The Christian World is broadly divided into two camps: those who say drinking is a sin and those who say it isn’t. But both sides agree that being drunk is indeed a sin. In a way this reminds me of my friends Valerie and Nunpuii arguing over which football team is better: Holland or The Netherlands.
There are various verses from the Bible [Source] that encourage people to stay away from alcohol: Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 14:26; 29:6; Judges 13:4,7,14; 1 Samuel 1:15; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4,6; Isaiah 5:11,22; 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12; Micah 2:11 and Luke 1:15, while verses that prohibit Christians from getting drunk are: Ephesians 5:18; Proverbs 23:29-35; 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 2 Peter 2:19 to name a few.
Drinking alcohol in itself may or may not be a sin, but it sure does open the big glistering gate of sin, beckoning us to step inside with every additional drink that we imbibe. And before we can say hic, we’ve already done something that we regret.
Deputy-speaker (at AGAPE Gospel camp) Malsawma gave a very good sermon on the topic “Sin”. Translated to English:
Mizoram, one of the only two States in India to enforce the Liquor Total Prohibition Act (MLTP), has been criticized vehemently by the Anti-MLTP lobby, verbally expressing their heart-felt displeasure on the involvement of the Church when it comes to Politics. Some even go to the extent of saying that Jesus himself turned water into wine; so drinking is not a sin. In defense to this statement, I’ve seen Pro-Prohibition Act supporters claim that the wine mentioned in the Bible need not be fermented and that it is just grape juice. And the debate goes on and on and on.
For once, let us stop moving in an endless circle and try to accept that the wine mentioned in the Bible is indeed wine, fermented wine, the type that gives you a tingle sensation, that makes your head spin around after a couple of drinks, that stains your favorite business shirt, that gives you a terrible hangover, that makes you a dad or a mom nine months later…
So, Jesus and his disciples drank wine, alcoholic wine. Fine. In the midst of all the debates and discussions, most of us fail to discuss one very important point. Did the Bible ever mention anything like,
Some of you may not even remember clearly how life was like before the Prohibition days (1995). I certainly do. After all, I live directly opposite one of the most popular and infamous bars in Aizawl: Sertawk Bar. Those days, there weren’t that many other concrete buildings next to ours in our locality. Hence, everyday around 10-20 strangers, most of them drunk, would knock/bang on our door asking us for money because “they wanted to drink more but suddenly realized they were out of cash and we looked rich enough to pay for their drinks”. My three sisters and I could not step out of our house after sunset because of all the drunks loitering outside our house and fighting/puking everywhere. Relatives and friends dreaded to pay us a visit. It was definitely not the childhood memory any father would want his son to have.
Prohibition changed all that. No more persistent broke drunks. No more fear of what’s lurking right outside our very own door. No more bolting of doors and rechecking of all the latches on the windows at night. We could finally sleep in peace. Ofcourse it is no secret that Sertawk Bar still “manufactures” illicit arrack after the MLTP Act came into force, but the number of drunkards making a public nuisance outside our house has tremendously reduced.
I know in this era of democracy and secularism, some might even feel that Prohibition stands in the way of development or modernism, while some may call it a talibanization of Mizoram and terming it as a gross denial of basic freedom and prerogative of the common man. I completely empathize with such sentiments, but, as someone once said, “your right to freedom ends at the beginning of your neighbor’s right”, can the Anti-MLTP lobby assure that the person who’s drunk is not going to pick up a fight with innocent bystanders, run over children with his car, beat up his wife when he reaches home, abuse anyone within his reach and end up ruining his career and family?
Face it, we Mizos are a hot blooded lot. Other people under the influence of alcohol usually misbehave too, but most of us seem to take that extra mile when it comes to drunken follies. I’m speaking purely out of experience as a heavy drinker for the past 6-7 years. Medical experts proved that drinking a glass of wine a day rejuvenates the body and assuming that drinking a bit of alcohol is not a sin, let us just try to picture a Mizoram with no Prohibition Act. Do you genuinely believe that our children and grown-ups of today are going to spend an evening at the local tavern gulping down just one glass of wine/rum/whisky?
