Biblical teaching on the effects of alcoholism and the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act 1989 (PART 1)

Document prepared by Scholars of 5 Theological Institutions (Oriental Theological Seminary, Clark Theological College, Trinity Theological College, Baptist Theological College, Shalom Bible Seminary) under the initiative of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council. INTRODUCTION [dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of the most perplexing dilemmas of the present generation is the stark fact that Nagaland is not a Dry State in spite of the Nagaland Liquor (Liquor and wine are used interchangeably) Total Prohibition Act (NLTPA) since 1989. It continues to be one of the most highly charged issues in the minds of most people, and has come to occupy the central stage of public debate. At the backdrop of the Total Prohibition movement of the 80’s culminating in the final enactment of the NLTPA in 1989 by the Government of Nagaland and its aftermath unfolding events is giving rise to wide responses of both against and for the Act. It is in this context that we must revisit the issue with fresh insight and experiences in order to determine the proper role of the Church in the light of the Biblical and cardinal teachings of the Church in history, with regard to the abuse of alcohol and its related problems in the Church and Society.The Church certainly needs to go to a deeper engagement of dealing with alcohol related problems by extending her ministry of preaching, teaching and caring/supporting towards recovering and healing of the affected individuals, families and societies at large. At this juncture, it is important to redirect our focus on dealing with the demands factor from within while striving to ensure the implementation of the said Act in letter and spirit, that is, the supply factor from without. We believe that the proper axiom of the market theory of “No supply without demands” is relevant, and the local Church has a unique role to play in reducing, if not eradicating the level of demands. The Church is also aware that she needs to go to a deeper theological teaching on what the Bible has to say when it comes to alcoholism, and why NBCC has been making its stand and fighting against this menace which is posing a serious threat to the Naga society today. 1. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATION Any Christian theological reflection on any matter should have its base in the Bible. Words like ‘drunkenness’, ‘drunkard’, ‘drunk’ and other words related to it appears a number of times in the Bible (Psalm 69: 12; Joel 1: 5; Matthew 11: 19; 24: 49; Luke 7: 34; 12: 45; 21; 34; John 2: 10; Acts 2: 15; Ephesians 5: 18; I Corinthians 1: 11; Revelation 17: 2 & 7) and these occurrences become the ground on which the issue of drinking is determined. It is to be noted that until a person takes the first drink, s/he is as safe from alcoholic addiction as Adam and Eve were safe from death before they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Jerry J. Dunn, God is for the Alcoholic (Chicago: Moody Press, 1974) 19) Looking into the Bible we see a number of things which goes hand in hand with drunkenness, such as immorality, rebellion against God, the destruction of man and so on. Drunkenness was a widespread vice in the Ancient West Asia and it is also portrayed negatively in the Old Testament and Jewish tradition, particularly in the Prophetic writings. Such characteristics as staggering, reeling, vomiting, loss of mental control, and the result addiction and poverty are commonly mentioned characteristics of drunkenness (Job 12: 25; Psalms. 107: 27; Proverbs 20: 1; 21: 17; 23: 20- 21; 29- 35; 31: 4- 7; Isaiah 5: 11- 12, 22; 19: 14; 24: 20; 28; 7- 8; 29: 9; Jeremiah 25: 27; 48: 26; 51: 39; Hosea 4: 11). (.F.Watson, “Wine,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, edited by Joel B.Green, Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1992) 872). The evil effects of drunkenness drags a person to her/his lowest point of moral and physical life. It is in this light, the harmful and the evil effects of alcohol drinking will be discussed. Another observation is that for alcohol (Alcohol is a colorless flammable liquid which is the ingredient that gives drinks such as wine, beer, and spirits their intoxicating effect) drinking, many times the argument is based on the use of wine (Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice.) in the Bible. But differences on its uses may be noted in Bible times and today as shown below (Douglas Jackson, Stumbling Block- A Study of Alcohol and Christian Responsibility (Nashville: The Parthenon Press, 1960) 70): In Bible Times 1. Wine had a place as a food and beverage since water and milk were often unsafe to drink. 2. Wine had an alcoholic content of only 14- 15 percent. 3. Intoxication was the chief ill- effect from drinking, and it did not occur unless as much as 1 quart of wine was drunk (without food) 4. The production of wine was a normal (and limited) part of an agricultural economy. Each family produced its own wine. 5. Drinking was a family practice, set within the normal restraints of family mores. It was engaged in as a friendly, leisurely social practice. 6. Drunkenness in a simple, slowly moving, agricultural economy was harmful chiefly to the drinker and those immediately dependent on him. Today 1. Modern sanitation and refrigeration make unnecessary our reliance on wine as a safe beverage. 2. Alcohol beverages today have an alcoholic content as high as 50 percent. 3. Drinking alcohol can be dangerous- for example, in reducing self- control and in driving ability. 4. The Manufacturer of liquor (Liquor is an alcoholic drink, especially spirits. The terms ‘wine’, ‘alcohol’ and ‘liquor’ all produces the intoxicating effect and thus these three terms will be used simultaneously throughout the paper) is a part of a highly organized business operation, seeking to make as much profit as possible from sales. 