My Position Statement on Alcohol (of sorts)

I’ve been in the collegiate setting for going on 9 years. When I ask people why they drink alcohol, the number one reason they give me is “because it’s fun.” Really?! The act of drinking alcohol is fun? Drinking lemonade is fun, but no one centers a party solely around lemonade. So apparently, the “fun” factor is not the strongest factor. Perhaps, what is really fun is hanging out with friends. I do not drink alcohol, but I do have great times with friends. Most of the time, we just get together and act stupid and have fun until 3 or 4 a.m. We can do that and still never use alcohol.

Alcohol relaxes your inhibitions. That is why alcohol is involved in so much illegal activity. Normally, you wouldn’t hang out with such people or do such things with people; but because your inhibitions are relaxed, you do anyway. How crappy must your friends be if you need alcohol to have a good time with them!

Relaxation of inhibitions has become an enticingly erotic idea. We all have fantasies; and if we can do away with our conscience, we can have these fantasies fulfilled. Once again, is it a good idea to do anything against our good conscience? What is it people say about serial killers: “They don’t have a conscience!” Besides, you are admitting that you are a loser if you can only attract people who are out of their minds.

Let’s get back to the whole “drinking alcohol is fun” idea. Most people will say that alcohol is an acquired taste. Once again; drinking lemonade is fun but I knew that from the first sip. Now, there are some things which require an acquired taste. For example, I have been on a couple of international mission trips. Sometimes, the native foods are absolutely horrid. However, I must acquire a taste for those foods in order to build relationships with those people. Now, you may be thinking that this is the same thing as acquiring a taste for alcohol in order to fit in with the crowd. However, things done on the mission field are for the edifying of the people. Alcohol, on the other hand, rarely brings out the best in someone. Besides, what if I told you that there is a pile of feces; and if you eat it and learn to love it, you can hang out with my group. You would have to SERIOUSLY consider whether the benefits of doing so would outweigh the costs.

What about drinking to drown your sorrows? Well, this is a flawed question. It assumes that drinking alcohol will drown your sorrows. In a dire situation, a rule of thumb to remember is to “do no further harm.” Don’t make the situation worse! When you are in a troubled situation, it is NOT time to lose your mind. If you relax your inhibitions and do something you’ll regret later, then you are only compounding your problems. If you find yourself in sorrow, the best thing to do is look for hope and run to it. As I have stated in other notes, the only hope is Christ. Only in Christ, has a way been made for us despite our troubles, imperfections, and sins. All other ways ask us to improve ourselves and become something we have tried all of our lives only to be unsuccessful every time. If the thing we have been trying has not worked, then we need to find something else. Christ is our only hope. He offers it as a gift. The only thing you need to do is accept it.

Now, I know that not all these points apply to everyone. And you may be able to argue with me on some points. However, if I’ve gotten you to think, then I’ve done some good. THINK! Don’t take your brain out of the equation. Use your brain instead of drowning it. At least by thinking, you become more human.