Actually its NOT against God's law, it's what a fallen man interpreted that God was saying through his own brokenness, culture and world view. Although I believe that Bahaullah was a man with a heart for God and had a message from God, its crystal clear that much of his writings where coming from his own cultural experience.
Like most religions they have a problem with sex & booze.
I know many good people who consume alcohol in moderation, who are in relationship and not married, or who are in same sex relationships. Within that framework they may be just as committed to living a moral life than any follower of a religion.
On the other hand both our countries have rates of divorce, children growing up in dysfunctional home environments, alcohol and drug abuse, rates of mental health problems, levels of violence and homicide, sexual assaults, sexually transmitted diseases and homelessness. Alcohol and toxic relationships contribute. Would avoiding alcohol and waiting until getting married before having sex help?
Many good and reasonable people I've come across believe as you do, in regards the cultural influences of religion. There is good evidence to support how such influences have affected the development of all religions including the Baha'i Faith.
The other side of the coin is that Baha'is believe Baha'u'llah to be the Manifestation of G-d for this day and His laws are a revelation from G-d. Whether or not that reflects reality is just another interesting discussion to have on a forum such as this.
Actually that's not correct. In the BIble Paul encourages Timothy to drink some wine. Regardless. Do we really believe that the God who made the heaven and Earth is the slightest bit interested in whether or not you like a Beer.
That is certainly true lol.
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
1 Timothy 5:23
Problem is that literally (Drink no water, drink wine), we have a great recipe for alcoholism.
We don't know for certain who wrote the first epistle of Timothy and what exactly the author was getting at. Maybe wine was a metaphor for the Word of God. I can tell you from a medical perspective that alcohol is a known cause of the very common medical problems of gastritis and stomach ulcers. Would a little wine really help? I doubt it.
The Bible certainly has much to say regarding the drinking of alcohol;
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Ephesians 5:18
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
One think is for certain, and that is alcohol for some people is addictive and we have no way of knowing for certain who will be one of the 15-20 % of people who consume alcohol that develop a significant problem with it.
