It’s a question I’ve been frequently asked, “Why don’t you drink alcohol?”
For me, the issue comes down to clarity of mind, the ability to exercise total dominion over my thinking and to never be controlled by an outside influence.
I have no experience drinking, because I’ve never drank alcohol. However, I observe the effect it has on people who drink. What I’ve noticed is that they lose their individuality. They become someone else. Under its influence, they say things they would not ordinarily say and do things they would not do if they were thinking clearly. Depending upon the amount of alcohol consumed, the effect can be very subtle, and other times ugly and embarrassing. And if over-consumed, the effects can be utterly devastating, ruining people’s lives for decades.
In my study of Christian Science, I’ve learned that the highest state of mind is to be reflecting the presence of the one divine Mind. When you are at-one with divine Mind, you have dominion over your thought, the body and your experience. You can stop disease from getting into the body by keeping it out of your thought. You can eradicate the temptation to get sick, for instance to catch a flu, a cold or other contagious disease by consciously defending your spiritual right to stay healthy. You can do a better job of keeping harmony in your relationships with others by taking full responsibility for your every thought and not letting impatience, anger, resentment or ill-will take over. To reflect the clarity, poise, grace and dominion of the one Mind is to put yourself into the best position possible for staying happy and healthy.
To reflect the full integrity of the one Mind, though, we can’t be under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol manifests the belief of another mind at work in our lives. It’s a belief that a matter substance, called alcohol, can control our thinking, for either good or bad, pleasure or pain. It puts matter over mind, and the effect is a loss of conscious control over mind and body.
The question begs an answer, if one is willing to turn the influence of their thinking over to alcohol, might they not be as easily tempted to turn it over to suggestions of disease, lack or other suffering?
I do not judge my neighbor who drinks. That is their choice. I love them the same as I would anyone else. I look for the child of God in everyone. But I personally have chosen not to drink alcohol because I have such huge respect for thinking clearly and to not have my thought manipulated by external factors that would make me feel like I’m out of control. I want to feel God in control, because that always leads to a good effect in my life and makes it easier to ward off temptations that can lead to unwanted suffering.
I find that I’m a much better healer when I’m feeling God’s absolute control in my life. And it seems wise to keep alcohol out of my life to allow this close relationship I feel with God to thrive and prosper.
I have never felt—ever—like I was missing out on something good by not drinking alcohol. I have found all my good in God, and it is wonderful!
I think every Sunday school teacher of high school age class
Should read this and allow their students to read this this is probably one of the most important things facing people in business as well. such a good explanation
Alcohol consumption is a problem even in the middle school grade levels, so when teaching Sunday School I talk about having no other gods such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs when the students are still very young.
Loved the clear explanation
Great to share.
When in a group and you choose a soda with dash of lime or something else , some girls would say I’ll have the same . Then they say I’m glad you asked for that as I didn’t want another
Thank you Evan
I remember someone criticising me for ordering britvic orange and lemonade when I was 18 (in the UK). I didn’t have to defend myself, my friends said I had the right to drink whatever I wanted. I was so grateful for that as it completely shut any discussion down that could have become offensive. I was praying at the same time I should add.
Thank you Evan. Shared Facebook/linkedin/twitter
Beautifully stated, Evan. Thank you.
Well said!!!
I once heard a college teacher.. a back woods guy, say he used this argument to discourage his students from getting drunk: you want to be fit and able to help when your friend needs help. As with Evan’s explanation, the why is love.
Thank you for this post. Special thanks to Nancy. Your teacher’s explanation is so straightforward, true and noble. I feel I could use that with the youngest child and they would understand. I plan to use it with myself daily in my struggles with food and other idols! Thank you for this wonderful Spirit View community!
Thank you Evan…so well put! What a great answer to a question i used to get after i stopped even the “dessert” cocktails. Never liked the taste anyway, just went along with friends, which one comes to realize, is only a type of lack of confidence.
So well stated. Thank you!
Brilliantly stated! I have drunk alcohol, been drunk lived with an alcoholic and have seen first hand alcohol destroying people, families and entire lives. I’ve seen a normal person become alcoholic and ruin his life almost overnight. Thank you for this clear explanation that I can share with loved ones who don’t understand why I no longer choose to drink alcohol.
Thank you, Evan. I am so glad to see Sunday School teacher interest in sharing this message.
Sandy
An excellent “treatment,” Evan, re this huge subect.
