Am I a sinner? Depends Where I Worship.
Here’s a news report you likely won’t see aired in the Blue states.
WHNT-TV, serving Huntsville, Alabama, recently sent reporter Jeff Butera out to discover if it’s ok with God to drink. Apparently down in their neck of the woods the good citizens may have the opportunity to vote on whether certain counties should go dry or become wet, and furthermore if some areas should be allowed to have alcohol sold on Sundays.
By the way, is Jeff Butera old enough yet to even care about this question?
Anyway, I’ve had this discussion on a few occasions with very devout and pious people. My reading of the bible suggests that drinking alcohol, particularly wine, comes nowhere near being a sin. In fact, my reading of scripture suggests drinking wine, as long as it is in moderation, is something Jesus advocated…he did, after all, turn wine into water for the purpose of drinking:
"And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him" (John 2:10-11 KJV)
We also know that Jesus himself drank wine:
"And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s Kingdom"
Being a good reporter, young Mr. Butera finds a Catholic Abbot who tells us drinking is fine, in moderation, a minister from the Church of Christ who says drinking is a sin, and a Baptist pastor who says, basically, it depends.
Across the "red states" we have hundreds of laws in local communities that make it illegal to buy alcohol on Sunday, or purchase alcohol after a certain hour. These laws are a reflection of local culture and tradition, most of them borne out of local religious attitudes. It’s hard to get worked up over such laws. They are perfect reflection so how religious attitudes are manifested in the democratic arena.
Still, Jesus did turn water into wine.
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