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Before I started my year of living biblically, I had feared that I’d be forced into twelve months of sobriety. After all, I knew the puritans had a reputation for condemning alcohol. And certain fundamentalist Christians think of booze as up there with adultery, idol worship and South Park. Some even argue that the “wine” drunk in the Bible is not wine at all, but actually grape juice. This was apparently the thinking of a temperance advocate named Thomas Welch who tried to sell “unfermented wine” in the late 19th century for communion services. He failed. At least until his family changed the name to grape juice and marketed it to the secular.
The truth is,
Biblical wine is wine. But is it a good thing or a bad thing?
In some passages, wine seems like a gift from God. In other passages, it’s portrayed as a wicked toxin:
“[wine] bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind utter perverse things.” (Proverbs 23:32-34).
To clear things up, I found the expert of all experts, a Christian oenophile named Daniel Whitfield who has made an astoundingly exhaustive study of every alcohol reference in Scripture Bible – all 247 of them.
Marijuana and the Bible, the negative and positive references to hooch, and what happened when Noah got drunk all after the jump…
On the negative side,
(I’m quoting Whitfeld’s findings here) there are 17 warnings against abusing alcohol, 19 examples of people abusing alcohol, 3 references to selecting leaders, and one verse advocating abstinence if drinking will cause a brother to stumble. Total negative references: 40, or 16%.
On the positive side,
there are 59 references to the commonly accepted practice of drinking wine (and strong drink) with meals, 27 references to the abundance of wine as an example of God’s blessing, 20 references to the loss of wine and strong drink as an example of God’s curse, 25 references to the use of wine in offerings and sacrifices, 9 references to wine being used as a gift, and 5 metaphorical references to wine as a basis for a favorable comparison. Total positive references: 145, or 59%.Neutral references make up the remaining 25 percent.
If I could add one observation to Whitfield’s study: There is also one reference to medicinal alcohol: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23)
It comes down to the battle between the Bible’s gusto for life, and the Bible’s wariness of excess. Between its Epicureanism and Puritanism. You can find both themes in the Scriptures. The Epicurean side is best seen in Ecclesiastes:
“There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.”
The key seems to be to enjoy wine as one of the many great things that God has provided us. But don’t enjoy it too much. Use what Anheuser-Busch public service announcements call “Responsible drinking.” Otherwise, bad things happen. For instance, after the Flood, Noah got sozzled and passed out naked. Noah’s son Ham walked in on him nude and presumably mocked him, and Noah cursed Ham’s descendants to slavery. So that didn’t turn out well.
Or else there’s the remarkable story of what happened when Lot – the one who fled Sodom – drank too much. Lot had escaped to a cave with his two daughters (his wife, as you know, had been turned into a pillar of salt). The daughters, thinking all other men in the world had died, got their father very, very drunk – and slept with him. Both got pregnant. Their incestuous offspring founded two nations – Moab and Amon – which became enemies of Israel.
Too much wine is an abomination. But a glass or two? That seems fine. Incidentally, I did an Internet search for marijuana and the Bible. As I suspected, someone has figured out a way to make the Bible seem in favor of pot-smoking. Not only does the website equalirghts4all quote Genesis 1:29 (“Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth.…To you it will be for meat”), but it claims Moses’ holy anointing oil contained a high concentration of THC. This, as my high school hero Jeff Spicoli used to say, seems totally bogus.
Comments (18)
Comment
Whatever, Jesus smoked pot.
posted by TMo on 11-5-2007 at 7:47 am
A. J.,
I’ve read a number of excerpts of your book online, but not the entire thing. Originally, it seemed as though this was going to be a sarcastic experiment, but it appears that you are more genuine and charitable than I originally thought.
Considering your otherwise thoughtful attitude, I was surprised to see you use “Puritan” - a religious term - in such a negative and ironically ill-informed way. The Puritans themselves were pretty heavy drinkers (as a product of coming to the New World and not having any other trustworthy supplies), and the beginning of the Catechism states that man exists to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Make what you will of Puritans, but they were neither teetotalers nor were they averse to enjoyment.
-JAK
posted by Justin Anthony Knapp on 11-5-2007 at 7:55 am
It doesn’t say you can’t smoke crack, shoot up heroine or anything like that in the bible either.
You have to use a principle..
Matt 22:37- (Paraphrased) Must worship god with your heart, soul and MIND.
Can’t worship god with your whole mind if you’re geeked up on weed can you? Never mind crack or LSD or anything else like that.
Also, 1 Corinthians 7:1-(Paraphrased) Must cleanse yourself of ever defilement of flesh.
Taking in drugs obviously has adverse effects on the body. You wouldn’t be cleansing yourself if you were high all the time.