Seriously, how many of us consume alcohol because the doctor said a glass a day can make you live till 90? Is that why we drink 5-6 glasses a day hoping we can live till 300? I used to drink a bottle of Old Monk a day during my extreme days, but I sure as hell didn’t drink it for the “health benefits”; I drank purely just to get drunk, so that I could enjoy the dizziness, the way everything became so seemingly clear and at the same time surreal, the way it made me feel like I am Casanova reincarnated and the way all the not so attractive women around me (pardon me for saying that) suddenly started looking like Victoria Secret models…
We may be the most unified tribe in the North-east, but sadly most of us like to do things in excess, be it the amount of tobacco we consume, the way we dress, the accessories we buy, the music we listen etc. It's in our blood to do that. And speaking in that wavelength, what makes anyone think that we are not going to drink in excess given the opportunity?
Even when I was on the verge of becoming an alcoholic back in Bangalore, I’ve always been in support of the Prohibition Act. That is the reason why I never showed up for the Bangalore MSA debate where I was supposed to participate [Topic: MLTP Act] because I felt it would be hypocritical of me to voice my support for the Prohibition Act while I was getting drunk every night. All my closest friends (regular drinking buddies) who know me well will vouch that I’ve never voiced my displeasure at the Prohibition Act even once (Had to add that line incase some of you might think I am saying all this because of my Camp experience). But now I don’t feel any hesitation to speak my mind openly anymore.
Among many of the online articles that I have read, one such prominent Mizo writer even boldly claimed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit as he spoke out against the Prohibition Act and criticized the Church’s policy, while preposterously blaming Prohibition as the sole cause of the Great American Depression! Questioning the Church is one thing and resorting to gaudy rhetoric is another, but to mock the Holy Spirit is pure blasphemy of the highest order [Mathew 12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come”]. Pray do tell me, if such men are leading the Anti-Prohibition movement, don’t you think you might be better off not following blindly like lambs lead to slaughter?
People say the Prohibition Act failed because of the numerous illegal breweries still existing. I boldly say Prohibition is a success. At the micro level it may look like it failed because one can still acquire illegal booze, but from a broader perspective, it certainly did not fail. Because of Prohibition, the common man now has to shell out more money to buy one decent bottle of liquor when he could have afforded 4 bottles if there was no Prohibition. Because of Prohibition, our streets are cleaner and safer now. Because of Prohibition, more families are having a peaceful and quiet dinner together. Because of Prohibition, people who drink are labeled as pariahs by the society, hence putting more pressure on them to quit drinking. And yes, because of Prohibition, many of our drinkers are atleast getting some (healthy) physical exercise because of the difficulties in obtaining alcohol
In conclusion to this article, I think the most important issue is not to haggle fruitlessly over whether drinking is a sin or not but rather focusing on your true inner self and honestly asking yourself this important question: Do you really think that if Prohibition is lifted, the condition of the lives of our youth is going to improve? That the majority of people are going to drink without getting drunk? Remember, the enemy is within all of us, regardless of whether we are thieves or pastors. And that monster within us will rear it’s ugly head out the moment we start losing control of ourselves, making it easier and smoother for us to fight / gravel / provoke / slur / gossip / cheat / break promises / flirt / indulge in casual sex or be unfaithful / break marriages / utter obscenities / envy / loathe / steal / etc. Sure you may still be able to walk straight or remember where you live, but you are no longer your usual normal self; you are now under the power of alcohol. And that my friend, is indeed a sin, indisputably.
There are various verses from the Bible [Source] that encourage people to stay away from alcohol: Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 14:26; 29:6; Judges 13:4,7,14; 1 Samuel 1:15; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4,6; Isaiah 5:11,22; 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12; Micah 2:11 and Luke 1:15, while verses that prohibit Christians from getting drunk are: Ephesians 5:18; Proverbs 23:29-35; 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 2 Peter 2:19 to name a few.
Drinking alcohol in itself may or may not be a sin, but it sure does open the big glistering gate of sin, beckoning us to step inside with every additional drink that we imbibe. And before we can say hic, we’ve already done something that we regret.
