Have Baptist, for the most part, always been teetotalers?

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J. M. - Baptist - Ontario, Canada - Feileadh Mor

"Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience. But nothing is a greater cause of suffering."
The Brothers Karamazov

No.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I know, I'm just digging a little, looking for the history behind the move toward the temperance movement.

All the research that I have done into the temperance movement leads me to believe that it was primarily a Methodist movement. Including Dr. Welch, who invented grape juice so that the church would no longer have to sin in taking wine with communion.

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Just the saved ones.

Actually, it was a Baptist who invented bourbon. Elijah Craig, minister, entrepreneur, and founder of the Baptist-related Georgetown College in Kentucky is widely credited with creating the official spirit of the Bluegrass State around 1789. Today, Kentucky's Heaven Hill Distillery sells a high-end single-barrel bourbon named after Craig.

Most historians trace the teetotaling movement to the 1830s and problems with alcohol abuse on the frontier. The Baptists joined with the Methodists and theologically liberal city folks to control the abuses.

Today, many Baptists partake of the psychoactive drug, CH3CH2OH, with its characteristic pattern of affecting the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, to produce a depressant (neurochemical inhibitory) effect. Even though I came from the liberal ABC, my alcohol inhibitions are pretty strong, primarily due to pervasive alcoholism in the extended families of both my wife and myself.

Actually, truth be told, Baptists don't convert to Presbyterianism for the views on baptism. It's the permission to drink alcohol that draws them like moths to the light.

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I don't know the history behind the Baptist aversion to alcohol but I must admit, I get a good belly laugh when I hear all the arguments that Jesus drank unfermented grape juice.

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Bill Brown
Elder
Grace Baptist Church
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I didn't know how much of that was tongue in cheek, but I enjoyed it all, especially the above-quoted part.

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HaigLaw, ruling elder
Grace PCA, Shreveport, LA
http://www.xanga.com/HaigLaw

It is worth noting that the RPCNA was very active during the 19th century in regards to the temperance movement.

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA
Fairmount ARP Church
Student of Theology
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
My Blog

"Nothing is sweet to me without the enjoyment of Christ in it." -- Thomas Brooks

The Reformed Baptist congregation my wife and I used to worship with split the difference and had both wine and grape juice at communion.

I grew up in a household where alchohol was a no-no (Assemblies of God - yup, I've had quite a journey). Imagine my mild surprise the first time I went to synod as a Reformed Episcopalian and there was an open bar during the banquet which was held the last night!

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Steven Bittle
Postulant
St. Michael's Church
Reformed Episcopal Church
OKC, OK

"Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum!"

For the most part, Baptists have been teetotalers...A sobering thought ( ) (sorry, couldn't resist).

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Bob Howes
Framingham, MA

A reoccurring thought:

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

How sad; the RPCI has many teetootlers, but it was never a requirement like it was in the RPCNA...thankfully.

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)

Oh yes, keep in mind that Ian Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster is an officially total abstinence denomination.

Q: why is it unwise to take only one baptist fishing with you? A: If you take only one, he will drink all your beer. You need at least two to have the beer all to yourself.

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Bruce
PCUSA
Ocean City NJ

It would you are in a humourous spirit this morning!

Also thankfully the RPCNA has recently made the issue one of Christian Liberty.

Isn't being a teetotaler a good thing? I would think that for most Christians, unless you're a heavy drinker, abstaining from drinking alcohol is not too difficult to do. Having that under control, it frees you up to focus on correcting other sinful behaviors, like smoking cigars and other worldly vices.

That one deserves a double thanks!

BTW, from the research I have done, it appears that prohibition grew out of the feminist movement as well.

Personally, I think prohibition as it is practiced in the SBC is very dangerous. It sends the message that we can make ourselves more or less righteous by what we put in our mouth.

Since when is smoking cigars (necessarily) a sinful behavior or a worldly vice?

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Rae W. | Elder @ Grace Central Presbyterian Church | Columbus, OH
not another blog, v2.0

[quote=DMcFadden;413263]Ethanol? How so?

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Ivan Schoen, Pastor
Maranatha Baptist Church
Poplar Grove, Illinois USA
www.maranatha-sbc.org/
The greatest enemy to human souls is
the self-righteous spirit which makes
men look to themselves for salvation.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

I think Bob meant to print his text in sarcastic Red raekwon.... : )

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~ Steven Bradford ~
Member Covenant Presbyterian, Chattanooga, TN

Sorry, comment was made TIC (tongue-in-cheek). Just trying to "stir the pot" a tad, and see if I could "get you guys going".

Go enjoy your cigar,

Bob

My sarcasm detector is on the fritz this morning.