5. Drinking may be in family settings, but a large part occurs in bars and taverns and at parties and dinners, where family and other restraining mores do no operate to encourage drinking for its own sake; modern advertising seeks to create a demand for the use of alcoholic beverages. 6. Drunkenness- even minor drinking- in our highly industrialized and mechanized society has come to have a new seriousness for all our people. A slow or false reaction by an engineer or pilot may jeopardize the lives of hundreds. Science has worked miracles in the centuries since biblical times and patterns of civilization have been greatly altered by new inventions and technological developments. Thus, it is difficult to judge the application of biblical passages by reference to a world so completely different from the current situation (Douglas Jackson, op.cit., 78). Yet, the consequences of drunkenness as a personal sin cannot be overlooked. Taking note of the differences, it is clear that moderate use of wine is seen as a food, but excessive use of wine is condemned because it leads to addiction and causes many evils both for the person concerned and the society. With this preliminary observation, we would like to look at the evil effects of alcoholism from the Bible and also consider some other point of views. 1.1. Use of Wine in the Old Testament The Hebrew word most commonly used for wine is yayin, which is used about 140 times and refers to the fermented wine. Noah drank yayin and was intoxicated (Genesis 9: 20- 21); Lot drank yayin and was intoxicated (Genesis 19: 32- 35). Drunkenness from the use of yayin was condemned in various passages in the Old Testament (Proverbs 20: 1; 23: 29- 32; Isaiah 28: 1- 7; Habakkuk 2; 5). Next to yayin, the word tiroshis most commonly used referring to grape juice in the various stages of fermentation. Tiroshis often translated “new wine” but it does not necessarily mean unfermented. In Hosea 4: 11, Hosea couples tirosh with bad company. Considering these two words used for wine, there seem to be no differences and it is not at all surprising that no such distinctions should prevail (Douglas Jackson, op.cit., 72). Refrigeration was unknown in Palestine in Biblical times, the hot weather rapidly produced fermentation. Thus unfermented juice was quite rare during biblical times. Wine with minimum content of alcohol (below 15%) was a common drink for the people of the Old Testament. It was a common beverage and was regarded as a food (Lamentations 2: 12; Zechariah 9: 17; Judges 19: 19; I Samuel 16: 20; 25: 18). Wine mixed with myrrh or gall was a drug and thus it also had medicinal purposes (Proverbs 31: 6). Wine was also considered a blessing from God and a fine wine year was regarded as a special blessing from God (Genesis 27; 28; Deuteronomy 7: 13; Amos 9: 13- 14; Joel 3: 18). The ancients thought that wine was especially appreciated by the gods (Deuteronomy 32: 37- 38; Judges 9: 13; Isaiah 57: 6; 65: 11; Jeremiah 7: 18; 19: 13) and so wine was often a part of offerings to the gods. In the Israelite cult, wine was poured out as a libation in the sacrifices of petition, thanksgiving and expiation (Exodus 29: 38- 42; Numbers 15: 2- 19; 28: 14; Leviticus 23: 13; Hosea 9: 4) (D. F. Watson, op.cit., 872). At the same time, drunkenness was always condemned. The results of intoxication included staggering, uncertain gait, vomiting, incoherent speech, unnecessary wounds, red eyes, double vision, laughing without reason, insensitivity, dizziness, indulge in immoral acts, and a drinking habit (Job 12: 35; Psalms 77: 65; 107: 27; Proverbs 23: 29, 33; Isaiah 28: 7; Genesis 43: 34; Ecclesiastes 30: 40; 37: 34 Jeremiah 51: 39, 57) (Douglas Jackson, op. cit., 73). Prominent persons who became intoxicated were Noah, Lot, Nabal, Uriah, Elah, Ammon, and Benhadad. The number of people as mentioned above indicates that the problem of drunkennesswas considered seriously. Because of the influence of excessive drinking, they got involved in shameful acts dishonoring themselves as well as their own family and society. In a tribal context like ours, where honor is held at the highest place, drinking alcohol defames the honor of oneself as human beings as well as the family and the society.It is to be noted that the Old Testament shares a very serious concern of being drunk, since the outcome has nothing to do with goodness or well- being of the person, but only exposes shamefulness and immoral acts. In Leviticus 10: 8- 11 (And the Lord spoke to Aaron: Drink no wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting that you may not die; it is a statute forever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common and between the unclean and the clean; and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses) and Proverbs 31: 4- 5 (It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink; or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will pervert the rights of all the afflicted), Priests and Kings were required by God not to drink or even to not desire them so they could tell the difference between the holy and the unholy and could teach people the difference between the good and the bad. Kings and Princes were not to drink for the same reason. They were to abstain from drink so that they could tell the difference between right and wrong and be fair in their judgment of the people who came before them. Considering what the Bible says, it is clear that the Old Testament pronounces admonition to priests and Kings to abstain from beverage alcohol. In the New Testament, Revelation 1: 5-6 (And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the Kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever) and I Peter 2: 9a states that those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior are Kings and Priests. Following this line of thought it is clear that Christians should totally abstain from drinking (Jerry J. Dunn, op.cit., 58). Throughout the Old and the New Testament, drunkenness is regarded as a sin and intoxication is pictured as productive of other sins and of many evil consequences. Thus, the attitude towards drinking arises from the biblical attitude toward drunkenness To be continued