Personal Holiness: Abstaining from Tea Drinking
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Tue, November 27, 2007
- Viewed 66
- (24) comments so far
(1). Drinking tea leads a person to addiction to caffeine.
(2). Tea and coffee are destructive to the Christian’s body, which is the temple of God.
(3). Though the Bible does not expressly forbid the drinking of tea, there is an overwhelming preponderence of Biblical evidence that tea drinking is a sin.
(4). Though some have the gall to say Jesus drank tea on the cross, it was clearly not the same kind of tea or substance that tea drinkers consume today.
(5). The argument that drinking tea is not illegal in the United States, and therefore, lawful for the Christian, is an argument straight from hell.
(6). Some cultures drink tea as a normal part of daily life, but that is no excuse for Christians to drink it, since we are to be ‘a cut above’ the world.
(7). When a Christian purchases tea he is supporting an entire industry that has made a fortune by leading people to the mind altering, destructive, and nearly impossible to break addiction to caffeine.
(8). It has been scandalously reported that some young, Southern Baptist pastors are actually having Bible studies in the local Starbucks in an effort to lead people to Christ.
(9). A great concern for the loosening of the standard of total abstinence from tea drinking is the belief that those Southern Baptist moderates and liberals who drink tea will eventually cause the Southern Baptist Convention to turn back from a firm belief in the inerrancy of the Bible.
(10). Drinking caffeinated tea for recreational purposes physiologically acts as a ‘mind altering drug, “
Recently, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention changed their bylaws to say that all employees and elected officials abstain from the "use of alcohol as a beverage." This was reason enough for popular SBC blogger Wade Burleson to come up with his reasons why everyone should also abstain from tea. Sarcastic, yes. But points well taken:
Comments
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Moseydog on Mon, December 03, 2007
After reading this, I could use a beer ... anyone up for joining me.
Peter Hamm on Mon, December 03, 2007
Moseydog,
I’m with you, I’m on my way home for that very purpose right now!
You buyin’?
http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/wink.gif
Shane Allen on Sat, December 08, 2007
The more I read from guys of the like that wrote this article… the more I do question their salvation. Comparing tea to alcoholis beverages? You have to be kidding. Why doesn’t he just compare cocaine to pixie sticks. There is plenty of evidence in the bible that warrant staying away from alcohol. I have never seen a homeless person with a brown paper bag wrapped around a lipton tea bottle. Man these writers really need to be writting for a non-Christian liberal outlet. I am beginning to assume that maybe that is what this site supports. Rev. Allen
PT on Tue, December 11, 2007
May I suggest that all re-read these posts in their context - with a clear and open mind.
In doing so, I think you will find that many in the “alcohol itself is ok” are responding to the “total abstinence proponents” with the same or greater degree of judgmentalism, unnecessary exaggeration, and self-righteousness as you are judging and condemning them for.
Regardless of one’s personal views or interpretation of Scripture and it’s application to our lives today, it is that expression of attitude, heart and spirit that most gravely concerns me. What is it that it seems this topic can never be discussed and/or debated without barbs and arrows of unnecessary, unfair and at times offensive barbs and arrows? Especially the aloof comments about going and drinking, which can serve no purpose except to intentionally make fun of and/or proverbially ‘spit in the face’ of others (some of whom just may even be recovering alcoholics).
Why is this necessary? Why is it so hard for us (Christian leaders, no less) to discuss and debate civilly? To agree to disagree without having to vilify or tear down? We complain all the time about people in our churches doing it, but then here we are doing the same thing and somehow feeling justified by it?
And, please, don’t try to defend it as “good humor.” Humor at the unnecessary expense of our brothers and sisters is never “good.”
It reminds me of a very true but terribly sad statement someone once made to me: “Pastors always complain about how people in the church behave. But anytime a group of pastors get together, they act just like the people in their congregation.”
In the immortal words of Bob Newhart: “JUST STOP IT!!!”
Shane Allen on Tue, December 11, 2007
“vilify”… I will vilify sin until the day I die. that is what a preacher of righteousness does. What if we only have one line of cocaine or one hit of a joint. I mean come on to totally abstain from these things is absurd. I think, as Paul said, all things are lawful for me as a Christian, right. At least that is my personal interpretation of scripture… oh wait, the bible says “2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” I would assume if prophecy is of no private interpretation then the other scriptures are not either. Such as “Prov 20:1 20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Prov 31:4-5 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: 5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Prov 23:31-33 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”
Listen to Paul… “Matt 23:27 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Matt 23:33 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Now I can almost imagine the Pharisees saying, come on Paul why are you vilifying us, we are all religious leaders and we should set the example for the world and all right. Why are you throwing barbed darts at our hearts.
