Had a few drinks last evening - did I commit a mortal sin?

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Last evening, after we put our son to bed, my wife, my mom and I sat on our back porch, had nice conversations and had a few mixed drinks. We each had three glasses. We didn’t get drunk, but I know I started to feel the effects. Was that still in moderation?
 
There is nothing wrong with occasionally getting a bit “elevated” on a holiday (keeping in mind not driving while so elevated). What is wrong is gross drunkenness, especially on a regular basis.
 
Lampo, sounds like something I should do sometime. 🙂 😃 It sounds sooooo relaxing to sit on the porch and have a couple of drinks.
I don’t think you did anything wrong.
 
IMHO you did absolutely nothing wrong.

For drinking to be a sin, I believe it needs to be to the extent that you would be more likely to commit immoral acts (an occasion of sin) or be deleterious to your health.

God Bless.
 
Your only sin was not to invite me to come over. I forgive you.
 
Sounds like you all were in your right mind, and not out on the highway driving impaired. I don’t drink alcohol myself - I’ve never understood the allure, but most of my family do.
 
Some of the best conversations I’ve had with my Mom, Dad, or Wife have been on the patio, with a fire in the pit, and a few drinks under our belts.
 
Ummm, I hate to spoil the party: one, uh two, but uh three? Wasn’t two enough? That’s a lot of alcohol.

I know drinking is big in the United States, and the alcohol industry advertises it to make it look like fun and enjoyable; but we all know that alcohol destroys people’s lives and drunk driving kills thousands of people.

The fact that getting drunk is a sin sounds like Martian speech to most people. We have a culture that revolves around alcoholic beverages.

If your serious about your faith, you should exercise Temperance in drinking. I would stick to one or two. It also depends on your weight. Everyone is going to say, well why is it a sin, he didn’t get falling down drunk?

Alcohol affects the Temple of the Holy Spirit–the body, the mind. The Holy Spirit is present in us. Ideally, that’s the only type of Spirit you need. It clouds your judgement and affects your Reason. It could, depending on the circumstances, cause you to make bad choices and lead to impure words, thoughts, or actions.

You can drink as a Catholic, but in moderation. I’m sorry, but three in a short space of time sounds like one too many.

I remember one priest who gave a homily and said Americans worship three gods; Venus, the goddess of Lust; Mammon, the god of money; and Bacchus, the god of alcohol.

You kind of indicate that were intoxicated and you said that you did indeed feel the “effects.” You weren’t toasted, but still you were intoxicated. I would say you were intoxicated, and you probably would have blown 0.8 on a Breath Analyzer Test.

Given the Church’s instruction and St. Paul’s writings on the Holy Spirit, I think you did commit a mortal sin. The culpability for it is probably greater the more drunk you are, but it is a sin for the reasons stated above. Temperance is the hallmark of the Chrisitian life.

I know we live in a hedonistic, materialistic society, but getting slightly buzzed is not the Christian thing to do.

If you go to confession, you should ask your priest (someone who is old-fashioned and not a lberal) about this. Just tell him what you said in the question. He’ll tell you for certain if it was a mortal sin or not.
 
depends on who mixed the drinks
if it was my brother, you were totally looped on 3 drinks
if they were normal, you were probably mellow but in no condition to drive.

In my childhood everybody’s parents drank, every gathering meant beer at least and at least in our home wine for Sunday and holiday dinners including a small glass for children. My dad had 2 bourbon highballs after work before you could even talk to him, then we had dinner. DH’s dad drank martinis. I never recall seeing my father drunk to the point of inebriation, silliness, or worse, violence, (although we were very familiar with true alcoholics elsewhere in the family, so I know the signs). Whether or not this was abuse of alcohol I don’t know. But I learned when I was raising my kids, and found a glass of wine was great for stress, I also learned there is a thin line, easy to cross, between some and too much. I also learned it is pathetically easy, esp. when alcoholism is in the genes, to self-medicate with it and how dangerous that can be.
 
