Christianity and home brewing

[eulipion2]

I too am a Lutheran. Pastor was the first guy I ever saw drinking a beer from outside the US (he liked some German beers). We went on a church youth group trip to St. Louis and we went to the Anheueser Busch plant. We Lutherans are different in more ways than the women of the church basement.

One of my former clubs used to have our annual holiday party in the basement of a local Lutheran church. One year the priest even came down after he was done working and sampled some of our wares. Good times.

 

[masteraviator]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Basement_Ladies

 

[yeahfairly]

I have had the "Wine / Bible' discussion with folks in the past. One of my favorite phrases is "If you were carrying grape juice around in a goat skin sack in the desert for a week you would have wine too.

Society has become desensitized to most of the Taboo's of the 50's, 60's & 70"s. The church has had to follow suit in most area's or risk ostracizing members of their congregation. I remember when dancing was evil..... One glimpse of Miley twerking 40 years ago would have gotten her an exorcism!!!!!

 

[machfive55]

The church I grew up in came from PA German tradition. The services were given in German for many years, however, that pre-dates me. My father, who was also pastor at the church, told me that the church split years ago because the German's brought beer to the Sunday School picnic.

 

[TyTanium]

Proverbs 25:2 ESV
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.

Among many other things, I believe this applies to beer.

 

[sammy33]

This reminds me of when I was very young and my grandparents took me to church. That Sunday they were celebrating the "last supper" and the grape juice and crackers were passed around.

I said rather loudly:
"Grandma that looks like the wine you drink at home!"

Half the church turned and looked.

 

[Spookgolds]

I grew up southern baptist, and alcohol is very much frowned upon. I have since lived in several different places, and it is enlightening to see different views on things like this.

 

[hehawbrew]

Culture is an interesting thing to add. My dad says when he travels overseas for mission trips etc, and there are other traveling ministers, the non Americans usually order a beer or two with their meals.


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[MindenMan]

It pains me to hear the judging that goes on by Christians about alcohol. It is not mine or their job to judge what anybody else does. Hypocrisy is what gives Christians, Lutherans, Jews and you name anyone Else's faith a bad name. Does anyone remember the scandals attached to television ministers 20 years ago?
The Christians once again got raked over the coals as hypocrites.
I lost my point...

 

[PerryS]

Look at all us Lutherans! Awwww yeah!

Beer? Oh, yeah.

Martin nearly made it a sacrament, instituting "sessions" to discuss theology over a beer.

I sing and play guitar at the local (LCMS) church. It's a big church, with about 60 of us in the band. Two of us home brew, according to the scriptures. The summer band picnic is always good fellowship.

"What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Matt 15:11, Mark 7:15, Luke 7:20.

To the teetotalers, I say: Moderation in all things, including moderation.

 

[BigFloyd]

The Bible treats drinking alcoholic beverages like eating. Drinking in and of itself isn't displeasing to God. Wanton drunkenness (just like gluttony and other harmful excesses) is, however, something to avoid.

Having been a student of church history, there's no doubt in my mind that everybody (Baptists included) drank beer and wine in the centuries before the 20th when we didn't have a reliable water supply. The wholly negative attitude toward any consumption of alcohol at all seen in some churches today is a mindset that comes primarily out of the temperance movement rather than an honest study of the scriptures. Fortunately, it looks like a generational shift is happening in many of those churches where the younger members are adopting a different view about this.

Their are plenty of guys at our church (a pretty cool contemporary "bible church") who enjoy craft beers, a few like me who brew and one who started up a nano-brewery last year. We often chat about brewing after the service.

 

[smccarter]

Seriously?

This post and thread in a home brew forum?

Goodness.

 

[cracked1]

I have a tap handle I made out of a Buddy Christ figure. My wife's very religious grandmother was over and I noticed she had a pint of lemon blonde. I asked what she thought of it and she told me, "I figured if it was coming from Jesus it had to be good!" Now she makes sure to tell everyone how good that beer is.

 

[HappiBrew]

I'm a pastor, homebrewer, mead maker and a few other things I thank God for allowing me to be.

 

[b-boy]

I have a tap handle I made out of a Buddy Christ figure. My wife's very religious grandmother was over and I noticed she had a pint of lemon blonde. I asked what she thought of it and she told me, "I figured if it was coming from Jesus it had to be good!" Now she makes sure to tell everyone how good that beer is.

That is a very cool tap handle.

Actually, the keg's just full of water right?

