THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER
"Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. " (John 5:39)

VOLUME 3, NUMBER 42,  NOVEMBER 16, 2003

EXPOSING MYTHS ABOUT ALCOHOL

MYTH #1 – JESUS DRANK

            Normally those who would say something like this are referring to the wedding feast at Cana, where Jesus changed water into wine.  The word that is used there is “oinos” and it can mean either fermented or unfermented juice depending on the context.  At this wedding feast, all the wine that had been there was gone and there is no mention of any one being drunk, or even slightly intoxicated.  In the rest of the New Testament (Gal. 5:19-21, 1 Peter 4:3) the use of strong drink is condemned.  It is far more reasonable to the honest mind to say that this was unfermented juice than fermented juice.  By the way, all fermentation in those days was natural, allowing for only 5-8 percent alcohol due to the limitation of natural sugars.  With 5-8 percent alcohol content condemned in the scriptures for being “strong drink”, where does that place the distilled drinks of today with anywhere from 14 percent on up of alcoholic content?

MYTH #2 – IT IS ONLY A BEER OR A GLASS OF WINE!

            That may be, but it has the power to trigger alcoholism.  Didn’t every single alcoholic begin with the first drink?  If that single beer or glass of wine had never been consumed, the alcoholic would not be an alcoholic.  Alcohol makes men appear ridiculous.  Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

MYTH #3 – ALCOHOL IS A STIMULANT

            This amazes me because it is just not true.  Alcohol is about as good a stimulant as ether.  It is a depressant on the central nervous system.

MYTH #4 – PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLIER WHEN THEY DRINK

            They are also more dangerous, criminal, homicidal and suicidal.   Now this is a great argument for social drinking!  Alcohol causes lawlessness and affects a person’s ability to think.  Proverbs 31:4-5 says, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink; lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.”

            Did you know that half of all murders are alcohol related and 1/3 of all suicides are alcohol related and that over ½ of all highway accidents involve drinking?

MYTH #5 – IT IS IMPOLITE TO REFUSE A DRINK

            The truth is, it is silly to take one.  What is really impolite is a host or a business associate who tries to force a drink on a person who doesn’t want one.  There is nothing hospitable about pushing drugs.

MYTH #6 – YOU GOTTA HAND IT TO OLD BILL; HE CAN SURE HOLD HIS LIQUOR.

            When I was a kid I thought that someone who could drink a lot was cool.  Now I know that all you have to hand someone like that is drink after drink.  Having developed a “tolerance” for alcohol is not cool.  Unfortunately, the “hollow-legged” drinker is admired by many young people.  But the truth is it is much cooler and manly to refuse to drink in spite of peer pressure than it is to go ahead and prove that we are weak-willed and end up an stumbling drunk.

MYTH #7 – PEOPLE WHO DRINK HURT ONLY THEMSELVES

            And their families, and their friends, and the church, and the nation, and the world.  The favorite drug of young people today is the same as that of their parents – alcohol.  A University of California research team found that the highest percentage of drinking problems is among men in their early 20’s.  The second highest incidence occurs among men in their 40’s and 50’s.  Note that young people often drink because they see it at home!  Like it or not we teach our kids from birth and they learn more from what they see us do than from what they hear us say!

MYTH #8 – BLACK COFFEE AND COLD SHOWERS WILL SOBER YOU UP

            Sure cold showers and black coffee will sober you up in about 5 hours.  Without shower and coffee it will take about 300 minutes.  Only time can get alcohol out of the system once it has been put in there.

            The very best cure for a hangover is not to drink, period.  That is 100 % effective.

MYTH #9 – A DRINK HELPS ME TO UNWIND AND RELAX

            Maybe, but it is a foolish way to temporarily escape from a reality that has become disagreeable.  The pleasant state of mind resulting from the first few drinks is sought in order to get rid of the unpleasant ones.  However, once the drinking is over, the unpleasant things are still going to be there and maybe even worse because they have been neglected.

TRUTH #1 – DRINKING NEVER SOLVED ANY PROBLEMS – IT ONLY MAKES THEM WORSE!

            There are obvious reasons not to drink.  Physically it dissipates one’s health.  Socially, drinking can result in broken homes, loss of jobs, wrecked lives, and so much more.  But most important of all is:  TRUTH #2 – YOU CANNOT DRINK AND PLEASE GOD!