Based on those 2 things: Stay away from dugs.
posted by Terrance on 11-5-2007 at 8:23 am
Every time I read your posts I think to myself, “I’ve got to get my hands on a copy of this guys book.” But then I become distracted by a shiny object, and, you know, go off to…
…
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Awesome observations. Keep ‘em coming. I’m always interested in nonreligious thought on Christianity, being a nonreligious Christian of sorts. Nicely done.
posted by Ashley on 11-5-2007 at 8:29 am
I have to agree with Ashley… I wonder if your book has come out in South America yet? Anywho, very interesting comments. As a practicing Catholic (though not the Bible-quoting type) it is always interesting to hear and debate alternativo points of view. It makes for a much more involved religious experience if you are forced to question and logically defend your point of view, doesnt it?
posted by GTT on 11-5-2007 at 8:58 am
As a pastor’s daughter I discussed these thins ad nauseum at the dinner table (and bar, fire pit, etc. sites) growing up. It’s really pretty complicated, but we arrived at the conclusion that drinking is absolutely not forbidden in the Bible and actually is listed as a good way to celebrate; the abuse of alcohol is what is wrong, and that is an issue with the person imbibing and not with the substance itself. I should point out, though, that the other half contributing to this gene pool is a German immigrant, so you can guess how much beer was usually around.
Crap, this could get way too long for a comment. Pot somking is a whole other can of worms. Anyone who wants can certainly email me at Lorinjuliet@gmail.com though to discuss. It’s fun AND educational!
posted by LorinJuliet on 11-5-2007 at 9:35 am
Terance,
McDonald’s would be a “defilement of the flesh”, too.
Also, using cleaning products or driving a car would be, too (those darn chemical fumes! They go EVERYWHERE!)
As is typical in the Bible, if you read JUST SO, you can make a case for or against ANYTHING.
posted by Moon on 11-5-2007 at 9:46 am
Marijuana is called “Kaneh Bosm” (or kannabosm) in the bible.
Apologies for the caps:
YOU HAVE NOT BROUGHT ANY KANEH FOR ME, OR LAVISHED ON ME THE FAT OF YOUR SACRIFICES. BUT YOU HAVE BURDENED ME WITH YOUR SINS AND WEARIED ME WITH YOUR OFFENCES.
ISAIAH 43:23-24
This is God reprimanding the Israelites for not bringing Marijuana
———————-
THEN THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, “TAKE THE FOLLOWING FINE SPICES: 500 SHEKELS OF LIQUID MYRRH, HALF AS MUCH OF FRAGRANT CINNAMON, 250 SHEKELS OF KANNABOSM, 500 SHEKELS OF CASSIA - ALL ACCORDING TO THE SANCTUARY SHEKEL - AND A HIND OF OLIVE OIL. MAKE THESE INTO MAKE THESE INTO A SACRED ANNOITING OIL, A FRAGRANT BLEND, THE WORK OF A PERFUMER. IT WILL BE THE SACRED ANNOITING OIL.
THEN USE IT TO ANOINT THE TENT OF THE MEETING, THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY, THE TABLE AND ALL ITS ARTICLES, THE LAMPSTAND AND ITS ACCESSORIES, THE ALTAR OF INCENSE, THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING AND ALL ITS UTENSILS, AND THE BASIN WITH ITS STAND. YOU SHALL CONSECRATE THEM SO THEY WILL BE MOST HOLY, AND WHATEVER TOUCHES THEM WILL BE HOLY.
ANOINT AARON AND HIS SONS AND CONSECRATE THEM SO THEY MAY SERVE ME AS PREISTS. SAY TO THE ISRAELITES, “THIS IS TO BE MY SACRED ANOINTING OIL FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. DO NOT POUR IT ON MEN’S BODIES AND DO NOT MAKE ANY OIL WITH THE SAME FORMULA. IT IS SACRED, AND YOU ARE TO CONSIDER IT SACRED. WHOEVER MAKES PERFUME LIKE IT AND WHOEVER PUTS IT ON ANYONE OTHER THAN A PREIST MUST BE CUT OFF FROM HIS PEOPLE.”
EXODUS 30:22-33
————————————–
COME WITH ME FROM LEBANON, MY BRIDE, COME WITH ME FROM LEBANON. DESCEND FROM THE CREST OF AMANA, FROM THE TOP OF SENIR, THE SUMMIT OF HERMON. . .
HOW DELIGHTFUL IS YOUR LOVE, MY SISTER, MY BRIDE! HOW MUCH MORE PLEASING IS YOUR LOVE THAN WINE, AND THE FRAGRANCE OF YOUR OINTMENT THAN ANY SPICE!. . .
THE FRAGRANCE OF YOUR GARMENTS IS LIKE THAT OF LEBANON. . .
YOUR PLANTS ARE AN ORCHARD OF POMEGRANATES WITH CHOICE FRUITS, WITH HENNA AND NARD, NARD AND SAFFRON, KANEH AND CINNAMON, WITH EVERY KIND OF INCENSE TREE.
SONG OF SONGS 4:8-14
——————————-
AND HE LAID IT UPON MY MOUTH AND SAID, LO, THIS HATH TOUCHED THY LIPS; AND THYNE INIQUITY IS TAKEN AWAY, AND THY SIN PURGED.
