Wow. Nothing like a can of worms being thrust into your hands. I was tempted to skip or modify this day 3 topic because this isn't a soapbox or ministry issue for me. But this wouldn't be a blogger "challenge" if I treated it like a buffet and selected only the challenge topics I wanted to write about. And truly there so much spiritual "angst" in the modern church over the subject of alcohol that I should welcome the leadership opportunity to drill down on it, right? We'll see.
For many Christians the immediate answer would be, "Drugs and alchohol are bad! Just say no!" But obviously the issue of "drugs" is more complex than that. First, pinning down the definition of a drug or identifying what is and is not a drug is a whole lot harder than it might appear. Clearly we have some guidelines from the FDA on what constitutes a legal vs. illegal substance, and of the legal substances, which must be prescribed by a licensed clinician. Trying to apply a strict approach to the subject of drugs would lead you down the narrow path of assuming that legality alone should shape your views about drugs. I've observed more than a few Christians condemn someone for smoking pot (because it's illegal) while clearly addicted to prescribed medications for chronic pain. I think we also have to be much more aware of the dynamics of addictive behavior and recognize that the word "drug" in its strictest sense - ie, something that has the ability to physiologically alter the body - goes way beyond medications.
While I would unequivocally land on the side of the argument that suggests illegal drugs have been deemed illegal for a reason and you should avoid them if for no other reason than civic responsibility to obey the law, it takes some intuitive critical thinking to move beyond legalism and recognize that we're often focusing on the wrong thing. Regardless of legality, you would be hard pressed to convince me that person who occasionally smokes marijuana is somehow more "wrong" than the college student who is relying on Red Bull to stay awake in class every day or the husband who is addicted to online poker and is secretly emptying his savings account to support his habit at the expense of his marriage. Only one of those three things is illegal, but we could well debate which of those three represents truly addictive and/or harmful behavior.
We all have a drug or drugs of some kind. Food. Shopping. Gambling. Videogames. Sports. Television. Sex. Gossip. Smoking. Pills. Alcohol. Coffee. Exercise. Facebook. Tattoos. Excessive organization (had to throw that one in there for my husband). You name it. Whatever that new hobby or preoccupation is that has captured your attention. We consume these "drugs" because they generate a rush, a thrill, or a sense of pleasure. But none of those is inherently good or bad, right or wrong. Certainly some of them, like pills, smoking, and alcohol carry a greater social stigma, especially in the church, because they represent the potential for the most harmful abuses and behaviors, but that doesn't mean they are always harmful or that the other things on the list aren't worth worrying about.
There are a lot of Christians and churches out there still operating under a very oppressive and legalistic mindset when it comes to this topic. It's as though there is a decree nailed to the front door of the church with a list of vices that will not be tolerated, and if you engage in them, there will be an immediate presumption that you are either backslidden, living in sin, or not a "true" believer. Don't you dare read that Harry Potter book or have a glass of champagne at your sister's wedding. And you better hide that nicotine patch you put on before church because you don't want anyone questioning your faith if they suddenly discover you're struggling to quit smoking.
I personally believe that it is this puritanical approach to governing the church that has driven people out of it and shaped resentment in the hearts of those who mistakenly assume that God demands perfection before you can ever set foot in His House. And it warps the sensitivity of the church leader who zeros in on the guy who lit up a cigarette last week in the church parking lot while completely ignoring the church elder whose 300-pound weight is a far more immediate and critical issue. Even in my own church, where we strive for a connection to each other that is free of legalism and condemnation, I have still heard more than one critical statement made about a church member who was seen drinking a glass of wine at a dinner party or family gathering. And all because the person who saw it was looking through a lense shaped by legalistic indoctrination and not by a true consideration for whether the behavior they witnessed was worrisome or represented a change in that church member's devotion or behavior. And how can we possibly justify a criticism about someone drinking alcohol when uttered by a gossiping and divisive tongue? I'd personally point to the latter is the more insidious and worrisome behavior.
Some say, "Love the sinner and hate the sin." Many Christians assume this saying comes from the Bible. It doesn't. Actually, it's not anywhere in the Bible. The problem with this statement is that it gives us permission to have an elitist and hateful mindset. We're all sinners. That's a given. It's rather arrogant to even adopt a "love the sinner" mentality because it labels the other person in a hypocritical way. Why not just love the person? And I'm a personal believer that if God is love and He commands us to love, then "hate" shouldn't even be in our vocabulary. In fact we should flee that feeling as swiftly as we flee sin.
Okay, that's my 2 cents on drugs, alcohol, and the prevailing mindset of the church. I welcome your thoughts. :)
-Lea
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