Can A Christian Drink Alcohol?

Note:  This is not my post, but one that was really interesting. Check it out and share your thoughts. 

-a.ced.a

CAN A CHRISTIAN DRINK ALCOHOL?

By Barry Cameron

September 19, 2012

Follow @BarryLCameron

On Monday night, news broke that Olympic gold medalist snowboarder, Shaun White, had been charged with vandalism and public intoxication. On my Facebook wall, I posted the following comment: “This just in . . . and the gold medal for character enhancement, once again, goes to alcohol.”

For years, well-meaning, sincere Christians have debated the subject of drinking. Let me be clear by saying there isn’t a single verse in the Bible that says a Christian cannot have a drink; although the Bible clearly warns about the destructive and addictive nature of alcohol (Proverbs 20:1; 21:17; 23:29-35; Ephesians 5:18) and is very clear that drunkenness is always wrong (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Peter 4:3; Habakkuk 2:15; 1 Corinthians 5:11).

The Bible is also clear that mature Christians should avoid causing others to stumble by drinking (Romans 14:21), and that leaders ought to avoid drinking alcohol (Proverbs 31:4-7) and cannot be given to drunkenness (1 Timothy 3:3, 8 Titus 1:7.)

I have yet to hear from anyone who drinks how alcohol enhances anything or blesses anyone. Max Lucado said, “One thing for sure, I have never heard anyone say, ‘A beer makes me feel more Christlike . . . Fact of the matter is this: People don’t associate beer with Christian behavior.”1 I’ve yet to see how it improves someone’s testimony or makes anyone a more effective witness for Christ. Quite the contrary, like Shaun White mentioned above, or Richard Roberts, Oral Roberts’ son, who was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, driving under the influence, the result doesn’t enhance your testimony. Rather, it takes away from what testimony you had.

Recently, a friend of mine, former mega-church Pastor, John Caldwell, wrote an article in Christian Standard magazine called To Drink or Not to Drink? Here’s the link to his article. John’s article explained why he has personally abstained from drinking alcohol and dealt with the bigger issue of the contemporary church becoming more and more like the world.

Not surprisingly, a number of people responded to John’s article and some called him to task for taking such a strong stand against drinking. In response to the responses, my good friend, Ken Idleman, former President of Ozark Christian College and now Pastor of Crossroads Christian Church in Evansville, IN, wrote these words, which are among the very best I’ve ever read on this issue. I asked Ken for his permission to share them here.

“Okay, I am conscience bound to weigh in on this one…. For a minute, forget about making a definitive case for or against ‘drinking’ from the Bible. Here’s the truth from logic and real life. No one starts out to be an alcoholic. Everyone begins with a defensive attitude saying, ‘I’m just a social drinker and there is nothing wrong with it!’ no one says, ‘It is my ambition that someday I want to lose my job, my health, my self-respect, my marriage and my family. Someday I want to be dependent on alcohol to get through my day.’ yet, this is the destination at which several millions of people have arrived. Why do you suppose that is? It is because alcohol is promoted and elevated as a normal/sophisticated activity in life…. It is also expensive, addictive and enslaving. People get hooked by America’s number one legal drug. And just like all illegal drugs, alcohol finds it way into the body, the bloodstream and the brain of the user/abuser.

I had two uncles whose lives were wrecked by alcohol. The exception you say? Hardly. It is not what they wanted when they dreamed of their futures when they were in their 20s. Praise God, they were wonderfully delivered in their 60s when the grace of God became real to them. And can you imagine it?…. They got their lives back by becoming total abstainers by the power of the Holy Spirit!

One of my most memorable conversations in the state penitentiary in Jefferson City, MO, was with a young man facing a 28-year prison sentence for the brutal sexual assault of his own 8-year old daughter. I will never forget the image. The tears literally ran off his chin and splashed on his shoes as he gushed, ‘I guess I did it. I don’t know. I was drunk at the time.’

