Alcohol Segment 3.mov

This is segment 3 of the topic dealing with Alcohol as a socially acceptable drug. This topic is part of the larger Beyond Addiction series presented by Ps Adrian Webster. For more information about the series and other materials by Ps Adrian Webster, visit http://www.missionenterprises.org

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[Bbbrettus]

And I would add that I think you're spot on in how people react to the health benefits of drinking, in that often they drink well beyond the figure that those same studies suggest are healthy. I was raised as a 7th Day Adventist and experienced the same sort of hypocrisy, except in reverse, with people saying don't drink when they ate junk, were overweight and didn't exercise.

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus You are right... health is more than just not drinking alcohol. That is why the SDA church has a 'health message' and not just a 'nutrition message' or a 'don't drink alcohol message' (NEW START - Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, Trust in God). Each interacts with the other to magnify the overall benefits. Unfortunately, it is also true that some people do not grasp the overall concept of health and cane become...

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus ..selective at times. Nevertheless, our pattern is not the weak and failing people who are still in the process of learning. We have a perfect pattern in Jesus. As long as we keep our eyes on him, we will not become disillusioned. One of my reasons for leaving the church was hypocrisy. When I found Jesus on a personal level, I discovered something profound: all those people who I had judged as hypocritical, were on the same spiritual journey as me and each were at different...

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus ...points in the journey. Thus what I thought was hypocrisy may simply have been the reality that each person grows spiritually at their own pace. Each has their own set of baggage which may include dealing with some matters as a priority which are not necessarily the matters that God has spoken to me about at this point in time. Thus, it may look to me as if they have neglected the issues I've dealt with already... but God may be leading them along a different order of priority...

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus ...this is not to say that there is no such thing as hypocrisy. There surely is. There are those who know better and who have been brought under conviction, but who have deliberately chosen to neglect or reject these truths. Jesus acknowledged that when he warned that the wheat and the tares would grow together until the judgment. But I figured that seeing as how God has not rejected His community of faith because of the hypocrisy in it, I should probably stick with it as well...

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus ...Finally, when I took another look at the community of faith, I realized that for every 'hypocrite' there were just as many or more genuine believers. I found that there are more good and positive things going on in the church than there are negative. Weak and defective as it may be, it's still the 'apple of His eye'. I've also discovered that as much as I hate hypocrisy in others, I've sometimes been guilty of the same. God is gracious and patient, thankfully.

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus It is like most things that hurt us in this world... there is almost always some positive benefit to be gained. Seldom is something all bad - or no one would engage in the activity. Same is true also of 'health' practices. I think the point is that although there seem to be some health benefits at extremely moderate drinking levels the risk of addiction and potential for abuse are so high (and well proven) that it makes the health benefits pale in comparison.

[Bbbrettus]

What I find strange about alcohol is the effect it has on longevity of life. Alcohol is essentially a poison, so it should in theory reduce ones lifespan. However, a number of large cohort studies (such as the Harvard’s Physician’s Health Study and the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II) found that moderate drinking reduces all-cause mortality, in the latter study by nearly 20% for those who drank one drink a day. Why would this be?