Why baptists dont drink alcohol

However, there is no specific doctrine against these activities. As more Baptist churches exercise their autonomy and relax their views about these issues -- taking a sanguine view of dancing or going to the movies -- their feelings about alcohol may become more relaxed as well.

These attitudes, though, are the individual opinions of local pastors, and not Baptist doctrine. It is not something that can be enjoyed casually or on a limited basis; it should be shunned altogether.

As a playwright, her work has been produced regionally and in New York City. Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Besides all this, Knight is wrong when he claims that "wine" is never mentioned "in connection with the Lord's Supper.

Paige Patterson, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, claims that the Nazarite vow is proof that abstinence is God's ideal. He states that the vow was the holiest vow an Israelite could take. Since the vow required abstinence, Patterson believes that abstinence must be the holiest state Patterson, Patterson's view is poorly reasoned, however. Daniel Wallace writes, "If someone today wants to claim that believers do not have the right to drink alcohol on the analogy of a Nazarite vow as some today are fond of doing , they also should say that believers ought not to eat Raisin Bran" Wallace.

After all, the Nazarite also vowed to abstain from raisins Num In addition, if someone believes that Christians should live up to the Nazarite vow, then Christians should also abstain from cutting their hair Num Hailey, Since Patterson does cut his hair, it may be assumed that he does not believe that long hair is holier than short.

Patterson also states the proverb, "wine is a mocker; strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise" prohibits alcohol Pro He believes that this proverb says all alcohol is unwise. Does this mean that Patterson believes Jesus was unwise, because Jesus drank? Certainly, most Christians would not accept such an interpretation. The logical interpretation is to realize that the term "led astray" implies "drunkenness. Another Baptist author, John Gillespie, cites Rom , "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

His reasoning is that some will be offended or turned away from the gospel if they see Christians engaging in the sensual act of drinking. Consequently, Christians must abstain to prevent this Gillespie, However, Gillespie makes no mention of a need for Christians to become vegetarians to avoid offending. Many people are offended by meat eating. However, the SBC has never called on Christians to abstain from meat.

Perhaps the SBC would take notice if there were a larger vegetarian movement, more like the Temperance movement. Gillespie goes on to state:. Unfortunately, this attack on even moderate drinkers is not limited to Gillespie.

Duke's sermon has become the SBC's officially recommended sermon concerning alcohol. The SBC has taken the position that Christians who drink, even in moderation are a "shame" to God, and even "enemies of God.

When questioned by this author, though, Duke did admit that he cannot absolutely say drinking alcohol is a sin, despite the strong rhetoric of his sermon. Because so many Baptists have been privately ignoring the SBC's prohibition, the Convention has begun a new campaign to promote abstinence. At the Convention meeting, in Atlanta, delegates were given "commitment cards. Richard Land, president of the ERLC said the purpose of the cards was to call on Southern Baptists to reaffirm their position that abstinence is the only acceptable Christian position.

Land added that abstinence is one of the SBC's "core beliefs. While some may be convinced that the abuse of alcohol makes abstinence the best choice, the medical research shows that moderation may actually be the best choice. Everett Koop, former US Surgeon General, and numerous other researchers, have all stated that moderate drinkers live longer than abstainers.

These drinkers live longer because alcohol significantly helps to prevent both heart disease and stroke. The largest study ever performed concerning alcohol and heart disease found that moderate use of alcohol could reduce the chance of sudden cardiac death SCD by up to 79 percent. According to the American Heart Association, "any prohibition of alcohol would then deny such persons a potentially sizable health benefit" Pearson, The Southern Baptists claim that "Christian love and justice" demand abstinence, and twist the Bible to support that view.

Is the SBC then displaying love for the thousands of men and women, at risk of death, whose doctors advise them to have a glass of wine with dinner? Richard Land, and the SBC, have begun this new abstinence campaign because they have lost ground with their radical prohibitonist stance. Land admits that today, more Southern Baptists are "social drinkers," but he insists that most Baptists still find this behavior unacceptable Hastings, The SBC, and some of its writers, show no shame in falsifying scripture, and attacking moderate drinkers.

While there are valid reasons for a Christian to choose not to drink, many Southern Baptists are not content with giving Christians the choice. The Definition and History. The priesthood of believers is the scriptural belief that all believers are priests able to deal directly with God.

The Baptist theologian, J. Dagg, defined the priesthood as, "individual responsibility," where, "every man feels that the cause of Christ is in some measure committed to him. For Baptists, the priesthood of believers is the idea that every individual has the right and responsibility to read and interpret the Bible for his or herself.

Walter T. Conner, one of the most respected Southern Baptist theologians wrote, "Let no man dare come between the individual believer and his Lord.

Every one of us shall give an account of himself to the Lord Rom , not to pastor, the priest, nor the bishop. Before the Judge of all the earth, men stand on a common level" Young, This belief goes back to the beginnings of Baptist theology. This confession stated that men should "follow their conscience under God, not human authorities It reiterated the statement on liberty found in the Second London Confession Young, Baptist theologians have always believed that liberty of conscience was an individual right.

William Tuck, in his book Our Baptist Heritage wrote that the priesthood is "the right of each person to interpret scriptures for him or herself. Mullins believed that this individual interpretation was the greatest contribution Baptists had made to the world.

