Bible Briefs

J O H N   W.   M O O R E ALCOHOL AND THE CHRISTIAN From some of the earliest accounts in the Bible to the modern day liquor industry, alcohol has continued to be at the center of controversy and debate. Who should be able to drink and how much? What should be the legal limit? Are bartenders and liquor companies liable for the deaths and injuries of their customers? And even more controversial are the questions surrounding how both the church and the individual Christian should respond. Protest or Tolerance? Abstinence or moderation? In the not to distant past, pulpits of every stripe were heralding a warning about the dangers of drinking and the sin of drunkenness. In recent years however it seems the churches have been as silent as the grave, often caving in to the pressures of a politically correct society whose values and norms have been shaped less and less by the Bible. Over the past several decades our country has seen an inordinate rise in alcoholism and alcohol related problems but it seems we have become desensitized and calloused to this continuing epidemic. Homes are broken, lives are destroyed, and people are maimed by this popular drug of choice. Like never before we need to return to the Bible for the Christian response to the problems of our society. The powerful word of the Lord and His marvelous grace can restore our soul and heal our land.