Deputy-speaker (at AGAPE Gospel camp) Malsawma gave a very good sermon on the topic “Sin”. Translated to English:
Two guys were walking by the riverside when they saw something floating down the river. It looked like a blanket that somebody must have discarded from upstream. First guy jumped into the water thinking it was his lucky day. But as he swam against the rapids and grabbed the “blanket”, it turned out to be a big brown unconscious bear that fell into the river. The bear regained consciousness and shocked to find itself in that situation, grabbed back the first guy.The above anecdote makes you contemplate a lot, doesn’t it? In a way that’s what you and I go through during our short life here on Earth. We grab hold of a sinful life and when we realize it is wrong and try to let go of it, it is already too late; that sinful life has already taken control of us.
Second guy from the riverbank shouted to his friend in the water, “Is it a blanket?”
The first guy replied, “Hell no! It's a big fat ugly bear and it’s still alive!”
Second guy, “Then why are you still holding it? Let go of it!!!!”
First guy screamed back, “I’m not grabbing it any longer. The stupid bear is grabbing me!”
And with that, both bear and man disappeared beneath the strong current never to be seen again.
Mizoram, one of the only two States in India to enforce the Liquor Total Prohibition Act (MLTP), has been criticized vehemently by the Anti-MLTP lobby, verbally expressing their heart-felt displeasure on the involvement of the Church when it comes to Politics. Some even go to the extent of saying that Jesus himself turned water into wine; so drinking is not a sin. In defense to this statement, I’ve seen Pro-Prohibition Act supporters claim that the wine mentioned in the Bible need not be fermented and that it is just grape juice. And the debate goes on and on and on.
For once, let us stop moving in an endless circle and try to accept that the wine mentioned in the Bible is indeed wine, fermented wine, the type that gives you a tingle sensation, that makes your head spin around after a couple of drinks, that stains your favorite business shirt, that gives you a terrible hangover, that makes you a dad or a mom nine months later…
So, Jesus and his disciples drank wine, alcoholic wine. Fine. In the midst of all the debates and discussions, most of us fail to discuss one very important point. Did the Bible ever mention anything like,
Jesus and his disciples drank wine, ordered a second jar of wine, got another jar free because it was happy-hours, Paul and Philip challenged each other on who could “bottoms-up” an entire jar first, Peter started stripping and dancing on the table, John started bitching about his ex-girlfriend of a fisher-woman, Simon grabbed the fiddle and started DJ’ing, while the remaining disciples roamed around the street beating up anybody that crossed their path.I’ve read many well-written articles by intellect Mizos at various Mizo websites/forums displaying their discontent on the MLTP Act. One can literally feel the passion and anger while going through such articles. Although I admire such profound compositions, I do find most of the articles only revolving around the issue of whether drinking is a sin or not, and no discussions made on the person who is actually drunk.
Some of you may not even remember clearly how life was like before the Prohibition days (1995). I certainly do. After all, I live directly opposite one of the most popular and infamous bars in Aizawl: Sertawk Bar. Those days, there weren’t that many other concrete buildings next to ours in our locality. Hence, everyday around 10-20 strangers, most of them drunk, would knock/bang on our door asking us for money because “they wanted to drink more but suddenly realized they were out of cash and we looked rich enough to pay for their drinks”. My three sisters and I could not step out of our house after sunset because of all the drunks loitering outside our house and fighting/puking everywhere. Relatives and friends dreaded to pay us a visit. It was definitely not the childhood memory any father would want his son to have.
Prohibition changed all that. No more persistent broke drunks. No more fear of what’s lurking right outside our very own door. No more bolting of doors and rechecking of all the latches on the windows at night. We could finally sleep in peace. Ofcourse it is no secret that Sertawk Bar still “manufactures” illicit arrack after the MLTP Act came into force, but the number of drunkards making a public nuisance outside our house has tremendously reduced.
I know in this era of democracy and secularism, some might even feel that Prohibition stands in the way of development or modernism, while some may call it a talibanization of Mizoram and terming it as a gross denial of basic freedom and prerogative of the common man. I completely empathize with such sentiments, but, as someone once said, “your right to freedom ends at the beginning of your neighbor’s right”, can the Anti-MLTP lobby assure that the person who’s drunk is not going to pick up a fight with innocent bystanders, run over children with his car, beat up his wife when he reaches home, abuse anyone within his reach and end up ruining his career and family?
