Regarding your point about Jesus on the cross, point taken. Regarding the above statement, I will differ in terms of the cultural aspect.

Asian culture is still very similar to that of the Bible. Women are bought with a dowry, people bow to each other in greeting, etc. Oftentimes weddings here will last for several days to a week. But one thing astonished me when I attended my first wedding here in Taiwan. The bride and groom did not even sit together at the reception! Furthermore, they each seemed quite occupied whilst everyone was eating. No one seemed to care who ate or did not eat--it was a free-for-all. Perhaps not every wedding is like this. I've only attended a couple here. But I can assure you that the bride and groom would have been oblivious to the status of their guests' eating habits during the reception at both of them. There was no one obligating anyone to eat or not eat. No one seemed to care. True, most were filling their faces rather well. But I think if Jesus were at such a banquet, He could easily eat selectively without any danger of drawing attention to himself or of offending anyone.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Because it tastes good and appetite should a general guideline for my behavior, right?

I wouldn't know as I've never consumed alcohol knowingly other than a few times in cough syrup when I was too young to know better.

Why is it important to take the approach that Jesus didn't eat or drink at the feast?

Now if one says, "good wine" means high octane, then it would be necessary. That is, the host served the cheap near beer at the beginning and then pulled out the 180 proof stuff at the end.

Another approach is that the host used the cheap, about to go bad (ferment), grape juice that had been setting around from last year and then pulled out the freshly squeezed stuff at the end.

Depends upon what "good wine" means.

However, can anyone imagine Jesus producing rotted, fermented stuff containing a poison to humans which has no benefit to anyone for consumption?



A better place to start for support of alcoholic choices is where it says to use tithe money to buy strong drink.

I answered your question by pointing out that it was without merit.

kland,

The answer is probably that it is easier to argue when the drink is unspecified than it is when it is specified in the wrong direction.

If I were dealing with someone trying use scripture to support the consumption of alcohol I'd explain how the effect of a hangover on the brain is indistinguishable from a seizure and how alcohol permanently damages the brain. I would then ask them where in scripture it advises man to destroy their own mind on a daily basis.

ALCOHOL

Question: Did not Jesus and Paul in the Bible endorse the drinking of wine?

Answer: Let Inspiration speak: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Proverbs 20:1.

"Who hath woe" who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." Proverbs 23:29-32.

"The Bible nowhere teaches the use of intoxicating wine, either as a beveraage or as a symbol of the blood of Christ. --Ellen White, Healthful Living, 113.

"The wine created by Christ at this time (the marriage in Cana of Galilee), was the best wine those present had ever tasted. But it was entirely free from all fermentation. Christ Himself had forbidden the use of fermented drink, saying: 'Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations; and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes, which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.' Leviticus 10:9-11.

"Fermented liquor confuses the senses and perverts the powers of the being. God is dishonored when men have not sufficient respect for themselves to practise strict temperance. Fermented wine is not a natural production. The Lord never made it, and with its production He has nothing to do. Paul advised Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach's sake and often infirmities, but he meant the unfermented juice of the grape. He did not advise Timothy to take what the Lord had prohibited." --Ellen White, Signs of the Times, Sept. 6, 1899.

"Some who claim to be Christians feel at liberty to use intoxiating drink, and in this particular they claim to be in harmony with Christ. But Christ did not set the example they claim to imitate. Be assured that He did not make intoxicating wine on the occasion of His first miracle. He gave to those present a drink which it is safe to give to all humanity--the pure juice of the grape. Christ never placed a glass of fermented liquor to His lips or to the lips of His disciples. Drunkenness was rare in Palestine, but Christ looked down the ages, and saw in every generation what the use of wine would do for the users, therefore at this feast He set a right example." Ibid.

"The wine which Christ provided for the feast, (at Cana) and that which He gave to the disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the grape. To this the prophet Isaiah refers when he speaks of the new wine 'in the clusters,' and says, 'Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it' " Isa. 65:8. --Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 149.

"A single glass of wine may open the door of temptation which will lead to habits of drunkenness." --Testimonies, Vol. 4:578.

"When temperance is presented as a part of the gospel, many will see their need of reform. They will see the evil of intoxicating liquors and that total adstinence is the only platform on which God's people can conscientiously stand." Testimonies, Vol. 7:75.

"True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful." --Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 562.

Comment: Brothers and sisters, Inspiration has spoken!

Suzanne

Some folks have not read the last chapter in Proverbs. They also may not have read Deuteronomy 14. On this point, I see a contradiction between Mrs. White and the Bible. I do not wish to see the contradiction, but it is there, and I have never gotten a good explanation for it from anyone.