Listen, some of those who are defensive in response to Dr. Caldwell’s thoughtful and courageous article will want to revise their text if, in a few years, they discover that they were able to handle their drinking just fine, but their son or daughter could not. Answer honestly. Could you live with the knowledge that your dangerous exercise of Christian liberty factored into your children’s ruin? Or, if your loved one is killed some day in a head on collision by a driver under the influence who crossed the center line, will you still be defensive of drinking?

A good friend during my growing up years was the only child of social drinking parents. When his folks were away, he would go to the rathskeller [German for tavern] in the basement where he developed a taste for alcohol. I won’t bore you with the details. He is 65 today. A broken life, broken health, broken marriages, a broken relationship with his only son, a broken relationship with his only grandchild, a broken career and a broken spirit that…. Tragically…. He tries daily to medicate with the alcohol that led him to this tragic destination.

Hey, thanks for indulging my rant. Like my friend John Caldwell, I confess to setting the bar high for Christian leadership [especially] when it comes to aesthetic holiness. Call me a ‘right-wing fundamentalist.’ Call me a ‘throw back to the days of the tent evangelists.’ Call me a ‘simpleton.’ Call me a ‘minimalist.’ but, if you do, go ahead and also call me a ‘watchman on the wall’ where the welfare of my family [children, in-laws, grandchildren] and my church family is concerned.”2

Personally, I’ve yet to have my first beer and have no desire to start now or to drink alcohol of any kind. At the same time, I don’t judge those who believe they have freedom in Christ to drink. But when asked, I always tell people I don’t believe it’s the best choice.

The bottom line is this: the question really isn’t CAN A CHRISTIAN DRINK? Rather, it is:SHOULD A CHRISTIAN DRINK?

© 2012. Barry L. Cameron

1 David Faust, Voices From The Hill, (Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary, 2003) 252.

2 John Caldwell, “To Drink or Not to Drink,” Christian Standard 11 August 2012, 18 September 2012.

It's A Hard Knock Life

When we are young, it is good to struggle hard and to sit silently alone,

if this is what the Lord intends. Being rubbed in the dirt can teach us a   lesson; we can also learn from insults and hard knocks. Lamentations 3:27-30

In 1998, rapper-turned-mogul Jay-Z released Volume 2...Hard Knock Life as the followup to the his classic debut album Reasonable Doubt, and the title track was called Hard Knock Life. It contained a sample from Annie - if you're scratching your head about who this precocious redheaded child is, perhaps you're too young - that goes like this:  It's a hard knock life for us, it's a hard knock life - for us. Instead of treated, we get tricked. Instead of kisses, we get kicked! It's a hard knock life. Regardless of who knocks us around - family, friends, co-workers, trolls, church folks - God does provide a plan to ease the burdens life bestows upon us. He also reminds us that this is only a season, so the temporal pain is not permanent contrary to popular belief.

In Lamentations, Isaiah the wailing prophet cries loudly not only for his own personal condition, but also that of Israel. His tears are akin to those shed upon receiving news of a death of a family member or close friend, reminding us that pain is a part of life we must endure. Is it fair that babies are stillborn when warmongers and rogue investors revel in one earthly victory after another? No. Nor is the expectation that once we all become Christians, life becomes Easy Street. In verses 27 and 28, the prophet indicates that it is good for young men to bear the yoke and take the lumps associated with life early so they can have something to look back on as a challenge met and subsequently conquered. There are times when it is better to remain silent about their travails - not everyone can understood the trouble in his eyes, much less empathize with him. For example, when a young couple breaks up, it is easy for one to trash the other person (trust me, I've done this) when he or she should look inward as they may have been the problem. Was she overbearing? Is he a mama's boy? Infidelity? Or did they simply drift apart? Any count, if the man does not heed the lesson, he may inevitably repeat it. It also means not eveything is for everybody. Don't let your valleys overshadow your peaks. 

