Confused College Student

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Whether or not you stop drinking is up to you.
Personally, I’m in favor of a little wine now and again or a beer or two or three with dinner but on very rare occasions. Maybe once a month or less for me.
What you should be most concerned about is “accidentally” drinking too much or someone slipping something into your drink.
I am against “drinking games” and driving because I’ve seen the effects of drunk drivers running people over. Alcohol isn’t a game. A lot of college students don’t get that (I’m also a college student). But you didn’t come for a lecture.

My advice, try to associate with more students at the Newman club on campus, and most of the time, you’ll get a feel for which are the one’s they may be drinking at; go on hikes, adoration, etc with them. Or find a nother parish that is more geared toward the sacraments.
 
Thanks for your replies. I know I am not yet 21, and am obviously aware of the law in the U.S…which I don’t agree with, but that is a completely different matter. So should I stop drinking completely?
Yes, it is good to follow the laws of Ceasar… You are required by law to abstain completey from alchoholic beverages. No matter how much you disagree with the law you should comply with it.
 
Paul spoke a lot about partying in his epistles. His conclusion? Drunks will not see the kingdom of God for a variety of reasons.
 
Isn’t there a difference, though, between ocassionally having a few drinks and being a drunk?
 
Isn’t there a difference, though, between ocassionally having a few drinks and being a drunk?
Yes there is. I recall that Jesus contemporaries called him a drunkard.
Matthew 11:19
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
Also his first miracle was changing water into wine.

Alcohol is not bad in and of itself. It is one’s addiction to it that makes it bad.
 
Hey there, lovesummer. As someone who has been there, done that, I can tell you that what I’m about to suggest is going to make some people really mad at you. That said…

My freshman year of college was spent much the same way you spent yours - going to Mass every Sunday, but going out with friends partying on a fairly regular basis. I wasn’t having sex, but if that’s all you have as a basis of what makes you a good Catholic, then you’re going to find the Catholic church a very dull, empty place to be instead of the vibrant way of life it is.

My wake-up call came one day in the spring semester and I decided that I didn’t want to live the kind of life I’d been living before. So - I continued the good activities I’d been doing with my sorority, but I got more involved with the Catholic campus ministry and began participating in their events and hanging out with those kids instead. You mentioned that you were disappointed in the actions of the leadership of the community. There are a few ways to get around that. One is to find the kids that don’t act like that and spend time with them. Another is to talk to the “adult” leaders (seeing as how you’re all over 18, you’re all “adults”) and see if there’s anything that can be changed from the top down. Another is to actually take on some of those leadership roles and change the community through your own example.

Someone here mentioned FOCUS. I can’t recommend that organization enough. They are phenomenal at evangelizing within the Catholic community, and they did a wonderful job on my campus. If they’re not on your campus, see if you can petition them to come to yours.

Finally - you might have to defriend people in real life. If the people that you have been spending time with are pulling you down much more than you are bringing them up, it might be time to just part ways. That is the hardest (and hopefully last-resort) thing that you might have to do. It might just end up happening simply because of how you spend your time. But I do wish you luck.

(Sorry if this seems disjointed - I’m running out the door to dinner)
 
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