Controversy revisited....

A final word
So God "allows" alcohol...Does that mean we should take advantage of this- that it should be accepted or enjoyed?

Yes, but God allows alcohol like he allows divorce, war, and a mariad of other issues; because He allows us to make our own choices. Tabacco is a God-made plant, as is Marajuana. The Bible doesn't even mention these- must be fine in all honesty. (in moderation of course).

I spent over 3 hours the other day studying all the references of wine in the Bible. (330+-) I couldn't really find that God specifically commands not to drink ever; however, I totally do not believe that He Himself drank 'wine' (Mark 16:23), though the Bible doesn't really ever talk about what He ate or drank...
But going from an opinion on a logical point of view, the greek and hebrew words for wine that were mostly used for 'wine' was simply juice from the vine- grape juice. Naturally, no one had a refriderator back then, so after a few days, I can imagine the juice would gain a little 'punch'- hence the reason God said not to overdo it and that seems to be a good reason Paul would say to use some for your stomach. But to me, using the use-wine-if-ill verse (I Tim 3:7?) to justify drinking is just like justifying the legality of abortion just in case we need to save the life of the mother. How many abortions are ACTUALLY to save the life of the mother...right, and how many of us actually drink because our stomachs 'need' it. Did God ever actually command us not to abort our pre-born masses? When does birth control vs. abortion start? That's another topic for later.

God DID call certain men not to drink period. Daniel for one. God did also commands the priests and elders of the church to a higher standard because "if a man know(s) not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?" (I Tim 3:5) Great question, but actually another topic. This isn't to say one can't be used of God if anything other than water enters the Temple of Holy Spirit, but I prefer my Temple to be slightly cleaner than that. So, whether God wants us to drink "freely" or not, I want a higher road (hoping others will follow, but not trying to be high-and-mighty).
In one final thought, perhaps alcohol in moderation is ""perfectly"" healthy...who's to decide when it's too much? How does one know they aren't the type who would get tipsy after one drink unless they try first? I don't get drunk even after 6, so I must be good for that amount at least. Regardless, you are already way over the legal limit for how to operate a car safely. With satan out there planning an attack whenever and wherever, I prefer to be as sharp as possible and not lower defences for attack. (Ipet 5:8, Eph 5:15-18)
And if the health reasons are the only reasons whether to drink or not, I think you'll be surprised that there are quite a few reasons not to. Hereand here just as examples, Google it...
Hos 4:11 cross-referenced to aid meaning to 1king 11:4 is interesting, as is Hab. 2:5 but that old testement, oo boy, that can be unreliable as God's actual Word.... :-0

Would I stop associating with people and friends who differ on this issue? If you can still honestly Love the Lord with all your heart, MIND, AND soul, then doubtful. But I can't help believe that the level of friendship is ultimately affected.

Having said all this though, God has shown me through this study that, while I have strong convictions in this area, there are many others where I have fallen, so I will (try) not judge others in their Christian (Christ-like) walk. While everything may be justifiable with Romans 14, Soloman sums it up pretty well in Ecclesiastes 2:1....especially 8 and 13.

This has proven to be more 'fun' and rewarding than all the studying I've done for school so far. I think that says something....(all references in original King James)

~ET (post not meant to be as 'serious' as it comes across)

Review: World Trade Center

How does a producer/directer accurately recreate one of the most memorable days in recent history? Or perhaps a better question, should they? Well, I wasn't around for Pearl Harbor, but I certainly don't want to forget that day. Granted, the movie Pearl Harbor doesn't do the day justice, but that's another story. Perhaps, it was too soon for such a movie. And Hollywood seems to be about profit so it does seem to have a sketchy motive. But people have forgotten that day and what it felt like to be attacked. This movie isn't a political movie designed to renew positive feelings about the War on Terrorism though. The only slightly political statement I caught in the whole film was an ex-marine considering duty again because "they are going to need a few good men to avenge this."
This movie felt less like a documentary than did "Flight 93". It was more about two Port Authority Police officers, the 18th and 19th of 20 people, pulled from the debris alive. I was actually looking for more of a complete documentary, I wanted to know what happened that day. I wanted details- more than I got from those repeated news shots. But by the end, that's not what I wanted. They didn't actually show much of the towers. In one of the more graphic scenes, there are people jumping but it mainly focuses on the police response to a tragidy with no action plan. It's quite interesting that so much of the movie was shot between two men buried in rubble and I still was held in rapt attention.
The score kept me ingrossed in the scenes and the cinemetography is amazing. I was impresssed with many of the shots and I usually don't notice these things. Course, this time I may have been looking harder...The human aspect was great too, I was disappointed with the one wife, she seemed a bit dull, like she wasn't quite sure how to act, but there were many touching moments.
There is a definite need to laugh or do something after the movie. There is a distinct mood that totally takes over and it feels good to get out of the theater. But it's remeniscent of the Passion of the Christ. Watch it to remember. Rememeber. Be grateful. Go about your day.