Saint Elmo's Fire: Christendom and Liquor >>

“In the beginning, G-d created yeast and barley, and lo, for it was good…” That according to the Book of Billy Bob in the King Bubba Version. Ok…That’s definately not in the Bible! Welcome to The Draking Point! >>

You know, there are huge swathes of history and coincidence that our Sunday school classes and textbooks omit, and one of those is the tale G-d’s march across time, and the fermented spirits carried along the way. While you might think that monotheism has abhorred alcohol consumption throughout the centuries, nothing could be further from the truth.

I’m writing this article in response to a debate I had with a fellow believer, and by the time I’m finished, you will either see the light or write me off. Either way, I couldn’t really care less.

Nobody really knows when in prehistory fermented juices were converted into alcohol, but many agree that much like cheese, it was probably the fortuitous result of forgetting a storage vessel for a time and stumbling back onto it later… no doubt a happy accident. But our earliest records seem to indicate that fermented alcohol came into existence far into prehistory, either in the Caucasus Mountains or the Middle East.

Alcohol makes its first cameo in the Bible with Noah, who upon exiting the ark, planted vineyards and became drunk off of his wine. And for biblical scholars, Noah’s foreknowledge of wine seems to suggest that it was a staple in the antediluvian world. Beyond this, and after the Mosaic Laws were delivered to the newly-emancipated Hebrews, not a single commandment of the Torah banned the beverage. And in fact, libation drink offerings were made at the Jewish Temple as wine was thought at that time to be “the king of beverages.” During the tithing feast, Deuteronomy 14:26 permits the consumption of shekar (strong drink) at feasts in the presence of the Lord.

In the life of Christ, we see the most famous example with the Festival of Cana where Christ, Yeshua Hamashiac, transforms water into wine. Now to all the teetotalers out there who think that it was grape juice, the text is sharp to note that the quality wine was issued to the revelers first and the bargain liquor came second. This was (and still is) a party tactic used today, which was to get people slightly buzzed so that they cannot discriminate the finest from the weakest. The master of ceremonies stands amazed at the superiority and excellence of Jesus' choice, while I cannot think of a single sommelier who would laud fruit juice.

“Wow Jesus! This is fantastic Ocean Spray! The best I’ve ever had! I can practically  taste the nuance!”

Sorry, folks. But propounding that everyone of the Old World was running around drinking Welch’s grape juice just sounds like something that Ned Flanders would say to his kids. All that said, the scripture does clearly abhor the vice of drunkenness and addiction (a well-made point), but suggests that many things in life have a dual nature to them, and that people rely largely upon choices and judgment regarding times and situations, and that life is about understanding restraint, moderation, and knowing ourselves.

Moving along...

Rome fell, and the world was up for grabs. Early Christians, modeling themselves after both Jews and Romans, continued the practice of wine consumption and production and began establishing the grape varietals that we know today throughout Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. In 1718, Benedictine Monk Dom Pérignon laid down the double fermentation method that streamlined Champaign production for France. Wine filled popular culture, via small literary memes with  wine symbolizing mirth and festivity, and watered-down wine symbolizing corruption.

Beer itself made swift inroads in Bavaria, as the local Celts were already familiar with producing mead and grain-based beverages. And although beer had existed since Babylon and was mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi, its modern taste was perfected by European monks and men in lederhosen. Trappist monasteries popped up around Belgium and the Netherlands and began producing their legendary and expensive spiced ales. As we can see, the clergy never stopped it:

“A man may have wisdom in two ways. First, in a general way, according as it is sufficient for salvation: and in this way it is required, in order to have wisdom, not that a man abstain altogether from wine, but that he abstain from its immoderate use …and in this way, in order to receive wisdom perfectly, it is requisite for certain persons that they abstain altogether from wine, and this depends on circumstances of certain persons and places.”
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

So, if Christianity never abolished alcohol or championed its demise (and actually developed it), where did the Prohibition Movement first emerge?

Debates as to proper temperance had always existed in monotheism, but under Islamic Sharia came some of the most sweeping international prohibitions yet seen by the world. Yet all that said, Moorish leaders ruling Andalucía, Spain in the Middle Ages were ambiguous in applying the strictness of their blue laws, as some Muslim rulers even owned vineyards themselves. Now to my understanding, Christians and Jews were still permitted to produce and drink in a more regulated setting, until Christian kingdoms reasserted their dominance over the continent in the famed Reconquista of 1492.

In the Americas, Pilgrims and Conquistadors (notwithstanding their differences in mainland Europe) spread the art of fermentation, often sharing their firewater with the natives for all the wrong reasons. Yet as to how booze pertains to the Americas, I can see two founding fathers whose paths diverged on this issue.

