To Drink or Not to Drink?
Frequently, the issue of alcohol consumption leads to extreme dispute among Christians.
This divergence between Christians is most likely initiated by the uncertainty of whether or not
the Bible actually says “do not drink alcohol”. Although there are many different views on
consuming alcohol, it is evident that alcohol is a secular commodity that, in most cases, is used
excessively to slip into an immoral state of drunkenness. Because of alcohol’s debauched
reputation in today’s society, Christians should only consume alcohol during indispensable
circumstances because overuse has an unhealthy effect on the human body, it negatively affects
the relationships Christians have with the people around them, and the Bible implies that it is
immoral.
Excessive consumption of alcohol is damaging to the body in mental and physical
aspects, and it should not be abused by Christians. According to Burkholder, alcohol is a deadly
drug used as a depressant to muddle through distressful loneliness, disconnecting someone from
the practical elements of life (85). When this lethal drug is used in an excessive manner, it
“interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and
works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and
move with coordination” (“Alcohol’s Effects on the Body”). Not only can alcohol affect
someone’s mentality, it can physically damage their body on the inside and destroy their outside
appearance. “When alcohol is taken habitually, and when misused, it injures the whole
constitution: all tissues and organs, and especially the blood, suffer sooner or later a pathological
change, with which susceptibility to disease is increased” (MacDonald 260). When someone
intakes alcohol, their heart pays the consequences. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism articulates that cardiomyopathy, stretching and drooping of the heart muscle, can be
a result of heavy drinking as well as developing an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and
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the increased risk of having a stroke. Alcohol abuse can also lead to unhealthy inflammations in
the liver and pancreas leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatitis, a fatty liver, or pancreatitis.
Likewise, excessive alcohol abuse can ultimately destroy the immune system causing the body to
be more prone to develop diseases such as cancer, pneumonia, and tuberculosis (“Alcohol’s
Effects on the Body”). Although there is a significant number of abysmal consequences from
alcohol consumption, there are also few vigorous effects that come with drinking alcohol
moderately; one of these positive effects is preventing healthy adults from attaining coronary
heart disease (“Alcohol’s Effects on the Body”). Consuming Alcohol is also adequate when a
person is dying or in chronic condition. According to Land, “in such an instance, alcohol can
serve to calm the person and possibly reduce pain” (26). Even though alcohol may be beneficial
in certain health conditions, it is best for Christians to oppose drinking alcohol unless it is
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