Conversely, Isaiah finds a glimmer of hope through prayer (verse 29) and forgiveness (verse 30). When he is so down in his life, suicide is not seen as a viable escape, nor does he wallow in the pig sty of self-pity and destructive behavior. Instead, he prays! He's already been knocked down there, so why not pray? Having - or reestablishing - a relationship with God worth sustaining does not mean wail til he gets out of his situation and forget about Him; this is a series of conversations that evolve from ice breaker to a deep bond. Through prayer, he not only finds deliverance, but also a new best friend in God. 
Even in this life of hard knocks, we still learn to forgive. As the idea Dr. King once espoused of getting punched in the face and responding nonviolently by turning the other cheek shows a level of contempt toward his offender, the prophet implicitly censures his tormentor. For us, it could have been a fistfight of epic proportions. You can beat me, you can even kill me, but I forgive you. Although the American legal system is flawed against black men, history will one day prove that the antagonists will be revealed and paraded around a la Cersei Lannister in the end of Game of Thrones.

In times such as these, it is refreshing that God is just and fair despite the perception that no one cares as we are getting piled on. Trouble don't last always, no, no no. 

Mother's Day For the Childless Couple

Before you get too angry with me after reading this blog, allow me to explain the title. I’m not bitter by any means for not having any children yet (I still believe God’s Will to manifest itself when the time comes - AND ONLY THEN), but I’m not one to lessen the significance of the day. I am eternally grateful for the women in my family, particularly Grandma Dorothy, my own mom Karen, and mother-in-law Edna for giving the gift of life; without them, there certainly would be no us. I also am blessed to be part of some epically large families and super friends that love on their own children as well as each other. Thanks for being able to carry, nurture, parent, and give unconditional love even if those kids are getting on your final nerves, they still run to Mom as that superhero who fixes boo-boos and dinner alike.

My current beef with Mother’s Day is not the overzealous commercialization of the second Sunday in May, rather the manner in with it subjugates childless couples as lesser than those with children. Some of us are unintentionally reminded of that struggle with questions such as “what’s wrong?” “Ya shootin’ blanks?” When are y’all gonna start having kids?” “What are you waiting for?” and so forth. Admittedly, it is one area where we can stand to have a bit more faith in God’s program. People have even asked us about adoption – it’s great and all, I’m sure – but even that has become an industry within itself; I’d really rather go it the old-fashioned way. All I can do is trust God, for He knows what is best for Chastity and me.

In the Bible, stories of childless couples being rewarded in old age with healthy babies aim to encourage me except when they do not. Nothing against Sarah and Abraham and Zechariah and Elizabeth, but I want to be able to play with my child without having to stop every few minutes to catch my breath or pick him or her up without my back reminding me days later. I don’t want to burden then with having to care for elderly parents just as they start finding themselves as fully functioning adults either. But maybe this is my selfish desire. All I wanted to do was be prepared and able to provide a loving, stable home for my family and give my children every opportunity to succeed – note I did not say every pair of Air Jordan sneakers ever, nor a brand new car at sixteen or any of the extensive materialistic things out there. Again, my faith falls short because this is not how it is supposed to be – happily married in our mid-thirties and struggling to have our own family.

While people fawn over their own mothers – and I would do the same if I did not have to work this weekend – Mother’s Day becomes that day of frustration. Instead of the day keeping its original intent of showing our mothers/wives/sisters/grandmothers appreciation for carrying and giving birth to all of us, it has become a bit of a money grab. The radio is going to play 2Pac’s Dear Mama and Boyz II Men’s A Song For Mama all day long, and the floral industry will make a sizable chunk of profit. A few years ago, we decided that Mother’s Day would also become Punkin Day as a result of the isolation and unintended subjugation of being childless by well-meaning family members and friends. I would mail out Mother’s Day cards earlier in the week, make the obligatory phone calls on that day, and if I were fortunate enough to have the day off, go do something for her such as lunch at a good Japanese steakhouse and pedicure all in another day to display my love for Chastity my wife and best friend.

