Alcohol and religion

[Vee]

Does your religion allow for the consumption of alcohol? If so, how does that work? Can you drink as much as you want or are there any restrictions and why?
The Bible allows for alcohol consumption - there is even a story of Jesus turning water into wine - but in moderation. I guess that makes sense since alcoholism can lead to some very bad consequences, so drinking in moderation is for our own protection. I'm happy about those terms since I can enjoy the odd glass of wine and have a good time.
Honestly, the couple of times in my life I got drunk weren't fun at all, so not drinking too much works fine for me. I can live without the thirst and the headache the next day, and let's be honest, if I want to make a fool of myself, I can do that just fine while I'm sober. After all, I can trip on my own feet, walking on a straight surface

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Beer and wine are evidence that the gods love us and want us to be happy...they also want us to be happy with chocolate...

Seriously, though, there's no problem in my religion with alcohol.

As a social matter, abuse/overuse is a problem to be dealt with, but the gods are understanding and can be helpful.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Does your religion allow for the consumption of alcohol? If so, how does that work? Can you drink as much as you want or are there any restrictions and why?
The Bible allows for alcohol consumption - there is even a story of Jesus turning water into wine - but in moderation. I guess that makes sense since alcoholism can lead to some very bad consequences, so drinking in moderation is for our own protection. I'm happy about those terms since I can enjoy the odd glass of wine and have a good time.
Honestly, the couple of times in my life I got drunk weren't fun at all, so not drinking too much works fine for me. I can live without the thirst and the headache the next day, and let's be honest, if I want to make a fool of myself, I can do that just fine while I'm sober. After all, I can trip on my own feet, walking on a straight surface

Alcohol is Prohibited in Islam.Alcohol is Intoxicating and It robs a Person off his Sense.A Drunk Person cannot offer a Prayer and it makes a Person Impure.

For me it has never been a problem to not drink alcohol i just dont like it and am happy staying away from it.

 

[JustGeorge]

I am not certain, but the impression I get is that within Hinduism, it is generally frowned upon, but it does happen. And if my understanding is not mistaken, it is used purposely at times within certain sects.

Hinduism tends to be too vast to try to make rules that apple to everyone. That is between a person, their traditions or sect, or their God/s. It does seem though, that alcohol is seen as being a tamasic food, and will be likely bring out tamasic qualities in a person, and is therefor not really recommended. At least from what I've seen/learned...

I remember reading a story of two students of a guru(I want to say they were Ramakrishna's students, but I am not certain here) who were upset that another student was still drinking. When they confronted the Guru with this information, the Guru chuckled and told them not to worry about it, just to have the young man offer his booze to God before drinking it. They were taken aback, but did as they were told, and within a month the young man had lost his taste for alcohol!

I have found on my own spiritual path, as I 'spiritually mature', my desire to drink, and even my ability to handle drink, has greatly decreased. I was once a daily drinker; it was how I coped with the stress of an abusive relationship I was in. And even after I got out of it, the drinking kept on. But, I was never a problematic drinker(I was quiet, well behaved, did not drink to such excess as to be ill), so there was no pressure to quit. But I found as the years wore on, and as my life became more ingrained in 'spirit', and less in the temporal, I didn't want to drink anymore. It wasn't that I felt I shouldn't, I really didn't want to. And as the years keep going on, I feel the effects as being kinda 'yucky' feeling now, rather than getting the rejuvenating feeling I did in my younger years. I may have a drink here or there as part of a special occasion, but I have very little desire to drink on my own now.

 

[Vee]

Hinduism tends to be too vast to try to make rules that apple to everyone. That is between a person, their traditions or sect, or their God/s. It does seem though, that alcohol is seen as being a tamasic food, and will be likely bring out tamasic qualities in a person, and is therefor not really recommended. At least from what I've seen/learned...
.

What is tamasic? I don't think I've ever seen that word before.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

I really think it should be discouraged myself. In short, I think it supplements an enlarging of the ego, and is one of the things that keeps us stuck in a materialist culture. But I think we can understand why biblical peoples or ancient peoples often advocated for it, because maybe it made the water more drinkable, and I don't know, maybe they found themselves in extremely stressful situations. I just think we know what this molecule leads humans into doing, how it makes them act. Would I prohibit it? No, I just wouldn't encourage it at all

 

[Dawnofhope]

The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the Baha’i Faith. The harm to society greatly outweighs any benefits.

 

[JustGeorge]

Foods are seen as being tamasic, promoting sluggishness(of both body and mind), rajasic, promoting agitation, or sattvic, promoting balance. Though tamas, rajas, and sattva are seen as being neutral on their own(they are simply qualities), a person wants to seek to bring out the elements of sattva within themselves, typically.

 

[Vee]

The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the Baha’i Faith. The harm to society greatly outweighs any benefits.