George W. Truett said that this individual interpretation is the "cardinal, bedrock principle from which all our Baptist principles emerge" Tuck, Truett wrote, "The right to private judgment is the crown jewel of humanity, and for any person or institution to dare to come between the soul and God is blasphemous impertinence and a defamation of the crown rights of the Son of God" Young, A founder of the Southern Baptist Convention, W.

Johnson, defined the priesthood as "the right of each individual to judge for himself in his views of the truth as taught in the scriptures" Shurden, One of the earliest Baptist in America, John Leland, fought for the right to individual interpretation of the Bible.

He wrote:. Herschel Hobbs wrote that the priesthood meant, "each individual However, Hobbs saw responsibility in this right. Terry Young, wrote that "each person has the right of personal interpretation of the Scriptures The priesthood of believers means that the Bible is open to all people, not just a few who tell the rest what to believe" Young, Similarly, Walter Shurden wrote, "Baptists have no formal or informal teaching office that hands down correct biblical interpretation. Freedom of interpretation by each individual believer is fundamental to Baptist thought If believers are to be guided by the Holy Scripture, believers must be free to interpret the Bible" Shurden, Baptists have done more than just write about freedom, though.

Baptists have fought for freedom. Helwys wrote this book to King James I, demanding freedom. This book was also a petition to James I; and Busher too spent the rest of his life in prison Handy, Roger Williams advocated religious liberty in Massachusetts.

In , officials in the colony arrested Williams and planned to deport him. He did not give up, though. Williams escaped and went on to found the state of Rhode Island where he established the first Baptist church in America. Some time after Williams established his church, the judge who sentenced Williams, Governor Haines, traveled to Rhode Island. Haines told Williams, "I must confess to you that the Most Wise God hath provided and cut out of this part of the world, for a refuge and receptacle for all sorts of consciences.

John Smyth, William Carey and Baptists throughout the world faced ridicule and persecution for their individual consciences Young, Not only did the persecution not stop Baptists, but by , Baptists had grown to be the largest denomination in the United States Handy, The perseverance and success of the Baptists only proves the truth in Tertullian's observation, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Gospel.

For more than three and a half centuries, Baptists have fought for the right of individual conscience. The Baptists base their belief in the Bible. According to Robert Handy, there are Baptists conventions, in countries, and religious liberty is a stated principle of every one Handy, The Contradiction with Prohibition Once one understands that the priesthood of believers gives every Christian the right to interpret the Bible for him or herself, that person must wonder why the Southern Baptists demand abstinence.

All of the legitimate reasons for abstinence evolve from personal convictions and personal biblical application. The Bible never demands abstinence. Yet, Southern Baptists do demand it. At the same time, they claim that they will make no rule that is not contained it the Bible.

The Baptist Faith and Message states:. A required abstinence from alcohol is not contained in God's Word. In fact, the Bible directly gives Christians a choice. The Apostle Paul was very clear. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced for something I thank God for? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

These are just a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Col ,17 NIV. Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.

Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord will make him stand. Ro NIV. When Barret Duke calls moderate drinkers a "shame" to God, is he not judging God's servants? When John Gillespie refers refers to moderate drinkers as the "enemies of God," is he not judging?

Paul wrote that the abstainer must not condemn the drinker. Paul wrote that Christians must not judge each other "on disputable matters. There is a clear hypocrisy when Southern Baptists claim to believe in individual interpretation, and yet they call for the excommunication of anyone who disagrees with their interpretation Hailey.

Paige Patterson claims that Baptists violate no one's conscience because Christians have the choice whether or not to join the church Patterson, However, by choosing to join, Christians subject themselves to the established rules of the church. Is that what Paul meant when he wrote, "do not pass judgment," or what the Baptist Faith and Message means in stating churches will not make any rule not found in the Bible?

Paul did not say to leave your freedom at the church door. The question is clear. Do Southern Baptists have the right to interpret the Bible for themselves, or is their choice limited to whether or not to be Southern Baptists? Redefining the Priesthood Jeff Pool states that there is a "contradiction generated in Baptist life by the clash between the almost fanatical Southern Baptist insistence on the principle of religious liberty and the corresponding failure to observe consistently and actualize the principle in practice" Pool, Many Baptists have begun to realize that the stated belief in liberty and the practice of the SBC do not always agree.

The contradiction poses a difficult dilemma for those who admit to it. In order to address the issue, some have begun to redefine the priesthood.

These Baptists maintain the traditional view of individualism is unbiblical. Instead, they propose, the Christian church must interpret the Bible congregationally Freeman, Abstinence is essential to walking with the Lord.

Numbers Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

For Kings to be sanctified in their rule and judgment. Drinking is for the unbelievers that perish and are appointed to destruction. Proverbs It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. For Church Elders to be sanctified in their office as overseers of our souls and spiritual well-being. The Bible does not contradict itself, in I Timothy , Paul advises Timothy to use a little wine for his infirmities or for medicinal purposes only.

Proverbs Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. God says that drinking causes negative emotional and physical conditions and leads to sin. He says not to even look upon it. Proverbs Who hath woe? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake?

I will seek it yet again. Isaiah Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Isaiah All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. Romans Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

God says that drinking can keep the unsaved from entering Heaven unless they repent and trust in the blood of Christ. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Epheshians , 18 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Genesis And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.