Why no restrictions on drinking?

[Tis_Bearself]

Alcohol has basically only one purpose.It is not nutritious.

That’s incorrect. Alcohol was indeed a source of nutrition back in the day when people had more limited diets. Monks did not brew beer for purposes of getting drunk or getting other people drunk; it was part of their diet and helped provide stamina for them. Wine in Jesus’ time was also part of the daily nutrition for many people including children.

In certain European cultures, alcohol has always been regarded as a food, like part of a meal. In the USA alcohol has a cultural history of being frowned upon and regarded as solely for people to get drunk, and the way people consume alcohol (often not with a meal but just drinking a lot of poorly made alcohol in order to get drunk) reflects the culture.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/educat...l-sciences-magazines/alcohol-history-drinking

 

[joseie]

For those who thinks that alcohol is great:
'"What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a part of many social occasions, from family dinners to parties, to sporting events and nightcaps. The problems associated with alcoholism are well known, but what about the impact of social drinking or a moderate intake of alcohol? Does alcohol belong in our diet, or does the risk that it presents outweigh any benefits that may be derived from consuming it?

The truth is that no one needs alcohol to live, so regardless of what you’ve heard or want to believe, alcohol is not essential in our diets. We consume alcohol to relax, socialize, and/or celebrate. Depending on your health, age, and the amount that you …""
It is Satan’s drink…avoid it.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It is Satan’s drink…avoid it.

Spoken like either a Protestant or an alcoholic. Not church teaching.

I don’t feel any need to avoid having a beer with my friends when I have one like I said a couple times a year.
I don’t feel any need to avoid having a glass of wine with dinner at a fine restaurant, especially when again this happens a couple times a year, not 3 times a day for me.

If alcohol is an occasion of sin for somebody, they should avoid it. If they don’t like alcohol, they can also avoid it. And if they’re underage to drink, then they should avoid it because breaking reasonable laws is sinful and the law is reasonable and is put there for the public good.

But there’s no reason to ban alcohol for everybody who isn’t underage and doesn’t sin when they occasionally drink, and the Church doesn’t ban it, which I think is very reasonable of the Church.

 

[joseie]

Sad that you missed my point which is this: Alcohol is just for fun and enjoyment.It doesn’t have any nutritious value.The first miracle of Jesus clearly show that it was used for intoxication and not for any holy purpose.
When meat is restricted by the church in some occasions,alcohol is not which is an anomaly…
How can I make it more clear?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I already responded to your post about “alcohol has no nutritious value” pointing out that it’s wrong and giving a source. You are just repeating yourself over and over now. There is nothing more to make clear as you obviously just have a personal bias against alcohol that you think everyone should agree with.

I have also made it clear that your personal biases are not church teaching. You are free to have an opinion, it does not mean all Catholics need to agree with you. I and a lot of other Catholics do not agree with you, and indeed the Church does not teach what you are saying in this case. I’m sad that you seem to be insistent on everyone agreeing with your opinion instead of accepting that there are a wide range of possible opinions and personal and cultural experiences with alcohol.

I have to leave now to attend a Church event, and I do not wish to argue this point with you any further as it’s unnecessary, so have a nice day and I will be muting the thread.

 

[twf]

Many craft beers do have nutritional value. The example cite earlier in this thread of monastic ales being a good example…

There is no sacrifice of the Mass without wine. Christ didn’t have to choose wine, yet he did.

 

[twf]

There is also no need to limit consumption to a “few times a year”. If you do, that’s fine… but good Catholics can drink much more regularly than that without incurring sin. (Not saying you were implying otherwise - just clarifying for those with Puritan tendencies…).
I seem to recall reading that Pope Benedict had a glass of wine daily.

 

[LilyM]

It is so much Satan’s drink that Jesus not only drank Himself - and drank enough that He was falsely accused of being a drunkard - but commanded us to use wine as part of our most sacred religious rite and transformed it into His own blood? And commanded His followers to take and drink?

Your thinking is way off base here.

 

[AlbMagno]

I will play Devil’s advocate and say:

1. joseie was probably refering to alcohol as a substance. And he would be mostly right in it. The only metabolic effect that alcohol has other than neuro-depression is building fat through its transformation in acetyl-CoA in the liver.
2. Many of the nutrients found in beer can be found in others foods, even fasting-permitted drinks like milk. And drinking beer would probably be more harmful to a coeliac monk, perhaps in subtle ways like the development of cancer or osteoporosis.

 

[LilyM]

But no one drinks pure alcohol - they drink wine, beer or spirits. So the properties of pure alcohol are irrelevant.

 

[AlbMagno]

They are not irrelevant because you are still consuming alcohol. The properties of calcium aren’t irrelevant in milk because you are consuming it with aminoacids, etc. Unless one substance inhibits the metabolic effects of another.

And the presence of carbohydrates with alcohol, for example, enhance the fat-building effect of alcohol.

 

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Hmmm people that drink alcohol. The saints, the Pope, God himself, every jew that was an apostle. Heck, every Jew. Hmmmm satan’s drink huh? Okay… I can see where intoxication can indeed be one of the devils favorite tools. It destroys free will but there are parallels to the demonic. But wine, beer, wild Turkey, makers mark, jd. Coors, bud, Corona etc are not evil.

 

[dochawk]

The Eastern Churches still abstain from wine (and I would presume beer) during times of fasting.

actually, beer is bread for fasting purposes in the east. And fish are meat (except for sea bugs).

Alcohol has basically only one purpose.It is not nutritious.

where in the world did you get thighs notion? It’s just plain wrong.

Just for starters, beer is loaded with large proteins, and has vitamins from the yeast. Filter it, and you lose these benefits.

Wine has other things int it, but I just don’t know.

It is Satan’s drink…avoid it.

My apologies for taking your earlier posts seriously.

Sad that you missed my point which is this: Alcohol is just for fun and enjoyment.It doesn’t have any nutritious value.

No, your “point”, to be indelicate, expresses ignorance, and you have already been corrected above. It is no more a basis for discussion than “2+2=5”

joseie was probably refering to alcohol as a substance.

In that case, it’s important for sterilizing things . . .

Many of the nutrients found in beer can be found in others foods, even fasting-permitted drinks like milk.

Note that historically, dairy was prohibited during Lent . . .

hawk

 

[twf]

actually, beer is bread for fasting purposes in the east.

Meaning beer is permitted?

 

[dochawk]

Yes, at least strictly speaking.

But then, lobster is technically permitted, too, as it’s sea bug and not fish. When the rules were written, only the poorest of the poor had to eat such things . . .

 

[Cruciferi]

The truth is that no one needs alcohol to live, so regardless of what you’ve heard or want to believe, alcohol is not essential in our diets.

We also don’t need:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Sodas

It is Satan’s drink…avoid it.

That’s your opinion and The Church doesn’t support your view.

 

[Cruciferi]

Yup. I had a beer last year on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

 

[meltzerboy2]

Did not Christ also give up his blood, more than symbolized by wine in the Mass? If so, why not also refrain from wine on Good Friday, or is this already the case?

 

[SusanneT]

My personal view is that women should be strongly discouraged from drinking alcohol.

 

[Pitcairn17]

If Muslims can abstain from ALL food and drink from sunup to sundown every day during Ramadan, I don’t see how Catholics should do any less during our fast days — and I include all beverages in that, not just alcohol. Minimal water to sustain health.