Marijuana, as we all know, has become an equal if not more popular form of “enhancement/escape/etc” for our young people especially, to stand strong against.
Our prayers, as well as living lives of purity, are effective!!!
Thank you all for your part in this endeavor!
Outstanding Evan!! I used to drink alcohol (and smoke) but thanks to my study of Christian Science I gave it up almost 20 years ago and am grateful to have clarity of mind.
Thank you. Alcohol has plagued my family members for decades. I took a stand several years ago to stop drinking and smoking too.
John Stapleton
As marijuana is now “legal” here in Canada. ….we have a great need to use these wonderful ideas in our daily prayers both for ourselves and our country and the world as a whole. Thank you for them Evan.
Thank you for addressing this important topic. It affects so many people from those who are very very young to those great in human years. All types of people drink. I grew up with a Christian Science backround and I still chose to drink off and on for several years. It was a hard habit for me to break, but eventually my close relationship with God became so much more satisfying. I wouldn’t consider drinking now and I too love having a clear mind to express God as best as I can. And Evan, you are right you have missed nothing by not experiencing alcohol. Bless your heart for taking a stand early on and never participating so as to support your fellow brothers and sisters prayerfully. I also like the point you brought up about not judging our neighbor for drinking. That’s not our job, they are on their own spiritual journey. Our job is to see the perfect child of God in every single one.
Evan and all, You have stirred my thought to realize that drinking really has robbed so many of the successful practice of C.S. My sister, who loves and has faith in C.S. – stopped practicing it and going to church because, she admitted to me, she didn’t want to give up social drinking. My two adult daughters still subscribe to the Bible Lesson and call for prayerful help, but do not go to church or consistently practice C.S. Both of them drink socially, and one of them also admitted that was a key reason she stopped “being a Christian Scientist.” None of them are heavy drinkers, but still, I now realize how that subtle addiction has controlled them, and turned them from God. This does need our very serious prayerful contesting. Thank you for these correcting ideas. I am grateful that I always was aware and alarmed at how even a little drink of alcohol seemed to make me feel out of control, and I turned from it very quickly. I also teach 9th and 10th graders, and now I am alerted to bring this topic out in the open! “Little foxes” are not small, and cannot be tolerated!
thank you Linda; nearly the same is with my sister. She visited the Sunday School from little girl on. But although she is doing a good job looking after children every day in her own house, she is drinking alcohol socially. She is not at all a drinker. But I think she regrettably is also away from CS.
But you are right, that needs our very serious prayers. Once my sister asked me to give her a good thought, then I simply said: “oh, God loves you very much”. She was very satisfied with that answer, and I was happy it helped her.
Helpful ideas, and friends – please do be aware of the risk of seemingly hardline attitudes dissuading visitors and others who are genuinely interested in Christian Science but without your experience of it from participating. Everyone is welcome to come, learn and consider … right? Also praying that the door to CS understanding is clearly open to all with a wide welcome.
Welcome SV Visitor! Yes, yes. All are welcome with open and loving arms. One of my favorite things about walking into church every week is reading the words “Come as you are, all are welcome.” I assure you it’s true. God and Christian Science welcomes all. While it’s also true, sometimes even among CSers human opinion and judgements get in the way of our thinking, but that does not come from the one Mind, God. Stick to the great ideas in Evan’s awesome, never judgemental post. And just like any comment section following a blog, some ideas will be helpful and some won’t and we can hold to the helpful and let go of the others. God Loves you, me, and every other child with complete fullness right where we are at in our study, practice, and lives. We are all on our own spiritual journey to understanding our oneness with God. God always meets us right where we are and will take us all the way if we yield to his/her all-loving power. ♡♡
It’s so important to clarify this as Christian Scientists…we are not NOT drinking out of a sense of human morality….or religious purity….or health reasons…it really IS about mental clarity and using matter as a tool or crutch! This could be anything…video games, food, sugar, porn…As I talk to my kids about it this is how I frame it: when you start to see your friends drink, I want you to think about why? It matters what you THINK about it…are they trying to numb something? avoid something? are they being peer pressured? do they think it will make them more fun or fit in? And I talk to my kids about how easy it is to never drink if you never do! I am missing out on NOTHING…and it enables you to be a helper and there for others…
Tricia, thank you for your input and insight. You are spot on! I wish I knew this as a young child and that my family explained this line of thinking to us.
what addiction is is possession, and those that read scriptures know of drinking not water but a little wine as being right to do. There are living waters which bless, there are wine that bless, there are those that seek blessings by theft, and seek into the palace in an attempt to steal blessings. why do miracles contain water becoming wine?