ISAIAH 6:4-7
—————————
DANITES AND GREEKS FROM UZAL BOUGHT YOUR MERCHANDISE; THEY EXCHANGED WROUGHT IRON, CASSIA AND KANEH FOR YOUR WARES.
EZEKIEL 27:19
————————
THEN GOD SAID, I GIVE YOU EVERY SEED-BEARING PLANT ON THE FACE OF THE WHOLEEARTH, AND EVERY TREE THAT HAS FRUIT IN IT.”
GENESIS 1:29-30
posted by Holy Sacrament on 11-5-2007 at 9:49 am
Moon,
I agree 100%. But it’s also sustenance (arguable point though :P). Weed is not food and is not needed to live.
Though neither is McDonald’s.
Who’s to say by eating food thats known to be detrimental to your health isn’t frowned upon by god?
And Holy Sacrament, I looked up other translations (about 15) of the Isaiah 43 and every one (save for 1 I believe) translated it Cane (some Sugar cane).
posted by Terrance on 11-5-2007 at 10:13 am
@Holy Sacrament:
First, if you have an all-caps source, use a word processor or FireFox add-on like LeetKey to convert to sentence case. It’s not hard to do, and it’s courteous.
Second, what translation is that? The word “kaneh” did not appear in any translation on BibleGateway.com (and there are a lot of them there).
Isaiah 43:23-24, New International Version: “You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense. (24) You have not brought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.”
posted by sfs on 11-5-2007 at 11:17 am
If your god has a problem w/ a little wine drinking or pot smoking, then screw him. Who wants to hang out with a god that anal.
posted by DW on 11-5-2007 at 11:21 am
From Mark 7:
14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.[h]”
posted by Miss Cellania on 11-5-2007 at 11:35 am
I think what the article showed, is that the Bible does not condemn alcohol, but being out of control under the influence of alcohol (or drunk). People have said that wine in Bible times had much lower alcohol content. Whatever. The problem is not in drinking a glass of wine, but being unable to control your actions.
I think the same principle would apply biblically with marijuana and other such substances (ignoring the fact that they are illegal, which opens a whole other can of worms). If you can smoke (or whatever) the drugs without being under their influence, then there is no prohibition against them.
posted by Andrea on 11-5-2007 at 2:49 pm
As a postscript to myself, I don’t personally think that is possible, and if it is, then that person’s probably battling an addiction which is also a way of losing control.
posted by Andrea on 11-5-2007 at 3:06 pm
It’s a well known fact that Lot used his wife to salt his Margarita glass ;)
posted by Johnny Cat on 11-5-2007 at 3:47 pm
@holy sacrament (sic)-
I searched KJV (the version AJ Jacobs is using), Douay-Rheims, and the Vulgate (Latin). Most of the instances of “Kaneh” you indicate are recorded as “calamus”. Well, calamus is a palm tree, not any sort of hemp product. What stoner scripture version are you quoting? You need to specify what version you’re pulling this from…
Further, the Isaiah 6:4-7 one about putting something to one’s lips is about an angel (specifically a seraphim) touching a LIVE COAL, not a reefer to the lips! Geez, it’s plainly stated in Isaiah 6:6… St. Jerome translated Isaiah into Latin (in the Vulgate) in the 5th century and he used the word “calculus” (small stone or live coal) to describe what was going to the lips. The subsequent English translations used “live coal”. I don’t have access to the original Hebrew text (nor could I read it), but I’m pretty sure it didn’t use the Hebrew word for “spliff”.
You’ve spent too much time with the demon weed, my friend.
posted by Sid Morrison on 11-5-2007 at 4:10 pm
I wonder how many anti-alcohol passages appear only after someone has inserted their own opinions while they were making a translation of the bible.
posted by Tdave on 11-6-2007 at 2:53 am
First of all, Johnny Cat - best comment on here, as far as humor’s sake.
Weed, I am by no means an expert on this matter. I do have strong convictions though. I do think that God placed weed on the earth for specific reasons, none of which are to get high. Perhaps the plants are here for a medicinal purpose, only the creator knows.
Alcohol - I personally do not drink, but I do not think that the Bible condemns drinking. It is a personal choice. The person who follows God and chooses to drink must be able to handle it. If you are using alcohol to replace what you should be receiving from God, then you should not drink. If you are drinking occasionally and not for a buzz, then you are probably ok.
Tdave - you are right about translations. I do think some things have been changed to accomodate what the church at that time wanted to be the case.
It is all about what you feel in a relationship with God. God is a God of grace not rules. If you are going after Him and continue to do things that you feel are not right, than you are not being obedient. Do not follow man’s rules, follow God’s rules. However, the Bible does state that you must obey the governing authorities. Romans 13:1. So you certainly want to obey the law.
I may just be babbling here, just my personal insight.
posted by SongLee on 11-6-2007 at 10:41 pm