Saturday, 18 April 2009
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Can You Party Hard and Still Be Close to God?
by a Revelife reader
After spending far too many months picking at my religious beliefs like one would a scab, I have come to the realization that: I don't have a problem with God; I have a problem with people who take God lightly. As though you could just say "I believe in God" one day, get wasted the next, and then pretend like it doesn't make you any less religious.
Can you drink and party and dress promiscuously and be Christian? I say you can NOT.
And yet there are so many of them: People who claim to love God yet shamelessly consume alcohol and behave irreverently and, worst of all, believe it's okay. They think nothing of how un-Christian-like their inebriated states are, nothing of how immodestly they're dressing, and nothing of how foul their indifference is.
I don't have anything against religious people. I don't have anything against drinkers. I just think that combination should be mutually exclusive.
Being religious means you won't drink. And drinking means you shouldn't have the right to cite God as your inspiration. It upsets me when I see that over and over again, especially in college. Thank you Facebook for allowing pictures of drunk students to be easily viewed, as well, as profiles of said drunk students with Interests: GOD. What a joke.
Can you party hard, drink, and STILL be close to God?
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Comments (123)
I'm 21. I like drinking beer with friends. That doesn't make me any less a Christian. It's possible to consume alcohol responsibly, you know.
Partying hard...probably not an activity that ought be encouraged, but there's nothing wrong with drinking responsibly
For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Enough said.
@Mighty_Men_of_Valor@xanga - I agree
If your drinking does not hurt you or others, I don't see the problem. However, if you hurt others, your relationships with others, or begin to seriously damage your body through drinking, then yes, it is a sin.
And if you're going to argue that drinking kills brain cells and ruins the liver (and that is harming yourself therefore going against the fifth commandment)- then perhaps you also consider it a sin to eat McDonalds or indulge in some high-calorie ice cream?
Even Jesus drank wine.
Quite correct that excessive drinking, wild partying, and promiscuity are not behaviors anyone should pursue, especially those who want to be close to God, but let's not fall off the opposite side of the horse. Legalism is just as much of a sin as drunkenness is.
@sheepthatsblack@xanga -
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Comment ~
@Kristenmomof3@xanga - read above
no definitely not.
the holy spirit is incredibly sensitive and any action that goes against your instincts of your faith and devotion to him reflect in other aspects of your life and walk with God.
consuming till intoxication is one thing, but enjoying alcohol is allowed. as long as you feel safe within your limits, and if you are representing christ in your actions, it is actually a great way to bond with other non christians. or people who you are trying to witness to.
I think whoever wrote this is being incredibly judgmental. Who are you to criticize somebody's relationship with God? I dont see what the point of this was.
@Mighty_Men_of_Valor@xanga - agree again :)
God is such a party pooper.
I agree, because it says in the bible drunkenness is a sin. And to drink is to give the devil a chance, which is what it also says in the bible; to not give the devil a chance (of you getting drunk)
@Mighty_Men_of_Valor@xanga - As hardcore as that sounds, I agree, thought sometimes it is very hard to follow
Anyone's relationship with God is highly personal. I agree that whoever wrote this is very judgemental. Having fun isn't a sin, and it is no one's place to judge what is excess... except for God.
"Being religious means you won't drink" Really? Since when?
I think you can still be a Christian and do those things. You just won't be living up to God's will. Everyone has sin in their life, but for some that sin is so strong that it takes over their life.
I see no problem nor do I think that partying will seperate you from God. It is not a sin to go to a party, club, or dancing. It depends on what your definition of party is. I define a party is going out and having a good time with my friends. I have gone to the club several times. I never drink nor do I let any of my friends drink. We just have fun.
@Mighty_Men_of_Valor@xanga - I'm still not seeing anything that saying drinking responsibily is a sin. Certainly a drunkard is different than someone who drinks on occasion and stays within their limits.
@Mighty_Men_of_Valor@xanga - I totally agree.
@desertrose2890@xanga - @walden_thoreau@xanga - @kedward6@xanga - I know it is a temptation to read this guy's post and immediately cast him/her (whatever) off as a judgemental, arrogant, annoying Bible thumper. Yet I would ask you to take one moment to consider what he, and "Mighty Men of Valor" said- Both used scriptural concepts without citing them.
Jesus himself said those things- you cannot walk in darkness and be in the light- the 2 do not coexist.
I disagree with him on the point that you can't drink at all, that is unscriptural- you just can't get wasted, as he put it. Partying has many other immoral and debase things about it aside from drinking as well- all of which Jesus condemened.
So I would take another look at your Bibles before you condemn him as Judgemental. Your Bibles do give you some surprisingly absolute statements that you have to accept, or reject the entire thing.
Cheers.
But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
8But
22since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith
and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
Avoid every kind of evil.
@desertrose2890@xanga -
14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
It all depends on the context. (Except dressing promiscuously - that's just being a stumbling block.) I have a friend who struggled with drunkenness and promiscuity for years before she became a Christian. Now, she doesn't drink because she knows that she can't just stop with one. I have another Christian friend who likes to drink a little and dance at the bars. She doesn't get too drunk and she doesn't act promiscuous. She hangs out with non-Christians there and is a witness in their lives by having fun but not getting completely smashed. That's just fine - both are following God. Jesus did go hang out with prostitutes and people like that - what better place to meet people who need Jesus than over a beer at a bar?
Of course, Scripture does say that drunkenness is wrong - but one can indulge in small amounts of alcohol without being drunk. Remember that Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine!
So, in a nutshell: one can drink and party while remaining close to God. The trick is to know your limits.
@deepestrecesses - I appreciate your attempts at explaining Scripture to me. I respect everybody's beliefs but I'd like to also point out that I am not a Christian so I dont actually feel the need to examine a Bible. I just wanted to understand where this person's post came from. I, for one, party entirely too much and wouldnt change it for anything. But to each his own, I guess.
@deepestrecesses - You know, I normally would've conceeded and said you had a point. But telling me to take another look at my Bible does not sit well with me..
WEll iM 16 ANd WE hAVE A tEEN ClUB iN AlbANY GEORGiA ANd thEY doNt SERVE AlCOhOl jUSt jUiCE SOdAS ANd WAtER bUt WE ALL GO thERE ANd hAVE fUN ANd NO i dONt SEE ANYthiNG WRONG With it.WhAtS lEft fOR US tO dO bESidES PARtY? i HONEStlY do NOt SEE ANYthiNG WRONG WIth it. bUt hEYitS All iN GOd'S hANdS ANd tHE ONly OPiNiON tHAt MAttERS iS hiS...SO With tHAt bEiNG SAid iM OUttiE :)
@desertrose2890@xanga - That is understandable. It's always goo to get the perspective of where someone comes from.
@walden_thoreau@xanga - lol point taken. I don't personally feel like it is an insult when someone tells me to look at my bible again, I just go look at it, see if they have a point or not, and then tell them if I think they have a point or not. Sorry that it offends you.