In Deuteronomy 14, the word used is "shekar" which was clearly alcoholic. So be advised, it was not an error in translation.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

More on Alcohol

The World Health Organization issued a tough warning noting the dangers of alcohol: "It is insufficient and unwise merely to promote the concept of moderate drinking for health reasons." This is in reply to reports that a drink or two a day may deter certain types of diseases. Rather than advancing health, the report said, alcohol actually causes a plethora of social and medical problems, including cancers, accidents, family problems, violence and crime.

Other warning signals:

* Alcohol is addictive. One in 7 who drink will develop alcoholism. Small amounts can lead to dependence.

* Researchers from Harvard Medical School examined the effects of drinking on all causes of death in 22,071 male doctors. They found an increase in cancer in those who had more than one drink a day. Most of the increase was in throat, gastric, urinary tract and brain cancer.

* Other studies link even small amounts of alcohol with hypertension, cancer of the digestive tract, oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, urinary tract, colon and rectum. Medical scientists are also finding adverse effects of alcohol on the bone marrow, the reproductive system, the immune system, dental work, nutrition and sleep. --Los Angeles Times, July 7, 1988.

* Urethane, a compound naturally present in trace amounts in wine, primarily as a result of fermentation has been shown to be a carcinogen (cancer causing). In addition lead (a poison) can leach into wine from lead crystal decanters and glasses and the lead-foil caps that cover the necks of many bottles of "fine" wine. Sulfites (sulfur compounds) added to most wines to kill microbes that cause spoilage, can cause severe allergenic effects in asthmatics and others. Asbestos fibers have been found in beer, wine, sherry and vermouth. The U.S. government allows wine makers to add over 80 additives that aid in fermenting, clarifying, preserving and stabilizing color and taste. Indeed, modern alcoholic beverages have been called chemicalized, sugared rotgut!

* Even the lowest measurable level of alcohol affects perception, information processing, learning, memory, and judgment. --Alcohol & Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Service.

* A study by the Harvard School of Public health showed a 50% increase in the risk of breast cancer among women who drink as little as one 8-ounce glass of wine each day, and a 70% increase among those who had 2 glasses. Over 30 studies link risk of breast cancer with moderate intake of alcohol. --Los Angeles Times, July 27, 1993.

* Women appear to be twice as vulnerable as men to biomedical problems associated with alcohol. Women have less fluid in their bodies to dilute alcohol--because they have more fat in relation to body size than men, and fat contains less water than muscle.

* Alcohol can interact adversely with more than 100 medications, with effects ranging from simple nausea to sudden death.

* One drink is too many. The smallest amount of alcohol can do permanent damage to the liver according to Dr. Marshall Orloff, of the University of California at San Diego: "When a person consumes alcohol, even a little bit, it passes through the liver and in every case liver cells are damaged. The more the drinking the greater the damage."

* Prof. Melvin H. Knisely of the Medical University of South Carolina, an eminent research scientist, has documented the fact that even one drink kills brain cells, which are irreplaceable. --Booze, Bucks, Bamboozle, and You, R.J. McLennan.

* Even small amounts affect the frontal lobes of the brain, which are many times more susceptible to alcohol than any other body cells, This area controls judgment, conscience, imitation and self-control. Most importantly, the frontal lobes and the cortex of the brain are the instrumentalities through which the Spirit of God speaks to the soul of man. --Tract: The Bible and the Use of the Word Wine.

* Health and looks vanish fast with even moderate drinking. Liquor causes premature aging. It doesn't take much alcohol to distort a lovely fresh appearance, exaggerate fine lines around the eyes and mouth, slacken facial muscles, so the face takes on a drooping downward look instead of an upward one. And alcohol is one of the most fattenin things a man or woman can put into the system.

* Paul's advice to Timothy, to drink a little unfermented grape juice for his many infirmities is indeed apropos. Grapes are used throughout the world for their curative effects and have been called the "queen of fruits" because of their great internal body cleansing properties. Grape juice is easily assimilated and is indicated in cases of constipation, gout, rheumatism, skin, kidney and liver complains=ts. Grape juice is alkalinizing to the blood and quite soothing to the nervous system. Concord grape juice is high in iron; an excellent blood builder and energy booster. --Foods That Heal, Bernard Jensen.

By eating lots of fruits and vegetables, we will get an adequate amount of protective compounds safely and generously, without having to rely on the many questionable and dangerous factors found in red wine and other forms of alcohol. We must in the fear of the Lord, be very careful and not allow the deceptive powers of Satan to trap us into cosuming something condemned by the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and science.

Suzanne

I'm curious, what is your conclusion based on this find GC?