Face it, we Mizos are a hot blooded lot. Other people under the influence of alcohol usually misbehave too, but most of us seem to take that extra mile when it comes to drunken follies. I’m speaking purely out of experience as a heavy drinker for the past 6-7 years. Medical experts proved that drinking a glass of wine a day rejuvenates the body and assuming that drinking a bit of alcohol is not a sin, let us just try to picture a Mizoram with no Prohibition Act. Do you genuinely believe that our children and grown-ups of today are going to spend an evening at the local tavern gulping down just one glass of wine/rum/whisky?
Seriously, how many of us consume alcohol because the doctor said a glass a day can make you live till 90? Is that why we drink 5-6 glasses a day hoping we can live till 300? I used to drink a bottle of Old Monk a day during my extreme days, but I sure as hell didn’t drink it for the “health benefits”; I drank purely just to get drunk, so that I could enjoy the dizziness, the way everything became so seemingly clear and at the same time surreal, the way it made me feel like I am Casanova reincarnated and the way all the not so attractive women around me (pardon me for saying that) suddenly started looking like Victoria Secret models…
We may be the most unified tribe in the North-east, but sadly most of us like to do things in excess, be it the amount of tobacco we consume, the way we dress, the accessories we buy, the music we listen etc. It's in our blood to do that. And speaking in that wavelength, what makes anyone think that we are not going to drink in excess given the opportunity?
Even when I was on the verge of becoming an alcoholic back in Bangalore, I’ve always been in support of the Prohibition Act. That is the reason why I never showed up for the Bangalore MSA debate where I was supposed to participate [Topic: MLTP Act] because I felt it would be hypocritical of me to voice my support for the Prohibition Act while I was getting drunk every night. All my closest friends (regular drinking buddies) who know me well will vouch that I’ve never voiced my displeasure at the Prohibition Act even once (Had to add that line incase some of you might think I am saying all this because of my Camp experience). But now I don’t feel any hesitation to speak my mind openly anymore.
Among many of the online articles that I have read, one such prominent Mizo writer even boldly claimed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit as he spoke out against the Prohibition Act and criticized the Church’s policy, while preposterously blaming Prohibition as the sole cause of the Great American Depression! Questioning the Church is one thing and resorting to gaudy rhetoric is another, but to mock the Holy Spirit is pure blasphemy of the highest order [Mathew 12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come”]. Pray do tell me, if such men are leading the Anti-Prohibition movement, don’t you think you might be better off not following blindly like lambs lead to slaughter?
People say the Prohibition Act failed because of the numerous illegal breweries still existing. I boldly say Prohibition is a success. At the micro level it may look like it failed because one can still acquire illegal booze, but from a broader perspective, it certainly did not fail. Because of Prohibition, the common man now has to shell out more money to buy one decent bottle of liquor when he could have afforded 4 bottles if there was no Prohibition. Because of Prohibition, our streets are cleaner and safer now. Because of Prohibition, more families are having a peaceful and quiet dinner together. Because of Prohibition, people who drink are labeled as pariahs by the society, hence putting more pressure on them to quit drinking. And yes, because of Prohibition, many of our drinkers are atleast getting some (healthy) physical exercise because of the difficulties in obtaining alcohol
In conclusion to this article, I think the most important issue is not to haggle fruitlessly over whether drinking is a sin or not but rather focusing on your true inner self and honestly asking yourself this important question: Do you really think that if Prohibition is lifted, the condition of the lives of our youth is going to improve? That the majority of people are going to drink without getting drunk? Remember, the enemy is within all of us, regardless of whether we are thieves or pastors. And that monster within us will rear it’s ugly head out the moment we start losing control of ourselves, making it easier and smoother for us to fight / gravel / provoke / slur / gossip / cheat / break promises / flirt / indulge in casual sex or be unfaithful / break marriages / utter obscenities / envy / loathe / steal / etc. Sure you may still be able to walk straight or remember where you live, but you are no longer your usual normal self; you are now under the power of alcohol. And that my friend, is indeed a sin, indisputably.