Sidebar: Punkin is my wife Chastity's nickname.

I recently posted an article on my Twitter page (@cedteaches) about the ten things you should NEVER say to childless friends, and this is the link. http://glo.msn.com/relationships/10-things-never-to-say-to-childless-friends-1534684.story 

Warning: The next time anyone dares to ask why we do not have children yet, I’m giving out knuckle sandwiches.

Arkansas, From My Eyes

I have a love/hate relationship with my home state.

I love the fact I took my first breath one December Sunday afternoon in Conway; 
I hate knowing my final breath will likely come in the state. 

As a fourth-generation Arkansan (who's counting?), I know we have roots
even so, I am still made to a second-class citizen in my own land.

I love the togetherness of family can ensure I can achieve anything;
I hate this place for my experienced father in management to be subjected to "boy" and assorted racist taunts by my ignorant contemporaries
I despise it as the place my inspirational mother toiled as a domestic, a la The Help.

Here in Arkansas, I describe my home to out-of-staters that beauty is found in the beholder - and a two hour drive in any direction.

To understand Arkansas is to hail from here:
The same person who voted for Bill Clinton because he's from Hope is the same one who hid himself behind a white sheet a generation ago.
The same state where progress is a four-letter word and yet the natives (allegedly) claim not to be racist.
Where the flagship university - which sixty percent of the residents were not accepted as students - demands only white quarterbacks start to satisfy the rabid fan base (and one percenters who serve as trustees) run off legendary black coaches proving a black man has to be twice as good to earn half the respect.
He's gotta keep his mouth shut, too.

I love the innovations such as Wal-Mart and Tyson, but hate the state's leadership as the ultimate right-to-work state. 

I love that we are ahead of West Virginia and Mississippi in educational attainment, but hate how far behind we are Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont.

I love that five dollars can still get me a nice fried catfish dinner, yet loathe the same five dollars are pushing me one bite closer to an earlier grave.

I love Arkansas for Acxiom and Alltel, am disgusted by Stephens and Dillard and Hussman

Bangin' in the 'Rock to Evening Shade

the Delta and its fertile soil to Northwest Arkansas and its business powerhouse

Al Green to Johnny Cash

the metamorphosis of my town Bryant from sundown status to a diversifying burg

remembering the Klan speaks loudly - and cowardly - from Harrison, Alpena, and those other villages

I reminiscence over the Twista CD shaking the hinges off that country church due west of Gould

as well as the bigoted signs outside Clinton, Marshall, Paragould, Greenwood, Vilonia, Mena, or Donaldson telling me not to stop, not even for a bathroom break.

I am not a supporter of how we are treated in the media.

Not all black people are thugs and entertainers, 
and the short-term feelings of pride from seeing a news personality who looks like me no longer suffices.

I hope Mark cleans THV 11 out.

The other two major TV are no better.
Ditto for the statewide paper. 

I loved Conway, as it is the City of Colleges.
I hated it for the dearth of professional opportunities - 
interviewers see color before qualifications, even in 2014.
As a result, I only come home to visit my parents.

I am enamored of knowing people intimately from all walks of life.
I am troubled by the small minds that populate this small state.

I am amazed by the brilliant minds of some,
but disheartened by their lives in servitude. 

Why are our best and brightest stocking shelves or shaking fries?

I love Arkansas for all she is.
I hate the bitch for all of the aforementioned reasons. 

