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Alcohol and the SBC

August 16, 2006

During the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 13-14, 2006 the convention voted overwhelmingly to adopt this resolution on alcohol:

Resolution No. 5
ON ALCOHOL USE IN AMERICA

WHEREAS, Years of research confirm biblical warnings that alcohol use leads to physical, mental, and emotional damage (e.g., Proverbs 23:29-35); and

WHEREAS, Alcohol use has led to countless injuries and deaths on our nation's highways; and

WHEREAS, The breakup of families and homes can be directly and indirectly attributed to alcohol use by one or more members of a family; and

WHEREAS, The use of alcohol as a recreational beverage has been shown to lead individuals down a path of addiction to alcohol and toward the use of other kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal; and

WHEREAS, There are some religious leaders who are now advocating the consumption of alcoholic beverages based on a misinterpretation of the doctrine of "our freedom in Christ"; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, express our total opposition to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge that no one be elected to serve as a trustee or member of any entity or committee of the Southern Baptist Convention that is a user of alcoholic beverages.

RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists to take an active role in supporting legislation that is intended to curb alcohol use in our communities and nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists to be actively involved in educating students and adults concerning the destructive nature of alcoholic beverages; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we commend organizations and ministries that treat alcohol-related problems from a biblical perspective and promote abstinence and encourage local churches to begin and/or support such biblically-based ministries.

This resolution erupted into a firestorm of debate from angry people who believe that because the SBC has resolved to oppose alcohol that it is being anti-biblical or even extra-biblical. In fact, it took the SBC 45 minutes to debate over this issue, which seems almost unthinkable to me. As I have surfed the net to see what people are saying about it on blogs, I've found comments that claim that this resolution is saying that alcohol is a sin and that the resolution is adding to scripture what isn't really there. I've even seen extreme comments that verbally bash and abuse all of the people who voted and debated on this issue as being legalists who waste their time over stupid issues like this instead of telling the world about Jesus. Many SBC folks who have come to oppose the resolution have seen it as a dumb move by a bunch of dumb christians who have bound themselves to something that they cannot carry out.

After seeing such a firestorm of comments about this resolution, I couldn't help but to find it and read it myself. After doing so, I find it hard to believe that any Southern Baptist Christian would be opposed to the resolution at hand and the current wording.

First of all, this resolution says nothing about alcohol consumption being a sin. It doesn't even come close to implying that those who drink alcohol are sinners. Secondly, this resolution doesn't imply that the Bible says alcohol consumption is a sin. In fact, it is clearly a resolution opposing alcohol because of its destructive nature, not because of what the Bible says about it. The resolution lists only a mere reference to Biblical warnings which are clear and indisputable references of alcohol. The main premise of this resolution is that alcohol is dangerous, destructive, and it has a tendency to kill people, so lets be resolved in saying that we should oppose something that destroys human life rather than values it.

What is it about this resolution that causes people to oppose it? Is it the fact that we would openly oppose something that isn't necessarily considered a sin in of itself? Is it because the issue of alcohol is more of a disputable matter and making such resolutions places us in a definitive stand against alcohol, even though many Christians consume it? Is it because this is the group of SBC'ers who are actually drinking alcohol and don't want to give it up? Is it because they think this resolution somehow steps on peoples rights to do what they want? Really, what is so bad about refraining from something that has the proven potential to destroy?

What's next? Will we say that we are resolved to oppose smoking pot and making meth in our church basements and will a group of people stand up and say, "The Bible doesn't say that smoking pot or making meth is a sin, so you are all a bunch of dumb legalists for making such a resolution."

Another argument that I continue to hear is that for SBC messengers to oppose the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages they must abstain from not only drinking alcohol, but from going to the ball park, going to wal-mart, or anything else that comes close to supporting or being supported by the alcohol industry. While I understand what they are saying, I don't believe this resolution from the SBC is clearly saying that we must avoid or remove ourselves from anything that supports, advertises, or is funded by alcohol or the alcohol industry. Clearly that is impossible and to entertain such an idea is simply nonsensical. This resolution states that Southern Baptists should be opposed to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages. To be opposed to something does not make it possible to avoid it or to remove it as a reality in life.

