Blame It On the Alcohol

For the last week my attention has been captured by a trial being aired on local television. On trial are two young collegiate football players accused of rape. The victim is sometimes referred to as the new girlfriend of one of the accused. Her "boyfriend" brought the extremely drunk girl back to his dorm where his friends raped her with various body parts and objects. We know this occurred because this event was filmed on a camera phone before this man she trusted sent the video to friends. The defense of at least one of these young men is that he was "too drunk to know what he was doing."

This has been a shocking trial so far, but nothing turned my head as quick as the order of events explained by the defendant seen on video raping the victim. The attack happened early on a Sunday morning, around 2:00 am. The next thing he remembers is waking up the next morning-to go to church. The defendant stated several times that he often attended this church. He also stated that he often got drunk even though he was underage.

I know that the topic of drinking is a hot button issue among Christians. I've heard every argument on both sides as to why it's okay or not okay for a Christian to drink. Over and over I see blogs and magazine articles explaining why the Church needs to back off because drinking isn't that big of a deal. Interestingly, these are often "shared" by young Christians, most of college age. I generally stay quiet (though I have, on occasion, added my opinion), but this trial has necessitated that a comment be made.

The young people involved in this trial were just looking for fun. They are smart young people attending a very prestigious university. These were future athletes, doctors, and biologists just looking to "blow off some steam". Little did they know that when the night was done their lives would be changed forever.

I know what you will say, "Lindsey, there is a big difference between having a drink and drunkenness." Yes, there is, but drunkenness begins with one drink, and with each drink your inhibitions lower more and more, encouraging the cycle to continue.

My question to my young friends is "what does it benefit you to drink?" Is it a matter of relaxation? I hate to break it to you, but you have no clue what real stress is yet. If you run to alcohol for your comfort and way to unwind now, you are putting yourself on a dangerous path for your future. Is it a matter of loosening up so you can better socialize? If so, then maybe you need to assess what is lacking in your personality that you have to be mentally lubricated to talk to people, because, again, this is a skill you have to learn without the aid of alcohol for the future.

I hear over and over from young people that they don't feel guilty about drinking. They feel personal "freedom" to partake. I would invite these friends to read Paul's writings in 1 Corinthians 10 in which he says, "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of other" (v. 23-24 NIV)

You see, the thing all these people trying to rationalize Christians drinking miss is that Christianity is about solidarity, not singularity. When you accept Christ, you are grafted into His family. Issues like this are not about what you feel personally comfortable with, they are about your brother and sister and how they are impacted. Does your drinking add anything to the kingdom of God? Does the dulling of your senses help the family of God in any way?

If your only argument for allowing Christians to drink is that the bible doesn't expressly forbid all alcohol consumption, then you need to read verse 31 of that same chapter, "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." If you can explain to me how you are truly bringing glory to God by consuming alcohol, I would be happy to offer my concession on this point, but I don't think you really can.

As I watched this trial I couldn't help but think how different this could have all been if these young people had resisted alcohol. At the end of a night of drinking we find a young woman humiliated and broken and multiple young lives thrown away as their promising futures have been traded for potential jail sentences.

Is drinking alcohol a sin? Whether you believe it is or not, you cannot deny it leads to an awful lot of sin.

Lord, open the eyes of our young people that their decision cannot be made based on what seems right to them, but rather by what brings glory to You.