Hungry Humility

During the men’s NCAA Tournament, the seventh seeded University of Connecticut Huskies went from being a longshot to advance beyond the first weekend to national champions. Led by three seniors and second-year coach Kevin Ollie, the Huskies clawed their way to the top game after game, defeating powerhouse programs from Florida and Kentucky along the way to the school’s fourth national title. Beyond the emotional hunger of “wanting it more”, the team had battled back from being banned from last year’s tournament due to low Academic Progress Rate (APR); rival schools used it against them, calling the university in Storrs a “basketball factory.” As a result, the team was humbled nationally as a lesser institution of higher learning by the NCAA. Late regular-season losses to Houston and SMU did little to support its case as a top tier program despite the Top 25 ranking (18th). Senior Shabazz Napier, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, summed up the journey best when he spoke of not only the team’s hunger to win, but also his personal experiences of not having anything to eat at night because he did not have money for a sandwich. His honest moment came not long after reports revealed the Big Dance had its most profitable year, placing a pall on its callous greed. As full-time Christians, we are to exhibit that hunger yet temper it with humility at all times. How? Jesus shows us the way through David to maintain hungry humility.

When we get hungry, we feel a rumble of the tummy and/or weakness signifying it is time to eat. Today, our bodies maintain a routine by the clock: breakfast at 8, lunch at noon, and dinner around 5:30, if possible. If one of the three meal times comes earlier or later, the bodies tend to store remaining energy, as it involuntarily thinks it is starving from lack of nourishment. Therefore, we have moments which we end up eating the first thing that comes to mind, healthy or not; the people at the Little Caesars drive-thru seem to know me on a first name basis. In Psalm 63:1-3, David exclaims that he will always put God first, as he has that burning hunger to serve Him. Verse 1 resembles our initial steps into Christianity when it all seemed so new and exciting with a childlike fervor to share with everyone what we have seen the Light. He further speaks in the other two verses that God’s loving kindness is greater than life itself; therefore, He (God) is deserving of the praise. Jesus comes along in John 6 telling the Bread of Life parable – if you get the time, read John 6:22-69 for the entire story. In short, being hungry is more than just a stomach growling for another slice of pepperoni pizza; it is also having that desire to want/desire/serve/do more.

To satisfy the hunger in the church, one may study 2 Timothy 2:15 to show approval and possess firsthand knowledge, as the pastor may steer the parishioners off-course for personal gain or to determine if they are paying attention. Another way is to give of yourself the opportunities of sharing time, talents, and gifts as embodiment for the greater unit. Most importantly, live in a manner that is pleasing in God’s sight not one overcome in zealotry. Just as too many sweets can rot our teeth, too many fluff messages can leave us unprepared for what the secular world offers.

Just because we are here a season does not mean fill up on the wrong foods of sin; how else can you guide someone if you are taking part in everything they are doing?
Society tells us that being flashy/loud/proclaiming ourselves the greatest sells, and often we fall into that trap. Proverbs 16:18 indicates that there will be “pride before destruction”; reminding us not to toot our own horns too loudly. While we are important to the mission, we are not indispensable. Just as God chose us for a particular role to showcase our unique gifts and abilities, He can easily substitute us in and out for someone more suited toward His program’s successes. Once the task is completed, the status and false ideas of respect are easier to release. For example, I may be able to teach, but I know I was not called to preach before hundreds of people. Stay in your own lane! Being humble is not being a punk, nor is it cowardly; it is an acknowledgement that we know our own limits. In humility, we make sure we are respecting others, holding them in their proper esteem before they insist they show deference. Those who fully embrace this principle make the best spouses, teammates, parents, friends, business partners, and co-workers. Now that we realize all things come from God, we must approach them with a clear understanding of managing resources wisely for eternal usage.

Within the past few years, a phrase called humble bragging has become widespread. This is presenting a false modesty (who, little ole me?) that actually increases a person’s pride. It also becomes off-putting, similar to the Pharisees with their incessant bragging sounding akin to loud cymbals. What I hate about a humble brag is that people try to come off like they aren't bragging. It’s people not being honest about their intention. There is no hunger in that, and certainly no humility in the humble brag as it is displeasing not only to God, but also to our contemporaries.

