Jesus drank wine, can it really be that bad?

[Stifle Tower]

Well, as you said OP, Jesus drank wine and look where it got him. He ran with a bunch of hooligans and ended up getting the death penalty for causing problems. Just imagine what Jesus could have accomplished if he had stayed sober.

Worthy of being one of those jokes that gets e-maiiled around and around.

 

[A-Train (old)]

I remember asking my parents where Jesus came from and they couldn't say anything to that and if they did like say from his father I would follow up with where did his father come from and whatnot then they would just say "that's a good question".

The OP is another good question also and I still don't understand why mormons cannot drink tea or coffee either.

 

[Boondocksaint27]

Of course. You probably know several fully functional people who consume prescription pain killers (generally opiates, like heroin) on a regular basis.

Though once it gets to the point that one has switched to heroin because it's cheaper then scrips, the job is usually the next thing to go. Heroin has got to be THE most addictive hard narcotic on the planet.

 

[Revolution 9]

My opinion. The bible warns of drunkeness .. being a drunkard.

My belief is that having a glass of wine is okay, beyond that may become 'wrong' because your senses/judgement becomes dumbed down. Most people lack the ability to stop at one .. which is why most religions basically have a no drinking policy .. slippery slope and all.

Alcohol can be dangerous if used without caution. However, we should have the control ourselves to decide what we want, and take responsibility for our actions.
Living in Europe it's ok to drink(beer and wine), and be in bars at the age of 16. I never get over going to the swimming pool, and seeing HS kids drinking beer at the cafe, not being ID'd, and not causing any problems.
Go figure!

 

[Revolution 9]

All things in moderation.

This can be taken so many ways. Certain things are too dangerous even in moderation though right?
I'm guessing you are talking in general about food, drinks, and maybe even soft drugs.

 

[spycam1]

All things in moderation.

I think you'd be kidding yourself (whether religious or not), if you thought this could actually be applied to literally all things. It's okay to kill or rape as long as it's in moderation? And what about the inverse? I should only love my family in moderation? I know this isn't exactly what you meant, but the point is that many things are very much open to interpretation--hence the LDS' belief in needing a modern day Prophet to help guide its people in confusing situations, such as the topic at hand (alcohol consumption).

 

[Nate505]

Do you have to do this in every thread about booze, sex, Kris Humphries, nutritional food, exercise regiments, healthcare, mickey mouse, & Lindsey Lohan? Every single thread?

How dare you.

I would never open a thread about Kris Humphries, let alone post in one.

 

[default]

Wine comes from grapes. Grapes are a type of fruit. We are supposed to ingest fruits and vegetables to be healthy, so I guess we should drink wine to be healthy.

 

[spycam1]

Wine comes from grapes. Grapes are a type of fruit. We are supposed to ingest fruits and vegetables to be healthy, so I guess we should drink wine to be healthy.

Just because the original thing is healthy, that doesn't mean it can't go through a process over time and become unhealthy. Seriously?

 

[Gameface]

Wine comes from grapes. Grapes are a type of fruit. We are supposed to ingest fruits and vegetables to be healthy, so I guess we should drink wine to be healthy.

And a couple of glasses of wine IS healthy. In fact it has been found that low levels of alcohol consumption, no matter what beverage you drink, is healthy. However, drink enough to have any fun and it not only isn't beneficial but is detrimental to your health.

This is another good time to mention a fun documentary: How Beer Saved the World. It's a light-hearted documentary that explores evidence that the very first civilizations were created to provide a year-round supply of beer. National Geographic has a piece on this as well. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/04/0424_kurtbeer.html

edit.

Another piece on the possibility that beer predates bread. https://www2.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF10/1039.html

 

[colton]

Having said that, I am convinced that a small amount of alcohol on a conservative basis is not unhealthy for you. However, I believe that Latter-day Saints are admonished to abstain from alcohol in the event that it could potentially ruin their lives. I'm not saying that alcohol is in the same league as cocaine, but as Aaron Sorkin once said, "You know how I got addicted to cocaine? I tried it". I think some people (a lot of people) are born with addictive personalities, and some things in life are inherently addictive. Thus The Church admonishes its members to abstain from alcohol/addictive substances as somewhat of a safety precaution.

Same thing can be said about gambling. Sure there are people who can withdraw $100 and head to Wendover and call it quits when the $100 is gone, but some people can't stop and they will literally end up ruining their own lives as well as those close to them.

You never take that first drink, or you never place that first bet at the blackjack table and guess what? You'll never be a drunk and you'll never be a degenerate gambler who's got it in with the mob.

Those are valid points. My grandfather was an alcoholic, which nearly ruined his family. Fortunately he got sober before I was born (or perhaps shortly thereafter), so I never knew him that way. But it scarred the family enough that I am *extremely* thankful that my family and church taught me to never take the first sip.

That being said, even though I'm LDS I wouldn't necessarily think that drinking wine in and of itself is sinful. For LDS it is, I believe, because we've made a promise not to, but I won't condemn nonLDS people for an occasional glass of wine. Getting drunk, however, *is* sinful, imho.

I see the Word of Wisdom (that's what we call the health code, for those unfamiliar with the phrase) as being a lot like living kosher if one is a Jew. It sets the community apart from the rest of the world. It also helps people live more healthily (well, kosher mainly did that in the "olden" days, perhaps not so much now).

As far as the OP goes, I don't know if the wine that Jesus drank was alcoholic or not. As I think others have mentioned, alcohol was very important as a preservative back then (or so I understand), so it's quite possible that it did. However, I don't think it's coincidence that the Word of Wisdom moved from a recommendation to a commandment in the LDS church right around the time refrigeration became possible. Times change, and so do some of the guidelines on how we should live our lives. When alcohol was no longer needed as much to preserve foods, the minuses that come with alcoholism started to outweigh the possible benefits. Makes sense to me.

 

[colton]

The OP is another good question also and I still don't understand why mormons cannot drink tea or coffee either.

It's part of that same "Word of Wisdom" revelation to Joseph Smith.

Edit: as to whether the overall "Word of Wisdom" law of health makes sense, a quick web search found this
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/705377709/UCLA-study-proves-Mormons-live-longer.html?pg=all
(There are likely other studies/other articles about this study.)