I agree that in large quantities it can be very harmful, but in small amounts I can't find a problem with it. You don't have to get drunk or to drink every day.
But of course if your belief is that you shouldn't consume any alcohol, that's up to you and I respect that.

 

[Valjean]

What is tamasic? I don't think I've ever seen that word before.

It's one of those strange Indian things:
How to understand Trigunas – Sattwa, Tamas and Rajas – The ancient Hindu Psychology – Hinduism Way of Life

 

[Vee]

Foods are seen as being tamasic, promoting sluggishness(of both body and mind), rajasic, promoting agitation, or sattvic, promoting balance. Though tamas, rajas, and sattva are seen as being neutral on their own(they are simply qualities), a person wants to seek to bring out the elements of sattva within themselves, typically.

Thanks

 

[exchemist]

Does your religion allow for the consumption of alcohol? If so, how does that work? Can you drink as much as you want or are there any restrictions and why?
The Bible allows for alcohol consumption - there is even a story of Jesus turning water into wine - but in moderation. I guess that makes sense since alcoholism can lead to some very bad consequences, so drinking in moderation is for our own protection. I'm happy about those terms since I can enjoy the odd glass of wine and have a good time.
Honestly, the couple of times in my life I got drunk weren't fun at all, so not drinking too much works fine for me. I can live without the thirst and the headache the next day, and let's be honest, if I want to make a fool of myself, I can do that just fine while I'm sober. After all, I can trip on my own feet, walking on a straight surface

In fact that story shows that people were expected to get a bit tipsy. The steward remarks that they have kept the best wine until last whereas normally the good stuff is poured at the beginning and the poor quality comes later when people are too drunk to notice.

Monasteries have for centuries been places where beer was perfected (e.g. Belgian Trappist) and where liqueurs were made (Chartreuse, Benedictine).

For consumption in moderation, one hopes, though quite a few Catholic priests drink more than is good for them, due I suppose, to the loneliness and pressures of the job.

 

[Valjean]

There was no refrigeration. If you wanted to preserve fruit, you either had to make it into wine or dry it.
Clean water was problematic. Beer was safer.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I agree that in large quantities it can be very harmful, but in small amounts I can't find a problem with it. You don't have to get drunk or to drink every day.
But of course if your belief is that you shouldn't consume any alcohol, that's up to you and I respect that.

The problem is that Anglo culture encourages alcohol abuse due to its pub/bar culture and binge drinking culture. It's very pushed on the populace in places like the US, UK, Australia, etc.

 

[MNoBody]

there is no-thing that cannot be "eaten" consumed [otherwise used up a "consummable", in any sense]
but not everything is desirable, nor do I prefer all things.... alcohol i can take or leave, I prefer not to drink, but it has its uses besides
It makes an excellent washroom antiseptic, ....bracing...

Hippocrates was a progressive thinker in his saying of let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.

Another adage is, in everything, moderation, including moderation.

one does not really know a thing until one has embraced it to see what way it will have with them...right?

probably why people would use drink as a custom to get drunk with a stranger wishing to do business with them,
to get to know them once the solvent of the alcohol has dissolved the veneer of their social masks,
revealing the core person hopefully, to see what kind of "drunk" they are, which is a useful social test,
but this can be defeated since many people develop tolerance to drink
and they can still retain their duplicitous nature even drunk as a lord... so it is of limited value in that sense.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Yes, consuming alcohol is allowed in Hellenic religion. Wine is sacred and a favored offering to the Gods.

 

[JustGeorge]

Yes, consuming alcohol is allowed in Hellenic religion. Wine is sacred and a favored offering to the Gods.

I have found Ares is a gin man. Offered it to him once, came back a half hour later and it was wiped clean! Not a drop in the glass(it was a small shot glass). No one home to drink it(except me, and I didn't), and the room was locked!

Might not be traditional, but I sure took it as a preference.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I have found Ares is a gin man. Offered it to him once, came back a half hour later and it was wiped clean! Not a drop in the glass(it was a small shot glass). No one home to drink it(except me, and I didn't), and the room was locked!

Might not be traditional, but I sure took it as a preference.

Interesting. I've never worshipped him specifically so I can't confirm or deny your experience, but that's pretty cool.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Being a secular humanist, I have no objection to consumption of alcohol per se; however, the medical evidence that excess consumption thereof can lead to addiction and severe damage to one's health makes me believe one has a moral and social responsibility not to drink in excess and perhaps not even drink at all if they feel they can't stay within safe limits.

If alcoholic drinks didn't exist, I think the net effect on the world would be markedly positive. That's one reason I can actually see where some of the ideas for bans on alcohol are coming from, ineffective as they may be in the real world.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Don't forget there are beer volcanoes in heaven. Clearly alcohol is permitted. A hangover is punishment for drinking to excess.