(no subject)
I may be approaching (or beyond) beating a dead horse status here, but here's the latest. I think that if he responds again, I'm just going to leave it alone. Crafting a long response takes more free time than I've got at the moment. Again, this is inresponse to the comment added here which is actually addressed to Ben Killen.
Here's my response:
Steve, I think my problem with all of this is as much a result of a cultural/societal issue than anything. I saw a good number of my peers hit college after never drinking in high school and then totally lose it. I just question whether or not our current strategy is actually working? I know the flip side is that you could come back and say, "is our strategy to prevent premarital sex, and teen pregnancy working?" For some issues, like premarital sex, where the consequences are almost always multifarious, as much an emotional and psychological as physical, we absolutely have to keep on, regardless of the what the P&L sheet says.
As far as smoking goes, I think it's a digusting habit, personally. I despise the smell of it. I'm less likely to patronize a restaurant if it allows smoking, etc. It most certainly does cause health issues. Of course, the cliche is that everyone's going to die from something. But cigarettes have been chemically engineered to be addictive. I think the chances of using cigarettes in moderation are slim to none.
Too much red meat is also detrimental to your health. And too much junk food. And schools are starting to change their strategies with lunches. Our school has cut out most of the really unhealthy stuff. No more ice cream every day. More fruits less chips, etc. It's all part of a life long learning process of learning to make healthy choices. Still... chocolate chip cookies are great... in moderation.
Now for some folks, they are unable to practice moderation for certain things. They have something in their psychological makeup that makes them really bad at moderating their eating habits, their consumption of alcohol, people get addicted to sex, etc. etc. For those people, it becomes sinful in nature, it controls them.
My question is, does setting up alcohol as some sort of forbidden fruit set us up to fail? Instead of in European countries where you are taught moderation and responsible drinking and it's socially acceptable to have a glass of wine with direct parental supervision at a restaurant, in this country it's the forbidden fruit that you binge on when you get the chance (i.e. as soon as you're away from the supervision of your parents when you start college?) Again, I think the problem is societal. But here in the deep south, responsible alcohol usage by adults is so hidden from view because of cultural taboos that the only messages that teens seem to get on the subject are the ones that they're bombarded with from TV ads: Look at the fun you can have, look at the parties, the girls, etc or at the complete opposite end of the spectrum: avoid it at all costs.
Look, I'm in no way suggesting that it should be legal for a 16 year old to go out and buy a six pack. And these barely-supervised parent condoned beer bashes are a colossally bad idea too. I'm just suggesting that we've got to get out there and acknowledge that when you're of age, beer and wine are enjoyable gifts from God. But just like other gifts from God, we can turn them into the opposite of what He intended for them.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (New International Version)31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
The Corinthians had turned the Lord's Supper into a common meal, they were guilty of excessive eating and drinking. Paul 's solution wasn't to abolish the wine.
Here's my response:
Steve, I think my problem with all of this is as much a result of a cultural/societal issue than anything. I saw a good number of my peers hit college after never drinking in high school and then totally lose it. I just question whether or not our current strategy is actually working? I know the flip side is that you could come back and say, "is our strategy to prevent premarital sex, and teen pregnancy working?" For some issues, like premarital sex, where the consequences are almost always multifarious, as much an emotional and psychological as physical, we absolutely have to keep on, regardless of the what the P&L sheet says.
As far as smoking goes, I think it's a digusting habit, personally. I despise the smell of it. I'm less likely to patronize a restaurant if it allows smoking, etc. It most certainly does cause health issues. Of course, the cliche is that everyone's going to die from something. But cigarettes have been chemically engineered to be addictive. I think the chances of using cigarettes in moderation are slim to none.
Too much red meat is also detrimental to your health. And too much junk food. And schools are starting to change their strategies with lunches. Our school has cut out most of the really unhealthy stuff. No more ice cream every day. More fruits less chips, etc. It's all part of a life long learning process of learning to make healthy choices. Still... chocolate chip cookies are great... in moderation.
Now for some folks, they are unable to practice moderation for certain things. They have something in their psychological makeup that makes them really bad at moderating their eating habits, their consumption of alcohol, people get addicted to sex, etc. etc. For those people, it becomes sinful in nature, it controls them.
My question is, does setting up alcohol as some sort of forbidden fruit set us up to fail? Instead of in European countries where you are taught moderation and responsible drinking and it's socially acceptable to have a glass of wine with direct parental supervision at a restaurant, in this country it's the forbidden fruit that you binge on when you get the chance (i.e. as soon as you're away from the supervision of your parents when you start college?) Again, I think the problem is societal. But here in the deep south, responsible alcohol usage by adults is so hidden from view because of cultural taboos that the only messages that teens seem to get on the subject are the ones that they're bombarded with from TV ads: Look at the fun you can have, look at the parties, the girls, etc or at the complete opposite end of the spectrum: avoid it at all costs.
Look, I'm in no way suggesting that it should be legal for a 16 year old to go out and buy a six pack. And these barely-supervised parent condoned beer bashes are a colossally bad idea too. I'm just suggesting that we've got to get out there and acknowledge that when you're of age, beer and wine are enjoyable gifts from God. But just like other gifts from God, we can turn them into the opposite of what He intended for them.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (New International Version)31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
The Corinthians had turned the Lord's Supper into a common meal, they were guilty of excessive eating and drinking. Paul 's solution wasn't to abolish the wine.