Biblical teaching on the effects of alcoholism and the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act 1989 (PART 4)

Document prepared by Scholars of 5 Theological Institutions (Oriental Theological Seminary, Clark Theological College, Trinity Theological College, Baptist Theological College, Shalom Bible Seminary) under the initiative of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council.

(From previous issue)

Spiritual Effects of Alcohol Drinking
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]rinking alcohol violates the stewardship of mind and body, dethrones reason, deteriorates ideals and benumbs spiritual powers (C. Aubrey Hearn, op.cit., 78). Jesus’ admonition, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God,” points the Christian to his pre- eminent task. The Christ- mastered life exalts the spiritual, magnifies close fellowship with the divine, seeks association with the holiest and the best influences of life.
Drinking Blurs the Control of the Soul’s Discernment and Brings Spiritual Blindness
Oscar E. Sanden argued that liquor removes the image of God in a man, since it blights spirituality. This is true in the sense that alcohol separates the drinker from spiritual resources. It obscures one’s vision of holy things and brings deterioration of religious interests (C. Aubrey Hearn, op.cit., 79). Automatically a person involved in drinking fails to retain a keen- edged spiritual purpose and a warmhearted, responsive spiritual interest (Arthur J. Barton, “Alcohol an Enemy to Spiritual Life,” The Baptist Training Union Magazine, March, 1940, 9, cited by C. Aubrey Hearn, 79.).
There is no one who seems to have claimed that beverage alcohol is a stimulus to spiritual growth, rather it destroys the soul of human beings. The drinker loses sight of the importance of anything beyond the gratification of his/her appetite (C. Aubrey Hearn, op.cit., 79). Drunkenness is a part of the carnal life that even poses a threat to salvation as we see in Matthew 24: 45- 51; Luke 12: 42- 48. The wicked slave in the parable does not stay alert for the master’s coming with faithful, obedient living. He takes advantage of the delay to abuse others and pursue his own pleasure, mainly drinking with the drunkards. Thus, when the master returns, he is found unfaithful and is punished and set aside with hypocrites. The parable clearly exposes the expulsion of the drunken servant from Heaven and as such the message is loud and clear. The consequences of excessive drinking can even cost one’s own salvation and if that happens, then there is no point of living.A Badge of Worldliness
An evangelist once talked to a liquor store owner about becoming a Christian. The owner automatically realized that he could not become a member of the church and continue to engage in the liquor business. He defended himself saying, “When the church members of this community stop buying from me, I will close my store and become a Christian.” This incident gives the message that the game of blaming starts the moment one is asked to abstain from drinking or selling alcohol. It is clear that alcohol carries a badge of worldliness, which can also be seen as a symbol of sin, often levied with other evils such as gluttony, lasciviousness, profanity and gambling.
The problems of alcohol misuse was known both to the Old Testament and the New Testament worlds, where drunkenness is recognized as a problem which led to a range of other vices, including ‘sins of speech’, sexual immorality, violence, strife and jealousy (Christopher C.H.Cook, op.cit., 50). Following this line of thought, Paul talks of drunkenness as a prime characteristic of the darkness in I Thessalonians 5 and Romans 13 (Andrew T. Lincoln,“Ephesians,” Word Biblical Commentary, edited by Bruce M. Metzger and others (Dallas: Word Books, Publisher, 1990) 344). This clearly exposes the truth that as children of light, one should avoid anything which is characteristic of darkness. The Bible commands us to be filled with the Spirit rather than wine which leads to debauchery (Ephesians 5: 18), where the word ‘debauchery’ is enough to explain the implications of drinking. Any person fully consecrated to God must be controlled solely by the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Paul regarded drunkenness as serious enough to bring separation from the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6: 10). When Paul says that the drunkards will not enter the kingdom of God, he is making a spiritual judgment on such people. Individuals are seen as solely responsible for his/ her moral behavior and that such person are morally or spiritually weaker than the others who follow the moral norms of the society (H.S.Wilson, “Moral and Ethical Dimension of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction,” Theological Education and Addiction Concerns in India, edited by H.S.Wilson (Chennai: The Board of Theological Education and The Commission on Addiction Concerns, 1989) 124). Paul straight away condemns drunkards and lists them along with other groups of people who will not enter the Kingdom of God.
The same idea is seen in Isaiah 5: 12, where drunkenness turns a man away from God and religion. Isaiah here addresses people who have become self- absorbing to the point where spiritual sensitivity has become dimmed. The revelers no longer have any interest in or ability to recognize how God is at work in the world. When the passion for pleasure has become uppermost in a person’s life, passion for God and his truth and his ways are squeezed out. Furthermore, the use of alcohol in the quest for pleasure can only heighten the degree to which one becomes insensitive to responsibility and values 9 John N. Oswalt, “The Book of Isaiah- Chapters 1- 39,” The New International Critical Commentary on the Old Testament, edited by R.K.Harrison& Robert L. Hubbard (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986) 160). Alcohol drinking is seen as a satisfaction for worldly pleasure and has nothing to do with motivating our spiritual quest and thus it should be avoided.
Family Crisis and Alcoholism
The family is the first institution where an individual learns and unlearns the ways of life. This gives the family an important place in molding and shaping of an individual, but alcohol drinking by any of the members in the family becomes a parasite, often causing improvidence, suffering and want.
Drinking Brings Financial Problem and Deprives Children their Rights
