Baptists should not get drunk with wine (or whine)

I (obviously) have issues with the politics and past history of Paige Patterson regarding his influence in the Southern Baptist Convention, and, I am sure that he probably could care less of my whining commentary. Oddly enough, I am also sure that if seated across a coffee table from one another, we'd have great conversations on how to save one another from ourselves. After reading the alcohol discussion from the SBC Greensboro assembly, however, I am amused and annoyed at his frustration over the convention's discussion on alcohol. (quoting from James Smith's Florida Baptist Witness editorial):

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president Paige Patterson — the subject of much criticism of (Ben) Cole and other bloggers — nicely summarized the alcohol resolution debate when he told me, “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.” (my emphasis)

I was not there for the 45 minutes worth of discussion...but a discussion on social problems associated with alcohol abuse is worthy of our time. Abstinence is certainly one viable option to alleviate the problem. I question how effective a BBB (Baptist Boycot of Budweiswer) might be (thinking failed Disney boycot of past years). And if my American history serves me correctly, attempting to legislate the alcohol business into oblivion failed miserably. I understand, however, that there was much more to it at the SBC than encouraging abstinence among Baptists...something about an attempt to present abstinence as being "the full biblical witness", quoting from the same Florida Baptist Witness editorial:

"As noted in the debate on the resolution, it's clear from Scripture that wine was consumed during biblical times - and that it is even encouraged in moderation in select passages of the Bible," wrote James Smith, editor of the conservative Florida Baptist Witness newspaper, in a June 19 editorial on the convention. "But the idea that adopting a resolution which calls for total abstinence of alcohol is anti-biblical fails to take in account the full biblical witness - as well as the pernicious influence alcohol has had in our society and in the lives of countless individuals."

I am not sure that we can all agree on what anti-biblical? and/or full biblical witness mean, but they do sound like terms that folks on both sides of the aisle could use in this debate.

Where do I stand?
I watched my 90+ year-old grandmother agonize over her doctor's recommendation that she take a glass of wine following her evening meal each night. My grandmother was a saint, a daughter of a WCTU leader, and a life-long Baptist. The very idea of having a bottle of blackberry Mogen David wine in her refrigerator was as foreign to her as having a deck of playing cards in her home. Yet, she was miserable and she trusted her doctor. Well, the wine did wonders for her digestion (the Biblical advice is right) and she claimed to have slept better every night.

Let me be clear on this. I know the difference between my grandmother's alcohol consumption and the consumption of alcohol with the intent of getting drunk. However, both instances involve drinking alcohol and it is not simply a black and white issue. I feel just as strongly about drunkeness being a sin as I do that other alcohol consumption may not be a sin. I do not believe that we, as Christians, are doing a good job in teaching that distinction...we run around attacking an industry and appear to be afraid of what teaching people what responsible, even Biblical, consumption might look like! People WILL drink. Baptists WILL drink (go ahead and gasp..but get over it). If Christian people do not understand what they are doing, they WILL get drunk. Do we really want our schools (or the alcohol industry) to be the primary source of instruction on the difference between drunkeness, moderation (responsible consumption), and total abstinence?

Alcohol abuse is a huge problem. It is a problem that we as Baptists need to address with a full range of options for solving those problems. Yes, abstinence is one option. It is not the only option. Looking toward the Bible for a solution and guidance is the way to go, however, trying to reconcile the Bible's references to the use of wine in Jesus' day (not to mention the miracle of coverting water into wine) and justify abstinence as THE only biblical solution is a wheel-spinning exercise...we can spend (waste) another 45 minutes discussing abstinence and still be the same distance away from resolving any of the social ills involved. We as Baptists are now on record having supported the abstinence resolution...now, let's spend more than 45 minutes and figure out how we can resolve the abuse problems. A resolution without wings is worthless. WORTHLESS!!

One final word. My other grandmother was part of a very wealthy branch on the family tree. Some years after my grandfather died, she moved in with my family. We were much simpler, middle class folks. One of the traditions that arrived with her joining our family was the appearance of a wine bottle at evening meals (yes, families used to eat together around a dinner table). I was too young to participate in the evening toast. But I did see something that stuck with me through the years...even though there was frequent mealtime alcohol consumption, not once in all those years did I witness an adult getting drunk. Was what I viewed the sinful nature of my family or was it a witness to what the Bible describes as moderation?

There is a wine bottle on the table at special occasions in my home at a much more infrequent rate than those years of my live-in grandmother. However, that tradition and that witness of moderation are something that I do not view as something anti-biblical. Perhaps it might be considered a full biblical witness.

.. and Dr. Patterson, I pray that you will not take this post as just another pastor "openly boast(ing) of imbibing alcohol". There really is a bigger issue involved.