Eight-Year-Old Beer Drinker

The following is a small excerpt from my book, Cracking the Wine Case (www.unpopulartruth.org/index.html).

...Eight years old; that’s quite young to be hanging out at the local bar and helping great-granddad produce liquor at the moonshine distillery. If that were true, it would make for a superb testimony; in fact, I could probably get a TV or movie deal, or at least star on the latest Christian television program highlighting my miraculous transformation. But I believe I would be embellishing things just a bit.  No, at the tender age of eight I wasn’t quite the pre-adolescent alcoholic. The only thing I was addicted to then was the delicious ice cream from the van that drives through the neighborhood blasting nursery rhymes. I did, however, have some moments of experimentation when I allowed my curiosity to get the best of me. There is one event at that young age that I still remember very vividly.

            My parents and I were attending a secular wedding reception dinner where beer seemed to be the drink of choice. Now, my parents did not drink (they were Baptist!), but I was all too curious to find out what the golden, foamy stuff was that everyone wanted to get their hands on. At first glance, it appeared that all the drinkers were so happy. I could only wonder if it was due to the yellowish elixir, the on-tap beer with the permeating aroma that didn’t project the best flavor but had a strange enticement to it.

    I mean, c’mon, it’s not that hard for an eight year old to figure out; there were barely any people in line to get the little tooth-pick stuck meatball hors d’ oeuvres, but the guests were lined up out the door for the beer. When kids see people lined up for a drink like they’re waiting in line to get on an amusement park ride, a little light comes on that won’t go off until the curiosity is satisfied. I just had to find out about this drink.Well, you might have guessed it; before the night was over, I inquired with my parents about the alcoholic drinks. Of course, being the good parents that they were, they attempted to tell me how bad and dangerous beer was, but certainly an eight year old could care less. Mom and dad had said the same thing about climbing trees, toy BB guns and other fun stuff, therefore I figured I needed to do my own personal research on what they inferred was nothing more than an imprisoning poison. I remember wanting to try the beer so much that I had already imagined what type of ice cream flavor it must have tasted like. There was no way I was going to let up until I tasted it for myself.  After some time, my parents finally gave in and they let me “taste” the beer. I don’t even know if I should say that I tasted it because I never swallowed it (oh boy, now I sound like a pompous politician).  My dad, all-knowing as he was in this situation, took me near the drinking fountain just before he gave me the cup of beer. I took one emboldened sip and my taste buds repelled it like it was a rejected organ transplant. Needless to say, I spit it out. I think that I spent the next ten minutes with my mouth locked on to the metal piece that protrudes from the drinking fountain, flushing my mouth out with water until every last trace was gone. That was it. That is all it took for me. Well, that is until peer pressure reared its ugly head nine years later…   PEERS WITH BEER             Ah yes, the power of peer pressure is a hard thing to conquer.  When I was seventeen, a few friends and co-workers invited me to a New Years Eve party. My girlfriend at the time  was hosting the event. When I arrived, the place was full of alcohol in just about every form imaginable.I had no idea how they were able to obtain it, but at that stage in my life I didn’t ask questions or think too straight. At this juvenile party, I discovered things like gelatin-alcohol shots, crystallized alcoholic drinks, drinks that tasted like mouthwash, cinnamon sugar and even hard liquors. My “friends” graciously helped me discover the taste of each one. I was enraptured and heavily intoxicated in just a few short minutes. What was supposed to be a “party,” turned sour fast.

Ancient Secrets

Recent archeological discoveries in Egypt from around 2700 BC have located jars underground that were used to store wine. Apparently, they had full knowledge on how temperature affects the quality of the drink.[i]

