Lifeway Perceptions of Alcohol Study

Ed Stetzer has a post that outlines a Lifeway Research project on Perceptions of Alcohol amongst Protestant Pastors and Laity. You can go to the link above and a link to a slide show presentation. There is A LOT of information here and I will only post some of the things I found most interesting.

The survey covered 1004 lay folks and 1005 pastors. There were many questions and some of the responses were troubling to me.

The first:

15% of pastors strongly agree and 9% somewhat agree that scripture indicates that people should NEVER drink alcohol.

This is disturbing because the Bible doesn't say that at all. Yet 24% of Pastors think it does. I could say more about that, but do I really need to? What does this say about Biblical literacy among these pastors? Even wilder is that 41% of SBC pastors surveyed believe this about the Bible. 29% of the SBC laity think this. I live in SBC territory and where I live those numbers may be higher.

The next:

90% of the Pastor's surveyed say that social drinking could cause others to stumble.  The number amongst SBC Pastors is 97%.

I have heard the weaker brother and stumbling argument over and over as it applies to alcohol and I still do not think it applies the way those who don't drink or are against alcohol apply it. In the context of those verses (1 Cor 8) it just doesn't work for me. I think it was specific to food sacrifices for idols and not a "cover all" for the things some of us choose not to do. MAYBE we do have equivalents, I haven't really landed on that, but I do not think that alcohol is an equivalent.

Next:

50% of Pastors say that when Christians do not drink non-believers will be more interested in Jesus.

This one blows my mind. And I know a lot of it is theological difference on what the things that attract people to Christ are, but come on, do we really have this much power and this much say? It would be just as crazy for me, some one who enjoys a drink occasionally, to say the opposite. Drinking habits just aren't high on the list of things that determine people's interest in Christ.

Finally:

50% of Pastors say that Christians should not drink.

I guess we have a new law.

I know I have harped on this before. And really, at the end of the day, to me it is not about alcohol. It is about people adding to the Gospel. It is about making new laws. It is about our leaders not even understanding their Bibles. These are scary things to me. This is the church I grew up in and I do not want my children to ever deal with.

Thanks for indulging me once again.

Technorati Tags: Alcohol Use, SBC, Ed Stetzer, Lifeway Research

Comments

[Clint]

Good post.

One thing that really bugs me about a lot of Christians I've been around is that they will make a special point to say "I don't drink, never have, never will" or to go further and say "I don't do that crap, and neither should you". Does being "holier than thou" really do anything for a non-believer to consider accepting Christ?

You and I have talked about this before on several occasions, and one thing sticks out from our talks...how neat would it be to be able to witness to a non-believer while enjoying a drink? We could avoid the better-than-you attitude that too many of us seem to have, and possibly reach some non-believers. I'm confident we could reach many more people that way, but that would stir up a lot of controversy...haha.

It is just frustrating at times, and that may have something to do with the area we live in. Anyway, good stuff.

[Jake]

To bounce of what Clint said...
-"how neat would it be to be able to witness to a non-believer while enjoying a drink?"

...and that stat you gave, Rich...
-"50% of pastors say that when Christians do not drink non-believers will be more interested in Jesus"

...I am all about that. I think that, contrary to the stat, sharing a drink with an unbeliever who is searching will make an even stronger bond, in some sense. That way the guy will be able to say, "hey, this guy is real", or something like that. It's a bonding experience, sharing a drink together. Always has been. Why else would bars/pubs exist?

Could say more on this, but that's the point I wanted to make quickly. Gotta go make some dinner :)

[Margaret]

Rich,
Just last evening, after work, the girls and I stopped by TGIFridays for appetizers and a drink. To think that my witness to them would be skewed by a "drink" is ridiculous. But the hard line thinking is that we shouldn't do such. It has been "beat" into the heads of people for so many years, they don't have the capability to think for themselves about it and see what they really feel.
The ladies I work with know me, they know that I have a relationship with Christ, and I never once had to specifically say that to them. They know by other ways, the more important ones. And I know that they see me as a real person, with real feelings, real faults, one who makes mistakes...but one who is ever trying to better myself.
thanks for the chat!
Love ya,
Margaret

[kristine]

I have some friends over in London working as missionaries through World Missions. One of the (Christian) missionary guys frequents a pub for beer drinking is such a part of the culture that he has found the pub to be a great place to reach out to non-believers. He has been living in London for two years now and the regulars at the pub have become a part of his life, so much so that relationships have been built, people have come to Christ, people have explored their reasons for disbelief and lives have been changed - all over a beer at the end of the day.
I struggle with all of the semantics of christianity because sometimes when we get caught up on what people should or shouldn't do as a Christian we lose sight of Christ all together. Even if on the outside we do what appears to be all of the "right" things, we still have the matters of the heart to deal with...

[Rebekah]

"I struggle with all of the semantics of christianity because sometimes when we get caught up on what people should or shouldn't do as a Christian we lose sight of Christ all together."

Amen Kristine!