, Article III, states: "We engage, therefore by the aide of the Holy Spirit, to...walk circumspectly in the world; to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior." These words are also repeated verbatum in our Church Covenant as provided above.

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In the Calvary Baptist Church Bylaws, Article V, Section 3, church ministerial staff must abstain from the use of intoxicating drink. In Article V, Section 4, church deacons are required to be "total abstainers" from intoxicating drink and practice "no social drinking."      

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According to the Calvary Baptist Church covenant and bylaws (which are based on The Holy Bible as the Word of God), all Calvary Baptist Church members are to seek the power of Jesus Christ, every moment of every day, to live as Christian examples for children and for all people to follow. As the Apostle Paul wrote, our attitude, mindset, lifestyle and words should say to all: "Imitate Me, just as I imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).   

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Calvary Baptist Church supports the doctrines, teachings and resolutions of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Calvary Baptist Church and all SBC/BGCT churches that promote the above truths do so because we love all persons and desire to educate and help Christians and unbelievers alike to avoid the harm of sin and enjoy the blessings of living the obedient, Spirit-filled life. We encourage others to join with us to set the example of how to live a life that honors God and mentors others. We acknowledge that all sin is addictive and harmful and therefore should be avoided by all. We seek to glorify Jesus in all that we teach and live. We praise Jesus for providing His power to help us to overcome the temptation to sin and for providing His atoning sacrifice for our sins.

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We proclaim the truth that, although all sin is harmful to all persons on earth, the only sin that is unforgivable is "blasphemy of the Spirit" which is rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord God (Matthew 12:31; Luke 10:16; John 8:24). The Bible states "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us; if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). 

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Calvary Baptist Church welcomes all persons regardless of their present lifestyles. For more information about the beliefs of Calvary Baptist Church please read the section entitled "About Us."  

Other sources:

http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention

http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/en

http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/terminology/who_lexicon/en

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/abuse/a/aa990331.htm

http://www.alcohol-information.com/Alcohol_Statistics.html