I will tell you why, because Paul’s message was I will not compromise with sin and I will not agree to disagree with sin. I will not bow down to the religion of go along and get along, I will not call “LOVE” allowing to do something that I beleive the bible says can send them to HELL. That is not “LOVE”. Love is preaching the word no matter who gets mad or who throws you under the bus. Don’t touch alcoholic beverages and you will never ever be a drunk. No if’s and’s or buts. It is would be impossible. Just take the easy way out and don’t touch the stuff.
IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF PAUL, “Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”
PT on Tue, December 11, 2007
Shane,
In your zeal, you’ve proven my point, but from the opposite direction of what I expected. I am in agreement with your previous posts here and my post was - in part - meant in your defense! I AM a strong supporter of total abstinence and have elucidated and supported that stance at length on this site in the past. The point of my last post was to address the manner of debate among fellow Christ-followers.
At NO point did I ever in any way suggest not calling out or ‘vilifying’ sin. Rather, my point was not to use character assassination as a tool of proof-texting your theology and Biblical interpretation. Re-read my previous post and not how many times I preceded comments with the word “unnecessary.” Ergo, there may be times when it is necessary and/or appropriate to be more ‘sharp’ but let’s be careful not to get carried away when it is not necessary!
Shane, it seems as if you’ve become so expectant of others’ resisting and countering you on this issue, that you’ve begun to assume everyone is against you and you have just treated an ally as an enemy. Others, consider what you may have said/written unnecessarily to make a Shane feel that way. Perhaps we all need to examine our own eyes first?
Btw, love IS about knowing, keeping and sharing the truth. But it is also much more than that. It is just as much about HOW we go about the above. As Jesus exemplified so powerfully and painfully, Love is about not compromising in righteousness, but at the same time it is also about sacrifice built on mercy, compassion, and understanding for the ignorance, foolishness and mistakes of others.
Shane Allen on Tue, December 11, 2007
PT,
Very well put. You have a very good disposition. I do tend to get a little zealous… OKAY, OKAY. A lot zealous. I have the disposition of “kill the gnat with a shotgun and you know it is dead” approach. I just have a fire in my soul when I see people that are supposed to be “leaders called of God to preach the GOSPEL of Christ”… and they think it is okay to drink (once in a while). How many people will that point of view send to hell? I mean a glass of wine, a couple of beers, a shot of whiskey, a hit of pot, a hit of LSD, a short line of cocaine, one puff on the crack pipe. To me, it is all the same… no where in the bible does it say not to do cocaine or pot or LSD. So are those okay as well. Not talking to you PT (I know your stance but to anyother reader)… but it does talk about wine as I posted earlier in a post. How much more clear can it be. It is the little foxes that spoil the vine. If we live holy and righteous in what some consider “non-essentials” then I don’t think we will get it wrong when it comes to the “essentials”. You know, “count the pennies and the dollars take care of themselves.” Anyway… I am just wasting time… I know I will not change my opinion and probably won’t change anyone elses either so I guess it is a mute point. I just say Jesus Christ help the “modern” church return to Holy living as the Apostles lived and as Christ would have lived.
Thanks again PT for your well spoken words.
SCA
PT on Wed, December 12, 2007
Shane,
Thanks for your kind words and example of humility and self-correction - it is very admirable!
I have no idea your age and am not relatively very old myself, but I understand you and see your heart through the passion-induced hyperbole. In many ways I was you and in some ways still am. Ten years ago, I probably would have responded to this very similarly to how you did. Only by God’s grace and sanctification (not to mention painful lessons) have I grown more in maturity in this area. Most importantly, I’ve learned that my best and strongest character trait (strong passion) can also be my worst if I’m not careful, well disciplined, and constantly seeking discernment from the Holy Spirit.
Back to the issue of abstinence from alcohol, I again ask my brothers and sisters, what is so wrong with encouraging people of God to take the ‘highest road’ with the least risk of multiplying sin or error? I agree that at the end of the day, it is and should be an individual, personal conviction. But what is wrong with encouraging that? And what is wrong with requiring it from leaders in the church with the understanding that there acceptance of that position is itself a voluntary choice? That is NOT legalism, it is a calling to a higher standard. You know, like Jesus’ statements throughout the Sermon on the Mount “you have heard . . . but . . . “ Even in exposing the law of men, Jesus presented a yet higher standard for the Christ-follower who would “bear his cross.”
Marvin S Mcqueen on Wed, June 04, 2008
Nice! I’ve bookmarked it http://www.searchallinone.com/Other/Ideal_Government_Europe-4/ :D
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