It specifically says that wine is a gift from God that makes our human hearts happy. OpenBible.com lists 75 passages from the Bible about drinking alcohol. There are certain lines that aregoing out and committing adultery, theres no question about that. Steve Ray discusses on Catholic Answers Live. Theres simply nothing in the Bible that says all drinking is a sin. Theres always something left for us to turn over to the Lord; and as I said, for many college students, underage drinking is the last thing to go. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. The Church teaches that drunkenness, i.e., the abuse of alcohol, is a sin but not moderate consumption (CCC 2290). The reason is that in the act of drunkenness we are forfeiting two of Gods greatest giftsour intellect and will. The Catholic Church continues to support alcohol consumption in moderation. 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. Is drinking alcohol a sin? - The Irish Catholic in for Christ, in every single aspect of our lives? or altar wine thats specifically intended for Eucharistic celebrations. This shows how alcoholic drinks are not evil, God allowed alcoholic drinks to be made and be part of our lives, as it is something that belongs to a celebration. In order to pass through this threshold, one has to move beyond simply asking: At what point have I done something wrong? in a minimalistic way, to asking: Are these actionsthese movies, these parties, etc.taking me. 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. No. Im just kidding! why is underage drinking a sin? : r/Catholicism Jesus said, If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away (Matthew 5:30). Its absolutely acceptable and normal. Catholic Prayers For Protection From Evil, 9 Catholic Saints To Pray To For Fertility, Signal Graces: What They Are and How To Spot Them, 7 Saints Considered to be the Patron of Sailors, Catholic Prayers to Restore a Childs Health. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Also, if we were pulled over for going three miles per hour over the speed limit, we would be justifiably upsetbecause such an action would contradict nearly universal custom in terms of the enforcement of speeding laws in our country. 5:11; Luke 1:15). It is simply warning against addiction and drunkenness. Ive seen numerous articles written on this topic. Whether that be alcohol, money, sex, pride, our desires, or even our own family. Can Catholics drink alcohol? - Get Fed St. Paul explains: Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. 1o4:1415). 5:23). For the sake of the common good we drive on the right side of the road, it is illegal to drive on the left. Is it only a near occasion of sin? In these articles that are intended to accompany The Catechism in a Year podcast, we will present a travel guide through the major themes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For if anyone sees you, a man of knowledge [i.e., a mature Christian], at table in an idols temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 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? Alcoholic drinks are a part of todays society and can be seen as something both positive and negative. Biblical and Catholic Teaching on the Use of Alcohol 10:31). Drinking alcoholic beverages is not a sin. How would you answer the question, what does the Bible say about alcohol? The blood alcohol limit established by law is much lower than actual gravely sinful intoxication, but it is the point at which some reflexes may be so impaired as to make driving unsafe. 14:21). It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin (Luke 17:1-2). Not only is it not, but among Greek-speakers, the Lenten discipline of abstinence from wine is relaxed on Sundays. Answer: Abusing intoxicating drink is a grave sin if it deprives the drinker of the use of reason. In many states, its legal for someone to drink underage in the presence of their parentsso thats not an issue. Current scientific evidence points to the fact that there is no safe amount of tobacco. That same person might do well to skip the second or third beer if he has to drive a car afterward. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivatebringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. , The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. , For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to doliving in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.. 10:9; Isa. The Bible also talks about a strong drink made with fermented barley, aka beer. What does the Bible say about alcohol? Is drinking a sin? You will never leave an impact on anyone if you just hold onto your freedoms and do what you want. Heres 6 lessons from the Bible that will help us navigate the question, is drinking a sin? In extreme cases, it can even lead to sexual harassment and murder. Father. This does have its good points, a people who slavishly follow the laws of the State make for a well ordered society, and it does help keep people from being lax and disregarding State law as unimportant. Is Drinking a Sin? | Catholic Answers 2023 Ascension Press. A person commits sin when they drink so much that it significantly impairs their judgement. Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 is trying to drive that home. Exactly where our actions become sin. I hope this post gave you some comfort if you are planning to have a drink sometime soon. Not only has it not been condemned, but beer and wine have played a role in church tradition. 5:8). That said, there is no direct command from God that prohibits the consumption of wine. What if the Sate forbid having more than two children (China), would it be a sin to get pregnant with the third? But anyone who wants to claim drinking is a sin has to face the sometimes positive light the Bible talks about alcohol in. 3). And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, Drunkenness is also mentioned in Galatians 5:19. Feeling the effects of alcohol is normal. Jesus own mother, Mary, actually brought the situation to his attention (John 2:35). There are all kinds of neutral grounds where one can evangelize (e.g., sports, intramurals, meals, etc.). Drinking is a sin when done in excess. However, that doesn't mean that Catholics can't drink at all. You must have a strong resolve and an equally strong sense of self-discipline. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. We should be okay with a little grey. they were sinning (or even came close to it). Drunkenness, however, was always considered sinful based upon the clear biblical teaching about it. It may sound simple but practicing temperance requires a will of steel. And lets not forget that Jesus first miracle was turning water into wine And no it wasnt grape juice. ET on EWTN: Holy Mass and Rosary on Saturday, April 22, 2023 Tell us where you're. 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?. Catholics & Bible do not intend to provide any health related advice. 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. 5:1521). For instance Ecclesiastes 9:7. We know this from what the Bible says and from historians who have studied alcohol during this time period. These days, chastity seems to be so misunderstood! God is never outdone in generosity; when we go all in, he often blows us away with blessings we could never imagine. How should we approach alcoholic drinks as Catholics? So is it a sin to drink alcohol? You may have the conviction that it is allowable to drink alcohol in moderation. Lets look at a traffic example. Jesus constantly reached out to sinners, but never in compromising situations. The good God, our local Bishop, the State, my boss, all have different competencies and all require from me a different moral stance to their requests. There are clearly more verses in the Bible warning about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption than there are verses extolling its virtues. We meet every second Saturday of the month at Emmanuel Catholic Church in Delray Beach, Florida. That is, Jesus was not with sinners. The sinfulness of those effects might depend on circumstances. What does the Bible say about drinking? Some religious groups view alcohol as a gift from God, one that allows the spirit to enter the body. Its a grey area of the Bible. If this is the case, then its safe to say that alcohol is not inherently immoral. The reason is that in the act of drunkenness we are forfeiting two of God's greatest giftsour intellect and will. Those claiming that all drinking is a sin dont have support from the Bible. 4). Paul also exhorts Christians to abstain from drinking alcohol in situations where doing so could cause their brothers or sisters in Christ to stumble (Rom. He gave them to us as a gift that gladdens human hearts. If we make it seem like this is ok, its very easy for people to start being lax in other laws, natural or civil, that work for them or that people dont enforce. While wine may not have contained as much alcohol in ancient times as it does today, fermented beverages in biblical times clearly had the capacity to make people drunk. Sometimes. Weve already touched on this a little above. For starters, Jesus drank. The biggest reason intoxication/drunkenness is considered sinful is because it makes it easier to commit other sins. You may know a family whose relative has died in an accident caused by the consumption of alcohol. If you are harming your health - It's our responsibility to take care of our health, which is a gift from God ( CCC 2288 ). Read on to learn more. For example, in the Proverbs verse above, its talking about drinking too much wine because the next few verses describe things that typically happen during drunkenness like, Your eyes will see strange things and your heart utter perverse things. All rights reserved. Throughout most of Christian history the consumption of alcohol in moderation has been widely accepted and rarely condemned. If on a lonely country road in the flat land of Illinois I drive on the wrong side of the road in order see over the left side of a bridge am I breaking the law? If I eat too much and I stuff myself like a pig, then I could say Oh my goodness, I just sinned through the sin of gluttony, and then the near occasion of that. Under that logic, we should all get rid of our money to fend off materialism. Is drinking alcohol a sin? To make things very concrete, drunkenness has set in when you cannot (or should not) drive a car. It helps strengthen our control over our bodily desires and avoid unhealthy attachment to the material world. You need to go to confession. Nor will we be deserving to inherit Gods kingdom. 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 ).