The Long Road Back

Two years ago, I suffered burnout from overworking myself. I went from being passionate about my students to staring at the clock awaiting 3:10 pm every afternoon; at my second job, overachiever to brutally nonchalant as a result of setting the bar so high. When I stare at the revolving door, the signs are repeating themselves - and this time, I am wise enough to begin planning my exit from what seems to be another dead end. What am I great (not good) at? Will I be able to keep providing for my family at the current level we are living, if not better? Could I remain with one outfit for the next few decades? Is real advancement possible? Wherever I end up next, I sincerely hope it is better than where I have been. 

True enough, my ideal career is technical writer except the openings are far and few in this area. Give me a Monday through Friday workweek with daytime hours and at least average starting salary, and I'll be OK. More than anything else, I must acclimate to life among the living, or normal people, as I've termed them. Confession: Over the nearly twenty years I have spent on the time clock, only ten months of it has been during day hours excluding the eight years in education as I maintained a second job. Crazy? A bit ignorant now that I reflect on those times, but bills had to be paid.

For me, here is the road back. Each proverbial mile marker is another sign of getting to my destination:

1. Prayer. Without the Word from God and accompanying relationship, the pursuit is all for naught and perpetual unhappiness.
2. Fit. Most companies want a circle for a circle peg. If you're a square, you won't ever fit the culture regardless of knowledge and industry experience.
3. Patience. Expect more "nos" than "yeses". Don't let the criticisms get you down.
4. Talking to the right people. It's hard for me to talk to people since I am notoriously introverted, but no one can read our minds. Open up your mouth; it can open doors.
5. Update your resume. It's one thing to list every position ever worked, and another to provide a linear path of progression. By doing the latter, prospective employers know you're serious. It wouldn't hurt to update your LinkedIn and Monster profiles. 
6. Take the right offer, not the first. This is your career, so you always have the option of saying no.

At the current moment, I am embarking on my road back. Will it be smooth? Nope. It's my road, so only I can walk its path. Eventually, I'll be back, and if not, it's well worth the effort. 

Whistleblower Status, Check By Check

Part I

after seven years of the night shift, my body has said eff it.
all this has really tormented me
i do not wish to lose my thirties the same way my twenties departed - on the clock,
at a heavily discounted rate.
i've proven my talents/leadership/knowledge time and time again only to be rebuffed on payday
and worse, a brother can't land a new role around here utilizing said talents/leadership/knowledge
i know i'm a lousy interview, but really?!!
i can't get better if i'm not granted the opportunity.
surely in 2014, the dark skin and baritone voice aren't seen as deterrents:
my afro has been shorn of its locks
- hey, i'm not dangerous angry black man all the time, just enough of it.
you'll get me for who i am and what i know, nothing else.

Part II

what really grinds my goat is the blatant lack of ethics by my employer.
there is no consistency in how rules are applied
the favoritism is so obvious the three blind mice can see it
one can be lied to without an eye batted or quick stutter more to defend said falsehood
my job feels like a good ol' boys club
i expect to be relieved soon because i'm not a card carrying member
despite not missing a day of work the two years i've been here
and performing up to snuff.
hell, i even rewrote the training guide for my role!
unfortunately, i live in place that does not reward intellectual property
hence, back to survival mode.

Part III

even if i won't admit it, we're just getting by.
property taxes have increased
food prices keep rising
gas is an unmentionable expletive
yet our pay is stagnant.
how can i help our economy improve when i don't have anything to begin with?
it's a downer of being in the working poor
our pittance is enough from one payday to the next
saving is a bigger challenge although not (yet) insurmountable
retirement is the ultimate pipe dream that i may not live long enough to realize
even without the plastic, there's a home and two car payments that need to be made
no one put a gun to our heads and said buy the malibu and tacoma
(well, not the toyota anyway)
but we needed newer cars to get to work.

Part IV

so here we are...
living on faith, a prayer, and overtime
will it get better? Lord knows, but i don't
no one wants to struggle to get by
least of all me.
my legacy doesn't need to be one of merely existing
we're better than that.
payday will come and go, then back to thirteen days of struggle
surviving til the next one is the goal.