 

[kevron]

Some Pastors keep their consumption on the down low because they don't want someone who is battling alcoholism to see the Pastor drinking and thinking "If its okay for the Pastor, its okay for me too." The whole causing another to stumble sort of thing. I grew up in churches where Alcohol was a no-no. My parents didn't drink until I was 21. Their reason for not drinking around us is because both sets of grandparents were violent drunks, and a lot of my aunts and uncles followed in their footsteps. My parents stopped drinking to "break the cycle."

Now we all drink at every family gathering. But there is a major difference between us and the rest of the family when we are all together. My extended relatives are all stupid drunk and we are enjoying our time together and a nice beer/wine/or mixed drink.

 

[evanmars]

Jesus loved to drink. So much so that he turned water into wine!

 

[TyTanium]

Seriously?

This post and thread in a home brew forum?

Goodness.

Seriously. Pretty cool, huh? Freedom in Christ is a glorious thing.

 

[farmskis]

Seriously. Pretty cool, huh? Freedom in Christ is a glorious thing.

Amen! Glorious indeed!

 

[drainbamage]

Good thread.

I was raised Catholic. Alcohol at church functions was not only common, but practically a requirement. For the most part, people keep their drinking under control as well.

Other denominations aren't quite so lucky, at least not about public consumption. Just because it isn't talked about doesn't mean it isn't going on. The conventional wisdom in the more rural (dry) parts of KY is that if you need to find some booze, talk to either the preacher or the sheriff.

 

[myelo]

The conventional wisdom in Tennessee is never invite just one Baptist to go fishing because he will drink all your beer -- invite 2 Baptists and they won't touch it.

 

[Spookgolds]

The conventional wisdom in Tennessee is never invite just one Baptist to go fishing because he will drink all your beer -- invite 2 Baptists and they won't touch it.

This sounds about right...

 

[TheFurstyFerret]

Having grown up in a fairly strict church, I was interested to note that the bible placed the negative on the one overindulging and not the wine.

Id made my mind up on the matter when sitting in a Chemistry lecture at uni I heard the professor talk about an enzyme that the liver produces called alcohol dehydrogenase. He stated that its only function was to metabolize alcohol.

That sealed the deal for me - if God created us with that then He mustve designed us to have a little alcohol. Cheers!

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[pickles]

I grew up in a very Catholic family, my parents don't drink but all my siblings do. I remember coming home from college and having to go to church on Sunday morning, typically little hungover and looking around seeing at least 25 other people I saw at the bar just six hours earlier! Hell our priest would go to the bar and have a few beers, he also smoked.

 

[Mb2658]

Us Catholics have never had any hang ups about alcohol. I made 10 gallons of homebrew for a friend's wedding rehearsal dinner. The priest gave me a shout out for my homebrew during the wedding sermon the next day.



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[hehawbrew]

The Bible treats drinking alcoholic beverages like eating. Drinking in and of itself isn't displeasing to God. Wanton drunkenness (just like gluttony and other harmful excesses) is, however, something to avoid.

Having been a student of church history, there's no doubt in my mind that everybody (Baptists included) drank beer and wine in the centuries before the 20th when we didn't have a reliable water supply. The wholly negative attitude toward any consumption of alcohol at all seen in some churches today is a mindset that comes primarily out of the temperance movement rather than an honest study of the scriptures. Fortunately, it looks like a generational shift is happening in many of those churches where the younger members are adopting a different view about this.

Their are plenty of guys at our church (a pretty cool contemporary "bible church") who enjoy craft beers, a few like me who brew and one who started up a nano-brewery last year. We often chat about brewing after the service.

Didn't the pilgrims basically survive off hard cider? Wine and other such drinks, like you said, kept us humans alive when fresh water was sparse.

I agree, I think there is a generational shift.


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[MindenMan]

Beer is liquid barley, and that is why they say "...Guinness is a meal in a glass..."

 

[GHBWNY]

I once was Baptist but am now Methodist, and the only difference I can see between the two is that Methodists speak to each other in the liquor store.

 

[eulipion2]

I once was Baptist but am now Methodist, and the only difference I can see between the two is that Methodists speak to each other in the liquor store.

Agreed.

Another possible difference: How's their cooking? While I've never tried Baptist cooking, I'd gladly put up any Methodist potluck against any other denomination. These people can cook!

 

[b-boy]

Another possible difference: How's their cooking? While I've never tried Baptist cooking, I'd gladly put up any Methodist potluck against any other denomination. These people can cook!

Lots of Jello molds and delicious casseroles! White people food.