A drinker in the grip of alcoholism will go to any extent to get his drink, even if his family must be denied food. When the ready cash is gone, he will even sell his property, clothing, borrow or steal, or descend to almost any depth of infamy to satisfy the one compelling need of (his/her) life – alcohol. Drinking causes the disruption of home life, and when that happens, children become the chief sufferers. In some cases, when both the parents are drinkers, children are neglected and are treated with great cruelty. The needs of the children go unheeded and ignored, depriving them of a good start in life (C. Aubrey Hearn, op.cit., 89). Without any doubt, children who are properly fed and looked after learn better than the children from a drinking family. This is because the functioning of the brain needs proper nourishment. Children learn from their parents and as such at times, they learn to drink when they are very young. All these factors give them less chance to lead a happy and useful life.
Children are recognized to be the most pitiful of all the victims of drinking of alcohol. Innocent and often helpless, they stand by and watch their fathers or even mothers turn into brutes through the corrupting influence of alcohol. It has been observed that in the home where at least one parent drinks excessively, it is more likely that the child will experience familial discord, economic insecurity, and personal humiliation (Ibid., 90). These experiences cause permanent effects in the child’s personality and as s/he matures, the child may seek similar forms of escape when caught in a conflict situation.
Drinking Damages the Home Morale
The home is where people relax and become their true selves, and thus the spirit of home is its most sacred quality which should be preserved at any cost. But many times, alcohol drinking becomes the source of strife and conflict, damaging the morale of the home. It robs the home of its peace, creates a barrier between the husband and the wife, kills all parental tenderness, and remains at the bottom of most crime (C. Aubrey Hearn, op.cit., 91). Charles H. Durfee remarked, “In the home no education can bear more direct fruit than the conduct and standards of the parent themselves.” (Ibid., 93) This statement is true in the sense that children never forget what they learn in their first school- home. There is this danger that sometimes children follow the exact pattern set by their drinking parents. Alcoholism can be tragic in its influence upon home life and alcoholic behavior heaps misfortune upon all those who are in contact with the drinker (Ibid., 92).
Drinking Breeds Divorce
Drinking in the home causes misunderstanding and increases arguments leading to neglect and encourages jealousy and infidelity. This in turn damages the morale and spiritual fiber of the home, which sometimes results into serious issues. Drinking can be considered the breeder of divorce. A drunkard has no control over himself and ends up becoming or acting like an animal, in which there are chances of even beating his/ her spouses. When this act becomes a habit, the spouse has no other option than to file for divorce and thus break the holy matrimonial vow. Habitual drunkenness is recognized as sufficient grounds for divorce action. Many divorces granted for reasons of cruelty, desertion and non- support involve excessive use of alcohol. Studies of alcoholism indicate that virtually all families of alcoholics are torn by marital discord (Douglas Jackson, op.cit., 34).
Psalms 127: 3, Behold, Children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward (NASB) reveals the fact that parents are to handle the gift with the utmost care. Looking into the lives of the children who have alcoholic parents, they no longer enjoy the pleasures of being a gift. Rather, the children become the chief-victims. Proverbs 22: 6 clearly encourages parents to train up their children in the right way with the hope that as they turn old, they will not stray. But alcoholic parents are in no way possible to train their children when they themselves are not in the right mind and way. Disciplining the children and teaching them the basic things of life whether be it physical or spiritual begins at home, but alcoholic parents deprive their children of this right. A number of household codes in the New Testament (Ephesians 5: 22- 6: 9; Colossians 3: 18- 4: 1; I Peter 2: 17- 3: 9; I Timothy 2: 8- 15) includes the duty parents have towards their children. And in the homes of drinking parents, these commandments are ignored.
Drinking is identified as one of the factors which contribute to divorce. Matthew 19: 6 states, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Many times, the concept of marriage is compromised because of the abusive partner which most of the time is caused by alcohol. The Bible advocates a family, living in peace and love and not that of quarrels and hatred, and in this sense alcohol disrupts the family life and distorts the picture of a good Christian home.
Social Effects of Alcohol Drinking
Drinking alcohol affects everyone either directly or indirectly and disrupts the peace in the society. Not only is it a health, moral and a spiritual problem, but it is also a social problem posing threat to peace and order.
Drinking Leads to Accidents
One of the important social problems is the great loss of life and property due to automobile accidents and many fatal accidents on the roads are caused by drinking. In the words of Richard Cabot, “The excessive drinker does not usually drive when s/he is drunk. Moderation is thus more dangerous than excessive drinking as a cause of automobile accidents.” (Karl H. Peschke, Christian Ethics- Moral Theology in the Light of Vatican II, Fourth Revised Edition (Bangalore: Theological Publication in India, 2004) Supporting this view it is to be noted that people who drank moderately think that they are in control and thus they take the responsibility of driving. But alcohol dulls the judgment and gives false confidence leading to drive at higher speed than s/he normally does and thus brings about grave consequences- accidents and even death. Without any doubt, “abstinence” alone will keep us safe.
Various agencies cooperate to warn that drinking and driving constitute a serious misuse of alcohol. Among the groups concerned about the drinking driver is the liquor industry. The alcohol manufacturers steadily warn against drinking and driving (Douglas Jackson, op.cit., 26). The manufacturers themselves know the harmful impact alcohol can have and thus they are the first to warn that drinking and driving do not mix and they cannot operate together.
…TO BE CONTINUED