>
> > Mich-and for the record, I knew that scripture would come up-ael
>
>
> (Because that horse ain't dead enough:)
>
> ...probably because for every line of scripture someone can quote as "pro," there's another that can be quoted "against."

Not really. It was because I've discussed this with topic many times with many people, and that scripture always comes up. And, like now, it is never relevant to drinking for anything other than medicinal purposes. It just happens to be one of the few times when someone is instructed TO drink. Most often you'll find that drinking is discouraged--espcially being drunk or being addicted to drinking.

I think Paul put it most plainly when he said this, in Colossians:

"Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day" (Col. 2:16)

In other words, I can't say "Don't drink!" because, as he goes on to say in the same chapter, my ordinance does nothing to combat "fleshly indulgence". I think what he is getting at(WARNING! INTERPRETATION AHEAD!)is that drinking, in and of itself, is not wrong, but as we become increasingly "spiritual", as opposed to "fleshly", we will no longer feel the need to indulge ourselves in such things.

This, of course, is not to say that I've achieved some higher level of spirituality than someone who drinks. Quite the contrary, I find myself indulging the flesh in other areas. However, I was taught from a young age that "drinking is a sin" and, should I ever aquire a taste for it, I still could not drink in good conscience. Another quote from Paul:

"It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:21-23)

You see, for me to drink would be sin because I could not drink from faith. For someone who had no issues with it, however, the situation would be completely different. So, like I said earlier, my rules really don't apply to anyone but myself.

>
> Again, just sayin.
>
> MousieQ

Mich-And moderation is definitely the rule if you choose to drink. And no driving. And no breathing in my face, 'cause that stinks.-ael