AMEN Evan and to everyone who has commented. I have seen how being intoxicated has been devastating in the lives of dear loved ones. I do not criticize, but I sure do PRAY!
I’m so glad I grew up in a family culture where there was no drinking on either side of my extended families. That and Christian Science helped me keep clear of it. And now even the medical profession is coming around to say there is no “good” drinking. http://time.com/5376552/how-much-alcohol-to-drink-study/
P.s. I shared this on Facebook
Thanks to Evan and to all the dear responders! While I was raising my kids as a single mom, i was sober for 28 years. My teenage son said to me that he didn’t listen to my words but he watched what I did. All the kids are doing well (some better than others, always changing), and CS is in their thought even when they aren’t actually practicing. I believe none of us would have made it through without the absolutes that CS preaches and proves.
VIP==very important post Evan. Thank you. I will share it with prisoners, many of whom are under the devil of addiction. I got the idea to post to facebook from one of the comments above, so I did it..
I remember saying goodbye to a class mate (our first year in tertiary education) for the weekend. He told me he was going home to visit his parents as they lived a fair distance away. Monday came and I didn’t see him but didn’t think anything of it. During the day we were told that our class mate had been killed in a car accident and had been drunk. This had such an impact on me that I have never been drunk in my life. It’s just not worth it. Set your mind on Love and you will not desire the things of the flesh.
it be given that a life of flesh shall be, it is wisdom to save your treasure from such life unto the life that shall come. If you pay not attention to flesh and pay attention to only spirit, you will lose your soul. If you pay attention only to soul, you will be possessed by many spirits, if you pay attention to only spirit, you shall never stop speaking, and if you do not know how to try the spirit, you have only grace to see you through unto your next life, no treasure. so be this curse: of jesus name so be it.
What an extremely loving and powerful treatment – thank you so very much for today`s healing SpiritView!
In former times I tried with school mates how you feel with smoking. And after my school time sometimes I liked to drink liquer, because it tastes sweet with an interesting flavour.
The smoking I did not start (I just tried), because of my health, my purse and my loved church (at that time my sunday school). The drinking, although only a bit in the evening, I stopped completely since I was intensively engaged in work for my branchchurch, I stopped having the desire to drink even a little. I am so happy about that healing!
In the former times, when I used to go to a party, the young people thought that without drinking alcohol, they cannot have fun at the party they attended. But already in sunday school I learnt, that the real and much nicer joy and fun is coming from God. I had the privilege to join the Hamburg Christian Science Monitor Youth Forum. And there we made excursions and had dancing evenings; it was very lovely – of course without any alcohol and smoking. I found a quite old black/white foto where we all wore nice party dresses, me too. What a nice remembrance from my forumtime! Thank God, that He lead me that way until today, where I am happy to be a part of the Christian Science movement, the best and most blessing thing in the world!
Yes, thank you Evan, I also have the longing and respect for thinking clearly and desire very much to feel and know clearly God`s absolute control in my life, in everything I need to do, knowing He is the doer and the doing and I the reflection. Am specially grateful for your today`s SV !! 🙂
And I am also grateful for all your wonderful comments, dear SpiritView friends, thanks a lot!
tabacco is a spiritual theif of blessings. when let in the door, they seek excess of blessings and then distract to escape, by drunkenness curses, of other curses.
Mis. 288-289:6 Mrs Eddy says the slightest use is abuse. I believed this.
I have a somewhat of a different take. I think we can become afraid of beer, wine, and alcohol which is a mistake. I first tasted all of this stuff in high school. As I grew older I would still drink when out with friends. My future husband was in the restaurant business and eventually became a wine importer and developed wines. When my first child was born, I stopped drinking because I needed to be awake to hear her. Tasting a wine my husband has developed is one of the nice things we do together. I never pour myself a glass of wine and if I have beer in the summer, it is a small glass that he will get me. I was never into drugs gratefully and I do see people using pot as if it is something better than alcohol. I am comfortable with this.
Dear Uta, I also was blessed with the activities of the Christian Science Monitor Youth Forum and am so sorry it was discontinued. I strongly feel that the lack of these social activities is the reason for many of our young people leaving C.S.
Nope, Evan, you haven’t missed anything.