Touchy Subject - Alcohol

    There are touchy subjects we avoid in church. One such subject is consuming alcohol. Do I drink alcohol? Yep. However, I have personal rules that line up with scripture. I do not drink for the purpose of becoming drunk. I usually put mineral water or ice in my beverage so that I am hydrated, and am therefore less likely to go over that edge. I don't drink in front of others that I know will be offended, or that I may cause to sin.
    Oh I know, some of you are saying, "NOOO, you can't be a Christian and drink". Ah, yeah ya can. It's like a pastor said, "You can smoke and go to heaven. You may smell like Hell and look like Hell, but that doesn't mean you are going to Hell". I see Christians drink diet soda-pop. Ah, diet pop has Aspartame, a drug that is as addictive, if not more so, and more harmful to the body then alcohol. Don't believe me, go to www.msgtruth.org and look up Aspartame, they explain the chemical effects on the body scientifically. Basically neither are good for the body, but there are times that alcohol could be helpful. Anyone ever have cough syrup? Look at the ingredients? It's mostly alcohol, because in that case, it's helpful. Ever put whiskey on a child's gums to stop the teething pain? My husband's mom did & it worked. In the bible, the good Samaritan used wine and oil to pour on the beaten man before binding up his wounds. These things have been used for generations.
    Am I saying that it's o.k. for all to drink? Not at all! There are those that if they did, to them it would be sin, and others may become drunkards. I myself have had issues in the past with this, truth be told. So, I came up with the above rules that serve me well. Another thing I became aware of during that time is; we are not judge, jury of others behaviors. What may be sin for one, may be fine for another, EXCEPT for those things specifically mentioned in the bible to not do, like the ten commandments. Loud and clear here, OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. If alcohol makes your judgement so distorted that you may then break any of the ten commandments, it's best to stay away from it all together.
    In short, if it's a commandment, do what those say. If you have doubt as to whether it's o.k. for you to drink, stay away until you get peace from God either way. Then go with what He says to do. Also, don't judge others if you see them drink, because you aren't God or the general manager of the universe. It's best when we view touchy subjects through the prism of God's word, and realize He is in control, rather then ourselves, in all areas.