The next day I woke up with a pounding headache, which I later discovered is what people call a “hangover.” Actually, that next morning was all too strange: lying in my bed, I vividly recalled every negative situation from the party; in fact, I still remember it today like it was yesterday. It was at that point that I determined that drinking wasn’t too bright a thing to do even though I did not have complete understanding of its composition nor its effects on the mind.  All I knew is that it was causing me to be depressed. It had numbed my senses the night before, but the next day I was miserable; and it was then that I understood why people wake up to start drinking again (Proverbs 23:35). The depression is too much.During that morning of intense melancholy, I remember wondering how people live like this on a weekly or even nightly basis. At that time in my youth, I could have cared less whether or not it was God’s will to abstain from beverage alcohol; I merely allowed common sense to guide me into a realization that alcohol had to be a devastating poison because of the effects it had on my mind and body (I now know it was the Lord keeping me from it.)   To help solidify my view on alcohol, on several occasions, I saw some of my friend’s parents come home from work drunk. Each time, I silently watched these husbands and fathers physically abuse their spouse and my friends for no reason at all. I can even recall a situation where drinking involved death—and it hit close to home because it was my family friend. I saw the marked devastation and aggression infused in friends and family by alcohol and illicit drug consumption, and I decided that I would not be traveling down this road—not even lightly.  It is true that I did not give into the pervasive, all-consuming toxin of alcoholism for very long. However, with that said, I still lost the battle of temptation in other areas—dark sins that led me down a path of almost complete devastation. Amazingly enough, however, is the fact that my own issues—issues too complex to get into in a book this size—shared the same demoralizing components as drinking. They are similar because they are both drenched in pure selfishness and born from the same evil father—the devil himself (John 8:44). All sin comes from one source: the father of lies, Satan, the great deceiver, and the one who blinds the eyes of his unsuspecting prey.  LORD, OPEN OUR EYES  There is only one way that we will come to the knowledge of the truth regarding the issue of whether Christians should drink alcoholic beverages: the Lord must remove the callous scales over our eyes and bring us into the truth to further His will. The truth will not automatically take precedence just because of mere intellectual examination. We must submit our will to the Lord. Shortly after I had collected all my historical and cultural data to complete the manuscript for this book, someone shared an interesting, and probably fabled story about alcohol. Apparently, the legend goes that a certain preacher had come to a small town during Prohibition—a period of time in U.S. history when the manufacturing and consumption of alcoholic drinks was illegal—to preach about the devastating effects of alcohol.                As the minister was preparing for his sermon, he took out two drinking glasses and filled one with water and the other with liquor to help illustrate his message. When he had set the glasses in front of everyone, he took two earthworms and put one in each of the glasses. He then asked the audience to tell him which worm was living and which was dying. The people could clearly see that that the worm in the water was still much alive, but the one in the alcohol was nearly dead. The minister asked the crowd to explain the moral of this illustration. One person in the crowd immediately jumped out of his seat and said, “The moral of the story is that if I drink alcohol, it will kill all the worms and any infirmity in my stomach.” Let’s just say that that’s not what the minister was trying to convey in his message.  

Ancient Secrets

It was common for ancient near eastern children and the elderly to take part in drinking wine because it killed bacteria. This was one of the only safe and economical methods of sterilization in biblical times.[ii]

The point is, regardless of how well we may seem to present our case, someone will always view the evidence with “rose-colored” lenses. In other words, they will see what they want to see about the matter. Clearly, not everyone understands the devastating effects of alcoholic drinks like I did in my youth. Therefore, the first step in achieving the reality of this matter is to pray to God and ask the Holy Spirit to remove the cloudy cataracts that keep us from the full illumination to His truth. I pray that you are doing that now. Simply ask the Lord to open your eyes of understanding for complete revelation on this subject. If you do not submit your will to the Lord, few concepts in this book will make sense.             I sincerely pray that no reader will follow the example of British-born, American comedian, Henry Youngman, when confronted with this moral issue.  Mr. Youngman said this  about alcoholic beverage consumption: “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.”[iii] Unfortunately, this is the attitude that many have taken toward this subject—even those in the Church. In the next few chapters, we will launch into an in-depth investigation on why people drink, as well as discover the customs of the ancients that will bring clarity to obscure elements within the drinking debate. One of the main features of this book is a chapter that deals specifically with the scriptures regarding Christians and drinking—and I think you’ll like the layout; it’s a little unusual, but very interesting. Then we will address the formal arguments on both sides of the drinking issue, as well as learn the modern condition of the Church and its role in alcohol consumption and promotion.  Finally, we will wrap up the discussion with a section on finding freedom from alcoholism and other devastating sins. There is something for everyone in the succeeding chapters. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. But, before we get entrenched in the details, I am going to share a very interesting story about an invitation I received to “skip church and go to the local pub.” The events outlined in the next chapter were the catalyst that moved this writing from a mere Bible study to the book you’re now reading. I hope you’re ready for an intriguing adventure!  

Ancient Secrets

The medieval monks were said to be some of the greatest manufacturers of beer and wine. They were so liberal that they were even allowed to drink beer during religious fasts.[iv]