It seems to me that the assumption many people are making here is that to be opposed to something means that you can't be around it and that you can't be a part of things that may correlate with the said opposition. If you think about this logically then you will have to conclude that things that you cannot keep from being around are things that you cannot be opposed to which makes no sense. Alcohol is such a part of the American culture that it becomes impossible to avoid. It's at Wal-Mart, its at the gas stations, the advertising is on billboards, and unless we live in a bubble, there is no way to escape the influence of alcohol on our society. Since it is impossible for us to not be exposed to such things, does that mean we should be accepting of them instead? Since there is no way to go to a Cardinals game without supporting Anheuser-Busch in some way, does that mean that I should no longer be opposed to Alcohol consumption if I want to go see a ball game? Is it really dumb for us to say we are totally opposed to the advertising and consumption of alcohol because it harms families and destroys lives? I don't think it is. I'm opposed to pornography and yet every time I drive down I-44 I have to see pornography being advertised. If I am going to oppose pornography and the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and viewing of pornography does that mean I have to not drive down I-44 and does that mean that I have to avoid movies that may somehow support the porn industry and gas stations that sell it and any business or industry that might support it or get support from it in some way or another? And if there is no way to avoid it all together should I just shut up about it and not say that I am opposed to it? Should I instead be accepting of the pornography industry? We could even make the same argument for sin. Should Southern Baptists not be totally opposed to sin, since we cannot avoid it or abstain from it? I don't think Southern Baptists are dumb because they oppose sin and yet live around it, in it, support it, and even do it sometimes. After-all, the opposite of opposing sin is accepting it.

All that to say this, I agree that the consumption of alcohol and its relation to the Bible is ambiguous and disputable. What is not disputable is the overwhelming evidence of what alcohol has done to families and people. The number of people killed every year in alcohol related deaths is astounding, and the number of abused children and women who are beaten because of alcohol is astronomical. My own family can be included in that assessment since I come from a long line of men who are alcohol abusers. I've seen first hand what alcohol can do. I know that it consumed my father, that it consumed his father, and that for generations of men in my family it has been a destructive force. I can honestly say that I am totally opposed to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages and rightly so. Does that mean its a sin? Not necessarily. But I do wonder, is it not better for Southern Baptists to give up a freedom and abstain from alcohol rather than risking their own lives and the lives of others by drinking alcohol. It only takes one mistake to ruin a life forever.

I dealt with this issue some on my post about Christian Liberty. Here is a small snippet:

Scripture prohibits drunkenness (Eph 5:18), and while I think that even an occasional drink of alcoholic beverage is not wise, the Scriptures are still morally indifferent to social or occasional drinking. Do I think Christians should drink? No. But, while I believe that there are plenty of other logical reasons why Christians should not drink such as addiction, impaired judgment, poor witness, it's a drug and while I believe that people drink for the wrong reasons, which is sinful, I still must conclude that the Bible certainly does not condemn the act of consuming alcohol in itself unless it leads to drunkenness or something else that the Bible speaks against. What is the absolute here? Drunkenness is sin. What is the moral indifference? Drinking small amounts of alcohol but not getting drunk.

I am glad that the SBC adopted this resolution because I think it is right for Southern Baptists. We should actively do what is necessary to value human life and morality. To oppose drinking is the right thing to do. We are not saying that it is sinful, we are not saying that the Bible condemns it, but we are saying that it is unwise and that it does lead to the destruction of families and even lives.

I could go on and on about this issue and I could probably give a thousand more reasons why drinking alcohol is unwise. I could go into the influence it has on teens, the reasons it is used by people, and the elements of temptations that it imposes on its Christian users. I could talk about its impairment and its general effect on the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the individual users. I could come up with story after story of lives that have been destroyed by alcohol abuse, but really none of that is the point since those that oppose this resolution are really ignoring those issues in the first place. What concerns me the most is the antithesis of being opposed to it... that is, being accepting of it. If we cannot oppose alcohol for the reasons listed in this resolution, then there is something wrong with us! Life is far more important than a simple beverage preference. I can't imagine the day when Southern Baptists will say choice and preference is more important than valuing life. I pray that day never comes.

I am particularly proud of the SBC messengers for voting in favor of this resolution.

"Sadly, I would never have believed that I would see a 45 minute debate at the Southern Baptist Convention on a resolution on abstinence from beverage alcohol. When one considers that the alcohol industry devastates more lives and homes today than any industry other than the pornography industry, such a question is doubly unthinkable. Positively, the resolution was adopted by 90 percent of the messengers, a critically important resolution in light of some pastors who now openly boast of imbibing alcohol." - Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president Paige Patterson

Here are some other bloggers and articles you can read about this issue. I'm obviously one of few who actual agree with the resolution:

Florida Baptist Witness
Ethics Daily
Cross Connect
Between Two Worlds
John H. Armstrong
Internet Monk
BP
Pattersons Stance On SBC Issues
SBC Outpost
Agape Press
Dr. Akin's view on the resolution
Benjiman Cole's Rebuttal of Dr. Akin
The Thirsty Theologian

That is just a bit of light reading on the subject. Enjoy!

Comments

Posted by: michael
August 16, 2006 04:24 PM

Why would there be ANY debate. Alcohol has killed tens of thousands of people some that have never drank a drop. Killed by someone who got behind the wheel after drinking