“Full consent” is one of the three factors for mortal sin. A lifelong habit and/or a predisposition make full consent somewhat questionable. Growing up as a teen and early twenties, going out and drinking better then 20-30 beers in a evening (someone mentioned three was the limit) was a normal event for nearly every friday and saturday evening. Those days are long since over and I fully admit those years were wasted and I am lucky to have never hurt anybody. However, “three” comparatively speaking would be a difficult limit for me to constantly maintain.
 
Interesting. Like I said earlier, I don’t drink now, I don’t like the taste and on the few times when I have drunk alcohol I found that it only took a very small amount to get me feeling out of control. I’ve concluded it would be dangerous for me to indulge. So I won’t.
 
Dwyer said:
Alcohol affects the Temple of the Holy Spirit–the body, the mind. The Holy Spirit is present in us. Ideally, that’s the only type of Spirit you need. It clouds your judgement and affects your Reason. It could, depending on the circumstances, cause you to make bad choices and lead to impure words, thoughts, or actions.
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I think the operative word here is “could.” Did it? If not, then no reason to hyperventilate. If yes, the confess, and resolve to sin no more.

Even in The Book of Acts, when the Apostles were speaking in tongues and people were making rude comments, St. Peter told them that no way were they (the Apostles) drunk because it was too early in the day.
 
I’m pretty sure it’s not a mortal sin unless you get completely drunk. And even then, only if the other 2 conditions are met as well (full consent, knowledge of serious matter).

I’ve heard of getting buzzed as being a venial sin, but never a mortal one. Look it up, I’m pretty sure it’s in the CCC.
 
Lampo said:
Last evening, after we put our son to bed, my wife, my mom and I sat on our back porch, had nice conversations and had a few mixed drinks. We each had three glasses. We didn’t get drunk, but I know I started to feel the effects. Was that still in moderation?
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Having a few drinks is not a sin.

CCC 2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.
 
“Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.” - ILN 9/11/09
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G.K. Chesterton

Now, with a quote like that who can’t help but love Chesterton!

If you’ve ever attended a Seder meal, you will have drank more than two drinks. Jesus was a Jew. Jesus ate many a Seder. Jesus drank many a glass of wine.
 
Black_Jaque said:
G.K. Chesterton

Now, with a quote like that who can’t help but love Chesterton!

If you’ve ever attended a Seder meal, you will have drank more than two drinks. Jesus was a Jew. Jesus ate many a Seder. Jesus drank many a glass of wine.
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And at Cana, after all the wine for the party was gone, Jesus created much more so everyone could party on.
 
Lampo said:
Last evening, after we put our son to bed, my wife, my mom and I sat on our back porch, had nice conversations and had a few mixed drinks. We each had three glasses. We didn’t get drunk, but I know I started to feel the effects. Was that still in moderation?
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Alcohol in moderation is not a sin as noted by many others, But if you are questioning your drinking, is it because you are trying to control it?
 
Dwyer said:
Ummm, I hate to spoil the party: one, uh two, but uh three? Wasn’t two enough? That’s a lot of alcohol.
Temperance is the hallmark of the Chrisitian life.
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A gallon is eight pints because that was considered to be the amount of ale that a peasant would drink in a day.
Now peasants did hard manual labour, and the ale tended to be weak. Coffee and tea hadn’t been invented and water was dangerous to drink. So I don’t suggest you drink 8 pints of Bud every day. However it puts it into some perspective.

If you start throwing up, or spending money you can’t afford, or if you get into trouble whilst drinking, then its time to look at the amount that you drink. However most people don’t drink like that.
 
I gotta say, I’m 21, weigh about 140, and if I have three drinks, it does nothing to me. Maybe a slight buzz is all. I see nothing wrong with having a relaxing evening and having a few drinks. I have gotten drunk in the past, but was raised with a father who was drunk most every night of my growing up, so until recently never realized the mortal sin I was committing. I’m not much of a drinker, and now that I fully understand how wrong it is I will not drink to excess again. Two or three drinks is nothing to feel bad about though, especially when for most people thats no where near drunk(depending on size of drinks and amount of alcohol in them of course). Sounds like everyone in your situation was being responsible and simply enjoying themselves. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.
 
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