Christians and Alcohol: In Context

I think before going any further in the discussion about Christians and alcohol it would be good to take a look at some statistics concerning alcohol consumption in our country. I know that stats can be used to manipulate an audience, but I am not seeking out the most shocking stats to promote a bias; rather I am compiling some data to draw a conclusion about our current context which will prove important later in the discussion.

• Last year 22,073 individual died alcohol-induced deaths, not including accidents or homicide.
• 32% of motor vehicle fatalities are a result of a BAC of over .08.
• 1 in 3 families suspect at least one family member to be abusing alcohol.
• 40 million Americans admit to having an alcohol problem at one point in their life.
• Abuse of alcohol costs the U.S. $100 billion each year in quantifiable costs.
• 15% of adolescents (12-17) consume alcohol at least once a month.
• 66% of underage drinkers (12-20) report a legal adult giving or buying them alcohol.
• 1 in 5 high school seniors and college freshman "party" 6 or more hours per week which involves alcohol.

This is strictly a random sampling of statistics from alcoholstats.com and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course stats don't speak for the intangibles like psychological and emotional issues. I know some people who have been directly affected by alcohol abuse in their immediate families. Each person adjusts differently and it is therefore hard to make any statements in this area.

I think that it is safe to say this in regards to the U.S. alcohol scene: alcohol is popular and is, at times, abused. There are other assertions I can make, but absolute statements are unnecessary to the furtherance of our discussion.

I will point this out though. The view of alcohol in the U.S. is much different than other contexts. In our culture, a certain level of rebelliousness is associated with the imbibing of alcohol while in, say, Europe it's just what you drink with your meal. (I am not saying that it is not abused in Europe. That is not my point. My point is simply the view of alcohol.)

This data is relevant and irrelevant for the next portion of consideration. It is relevant in the way that many Christians react to alcohol and how many Christians relate to one another, and irrelevant in the way that Christians should react to alcohol and how Christians should relate to one another. But we will digest that further later.