Binge drinking not just for the young

As reported on the NBC Nightly News on Aug. 17, 2009, a report in the American Journal of Psychiatry has shown that binge drinking has become a problem for adults aged 50-64.  The report states that 23% of men in this age group and 9% of women in the age group admitted to drinking five or more drinks in one sitting (the definition of binge drinking) during the past month.  The researchers in the study pointed out that this trend has serious health implications for the middle-aged and elderly involved in this trend.  Since they are not considered alcoholics and binge drink irregularly, if they have health problems arising from the bingeing, their doctors may not be able to screen them accurately for health problems that are exacerbated by the binge drinking.

The study also examined at-risk drinking in 50-64-year-olds, with “at-risk drinkers” being defined as those who have two or more drinks every day.  They discovered that 13% of men and 8% of women studied fell into this category.  With binge drinking comes negative risks for those who do it, “including accidental injuries, violent behavior, neurological damage and [heightened] blood pressure,” and a worsening of chronic health problems, especially in the circulatory system.  Men in the study who binge drink also had a higher rate of using illegal drugs and the women had a higher rate of abusing prescription meds.  The males in the study group were mostly unmarried and wealthy while the females tended to be gainfully employed.

Although it is not a sin to drink, it is a sin to drink to the point of intoxication.  The Bible calls it drunkenness and it’s a sin that mankind has participated in almost from the time he was kicked out of the garden of Eden thousands of years ago.  Proverbs 23, written eons ago, gives us a very modern view of the negative affects of abusing alcohol–

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.  [Proverbs 23:29-35]

We are warned that drunkenness brings woes, sorrows, fights, accidental injuries, and bloodshot eyes just in verse 29.  It bites like a serpent and stings like an adder because in the same way a snake’s poison gets in our bloodstream and corrupts it by causing sickness or death, too much alcohol in the bloodstream over an extended period of time can cause sickness or death [v. 32].  People who abuse alcohol are prone to engage in illicit sex and other risky behaviors since too much alcohol lowers the inhibitions and they follow the perverted thinking of their hearts [v. 33].  Too much alcohol also throws them off-balance physically so they can’t walk straight [v. 34].  Then when they become sober and see their physical wounds, they wonder why they never felt the blows they received if they were in a fight [v. 35].  Then they fail to learn their lesson after sobering up and look to abuse alcohol all over again [v. 35].

But those of us who are saved are commanded to “be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit…” [Ephesians 5:18] because “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” [Proverbs 20:1].

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32447695/ns/health-addictions/ ; “Binge drinking a problem for older adults, too”

Rehab is ok, but Christ’s salvation is better

Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Proverbs 20:9

Entertainment news in the Western Hemisphere seems to be chock full of the latest information on what celebrity has checked into rehab, going through rehab, or coming out of rehab.  It seems that we love to hear stories about people who struggle, but are willing to change their bad habits in order to become positive contributors to our society.  I think it’s great when a person can reform to kick their alcohol, drug, or other addictive habits to better themselves.  However, there is also a negative side to all of the focus on checking into rehab.

When a person emerges from rehab successfully, there may be a tendency for that person to think that now that they’ve kicked their habit, everything is fine.  They are given the false impression that they are now ”clean” when the exact opposite may be true.  Most rehab programs, especially the ones that celebrities enter into, do not get to the real reason why a person gives in to their destructive behavior.  They are not told that they inherited a sinful nature that craves evil things.  Nor are they told about Jesus Christ, who is the only one that can truly deliver them and make their hearts (souls) truly clean.  Their bad behavior is a spiritual problem and unless it is confronted by the power of the Holy Spirit, there is always the danger that relapses will occur.

Then there are celebrities who emerge from rehab who are fine for a brief moment, but then quickly go back to their evil habits.  In public they have to put on an act for the cameras as if they have really been cured, but in reality they may have only learned how to hide their habits better.  Behind closed doors, they are the same.  They also are in need of the healing and cleansing touch of the Lord Jesus Christ.

No one on this planet has the power to cleanse their own sinful heart.  Without Jesus Christ, those who come out of rehab are like whitewashed tombs who look good on the outside, but inside are full of death.  There is nothing but spiritual emptiness inside of them.  From a Biblical perspective the successful graduate of a rehab program may be worse off spiritually than when they entered because they could easily deceive themselves into thinking they don’t need God since they are cured.  I think Jesus said it best with these words:

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.  And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.  Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  Luke 11:24-26

To drink or not to drink? That’s the question.

This question highlights a long-standing controversy within Christian circles.  I was raised being told it was a sin to drink alcohol.  Then I searched the scriptures and discovered that drinking alcoholic beverages wasn’t a sin, drinking too much of it in order to get drunk was the actual sin. I was also told time and time again by church leaders that Jesus drank non-alcoholic wine only.  Then I read the scripture where the Pharisees and other religious leaders falsely accused the Lord of being a winebibber when he drank and realized Jesus had to have drunk alcoholic wine since a winebibber is another term for drunkard.

What needs to be first understood about the culture in biblical times is that society in those days was agricultural and people lived off the increase of their crops, which included grapes to make wine.  So drinking alcohol was very common and acceptable in Israel unless a person got drunk.

The first time wine is mentioned in the Bible is when Noah got drunk with it.  A search of the whole scriptures for the terms wine and strong drink give both positive and negative instances of the words.  For instance, when Isaac blessed Jacob with the birthright, he prayed that God would bless him with plenty of corn and wine (Genesis 27:28).  God told Israel that if they were obedient, he would bless them with wine, among other things (Deuteronomy 7:13; 11:14).  Wine is also for the gladness of men’s hearts (Psalm 4:7; 104:15).  And let’s not forget that Jesus turned water into wine so the people could enjoy themselves at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. 

On the other hand, God told Aaron and his descendants not to drink any alcoholic beverages when they ministered before him (Leviticus 10:9).  God’s special group, the Nazarites, were also commanded not to touch alcohol while they were fulfilling their vows to the Lord (Numbers 6:3).  Leaders in the church must not be given to wine (1 Timothy 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7; 2:3), but the phrase “given to wine” refers to overdoing it (i.e. getting tipsy or sloppy drunk).

The Bible acknowledges that alcohol is good for medicinal purposes (Proverbs 31:6; 1 Timothy 5:23).

So what’s the verdict on the matter?  Drinking is okay, with the following exceptions (based on the scriptures):

1. Drinking to get tipsy.
2. Drinking to get drunk.
3. If it offends a brother or sister in Christ, don’t do it (Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 8:13).
4. If a brother or sister in Christ was once a drunkard and your drinking is a bad influence on them, don’t do it (Romans 14:21).
5. If God delivered you from being a drunkard, don’t do it.
6. If you made an agreement with God not to drink for a specific amount of time, don’t do it.

I know we religious folks like to make things more complicated than they are, but if you examine the word of God, resolution of this subject is really quite simple.