Is it a sin to allow someone to drink, when they are younger than legal age, for cultural reasons- even if they are under adult supervision and have p

[puzzleannie]

I think the title of the post should be a title, a phrase giving the gist of the post, not an essay.

 

[BobP123]

Cultural reasons aside, it is to be remembered that young livers and other bodily functions aren’t developed to the point where their bodies can process alcohol to the same extent as adult bodies. While a small amount of alcohol may be in fact beneficial for an adult’s arteries, it may be lethal for a minor, especially an infant, if not cause permanent damage. There have been many medical studies done to show this.

 

[deb1]

You must be 21 years of age to buy alcohol. It is NOT now, nor has it ever been, illegal for PARENTS to give their OWN children alcohol. You may not give any other minor alcohol, but you can give it to your own children.

i think that this varies from state to state.

i have a 17 year old son and often i’ve considered letting him have some beer, not a lot. i don’t want his first drinking experience to be like many american teenagers, which normally involves binge drinking. sadly, i am not certain what the laws in nc are and i certainly don’t want to get in legal trouble over this issue.

 

[Mirdath]

i have a 17 year old son and often i’ve considered letting him have some beer, not a lot. i don’t want his first drinking experience to be like many american teenagers, which normally involves binge drinking. sadly, i am not certain what the laws in nc are and i certainly don’t want to get in legal trouble over this issue.

Here’s the list. Unfortunately it seems that NC is one of many states without a family exception

 

[deb1]

Here’s the list. Unfortunately it seems that NC is one of many states without a family exception

how crazy is that? i have verbally told my son about moderate drinking and not getting drunk. he has witnessed that when his father and i drink, it is just a glass or two of wine, but i really am frightened that his first experience with drinking alcohol will be with other young people. this worries me.

in america, binge drinking seems to be expected among young people. i think that our attitudes on alcohol causes this behavior among young people. instead of seeing alcohol as something that is done to relax a bit, or enjoy the taste of, many see alcohol consumption as merely a means to get drunk.

i don’t want my son to fall into this line of thinking.

by the way, my shift key on the left side of my board is out and the shift key on the right side only works occasionally. that is why i don’t have any capital letters in this post. hopefully, i will have this problem fixed in a week.

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

You must be 21 years of age to buy alcohol. It is NOT now, nor has it ever been, illegal for PARENTS to give their OWN children alcohol. You may not give any other minor alcohol, but you can give it to your own children.

That’s an important point. American law isn’t actually as the OP imagines it is.

However you can break a law if you are certain that there is no realistic chance of it being enforced. Governments’ competence only extends to what they can control. That is not to say that there might not be other reasons why the action prohibited by the law is immoral. Laws against prostitution, for instance, frequently fall into the unenforceable and unenforced category, but that doesn’t make adultery OK.

 

[La-Petite-Fleur]

I don’t drink, but a small amount of wine because of a cultural or religious celebration would be fine. I don’t think it would be a mortal sin.

 

[Smber2c]

However you can break a law if you are certain that there is no realistic chance of it being enforced. Governments’ competence only extends to what they can control.

What? How does that make sense? If it’s illegal, then the goverment ordered we don’t do it. They didn’t say, feel free to break this law until we find some way to start catching people…but once we do, you better stop or you’re in trouble.

This sounds like suggesting that when a tree falls in the woods and nobody hear it, it really doesn’t make any sound. Which of course is also crazy.

Is it not offensive to roll your eyes while talking to a blind man?

 

[C_Bautista]

With parental consent (or perhaps supervision, can’t remember the details offhand) there’s no problem at all in Louisiana.

Still, there’s no way around it: if the law prohibits a certain activity and the law is not unjust (gravely in opposition to Church teaching), then breaking that law by engaging in that activity is sinful.

If an illegally-young minor is drinking (without parental consent/supervision, for the sake of discussion) then it is always illegal and always immoral. I believe that the law provides for religious practices otherwise in violation of drinking laws - i.e., Communion Wine, specifically, as far as the Church is concerned.

Personally, I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that a 16-year-old tasting his 22-year-old cousin’s beer is immoral, it technically is a sin according to Church teaching. Maybe not a particularly grave sin, but morally disordered nontheless.