Booze
Islam forbids its adherents to indulge in alcoholic beverages. There is no such general ban in Christianity. Indeed, the drinking of alcoholic beverages was part of everyday life throughout Christendom for most of its 2,000 years. A bottle of wine at the table was pretty much a standard practice among folks who lived along the Mediterranean. Further north, the word for beer was translated as "God's gift", a designation I find charming and accurate. Champagne was invented by a devout monk. Even today, many religious communities make wine for themselves and for outside sale, and there are monks in Belgium who brew the best beer in the world.
Having said all that, there do seem to be some boundaries which ought to be observed, and some points of caution to be exercised. I will mention three of them which come to mind.
First, we need to recognize that not everyone has the same kind of physiological makeup. For most folks, alcohol is not an addictive substance - or at least the addiction is a weak one. As much as we might enjoy a beer or three, we can take it or leave it. But some people can not simply take it or leave it. These folks are prone to alcoholic addiction. And they have a great burden. It's not easy to throw off an addiction. But many do, through heroic self-control and with God's help. And some try to live sober lives, but fall off the wagon from time to time. All of these people need our prayer and support.
Second, even when addiction is not an issue, moderation is called for. My favorite pint glass has an inscription on it: "We can thank God for beer and burgundy by not drinking too much of them." Maybe this is sort of obvious. "Binge drinking", a practice in vogue among youngsters and some oldsters who ought to know better, is an abuse of the gifts of God. Drinking is not a sin, but drunkenness is. There is a delicate balance here. There is nothing wrong with one getting a little buzz (Psalm 104: 15). But "getting pleasantly tipsy" is just a point on the same continuum as getting rip-roaring drunk. All that differs is a matter of degree --so a mature judgment is called for. That, I guess, is the rationale for "drinking ages".
Third: Even when there is no addiction involved and there is no immoderation involved, one needs to watch one's own motives for drinking. Here's some counsel from the same source as the "beer and burgundy" line quoted above. "One should never drink to forget. One should drink to remember." What happy advice!