Let’s begin with Benjamin Rush. Rush was a founding father and opponent of George Washington. Beyond his political activity, he was a humanitarian and physician. In addition to being a slavery abolitionist, he was also an opponent of whiskey. His purpose was driven by the need of employers for more productive workers, as well as rent consistency for landlords. However, he did not go so far as to seek central regulation or prohibition altogether as some latter progressives would push towards. Instead, he opted for cooperation and education between business owners and a voluntary alliance against alcoholism. So while the thrilling opportunities of the Industrial Revolution ultimately improved America, wrenching social upheavals, urban migrations, and work weariness led many to incline towards the bottle. Hence, many critics fault the temperance crowd for targeting and criticizing the poor from their lofty echelons of ownership and prosperity. Others suggest that it was the best leg up possible. Either way, much of this movement came from the gentry and out of the industrialization of the continent. It was later that protestant ministers would latch onto this cause. Again, Prohibition never started with the Bible.

Now lemme introduce you to another founding father. His name is Sam Adams. Who am I kidding? He needs no introduction. This ballsey American protestant was renowned for holding the position once held my Mitt Romney, as the 4th Governor of Massachusetts. On subjects of finance, earning and keeping money was not his strong suit, squandering and failing miserably at every venture he undertook. In short, everything he touched turned to crap. In spite of this, Adams was made a partner at his family’s malthouse, though he himself was not a brewer. And so this hapless icon unwittingly inspired a Boston Lager developed in the 1800s in St. Louis Missouri, a recipe which survived Prohibition. It was, for a time, produced by the Pittsburg Brewing Company alongside Iron City and other brands before becoming popular. This is an internationally-renowned, award-winning lager, made in US of friggin’ A, and a recreational testament to the movers and shakers of American innovation. And just for the record: Prohibition is still as dead.

Let’s skip past flashpoints in American history like the Whiskey Rebellion and onto the arrival of the 20th century. This era became what we refer to as the Progressive Era. Architecture, industrialization, labor markets, centralized planning, attitudes, and sciences were pushing forward at blinding speeds, and many begin to feel that not only would these changes wipe out antiquated ways, but that such a process should be helped along by the government. Instead of Herbert Spencer’s notion of passive social Darwinism, elites like Margaret Sanger, John Dewey, and Woodrow Wilson wanted a government actively involved in the scrubbing. Living in an age where 18 hour shifts at the mill enticed weary men to self-medicate, alcohol became not only the target of social reformers, but also a demonic scourge for progressive clergy as well.

Personifying the face of the prohibition movement, a woman by the name of Carrie Nation (born Carrie Moore) became a Joan of Arc to challenge 5,000 years of Biblically-permitted practice. Drawing from her husband’s death from alcoholism, Mrs. Nation was a lot like women today who feel that nobody should own a gun on account of an accident in their own households. Mrs. Nation and her followers would employ shock-valued guerilla tactics, running into taverns and liquor stores with hatchets, hacking bars and shattering beer jugs. This temperance variation of the hit TV show Punk’d would startle the patrons, and then it would be followed by choirs of women singing from hymnals as they vacated the ruined establishment. Now aside from these gross violations of personal property rights, assault and battery, and the destruction of a merchant’s inventory, this jackboot fascism would only escalate under the totalitarian spasm that we call the 18th Amendment.

1919 AD: the 18th Amendment is passed by the same Congress that brought you the 16th. Nobody obeys, pubs become speakeasies, and the law fails miserably to achieve any meaningful goals.

1933 AD: Prohibition is repealed. Whiskey had a longer shelf-life than this law. Dry reality killed a wet dream.

In my stream of consciousness there is a whirling eddy alongside the river; I don’t know of any Catholics ever doing this…

Heh.

Now in this brave new world of locomotives and eugenics, our transatlantic cousins were experimenting with some social engineering of their own. As secular socialism was supposedly replacing the archaisms of the past, stripping away the frills and lace for Spartan superstates, we witnessed the rise of Nazi Germany and the Bolshevik Revolution. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich were modeled after Hitler’s progressive ideals, he himself a teetotaling and smoke-free vegetarian. Adolf Hitler often conducted feasibility studies with economists and agriculturalists for the long-term implementation of these vegetarian regimens over his entire nation and peoples, and initiated public awareness campaigns for the holistic lifestyle.

Further north in the 60s and 70s, the former Soviet Union initiated “preventative” crackdowns on alcohol consumption to combat the problem of alcoholism, essentially rescinding public trial and carting people off to a ceramic-tiled facility.

Further harsh restrictions were deadbolted onto alcohol consumption during labor hours, and alcohol production from suppliers was further curtailed. And like Nazi Germany, these fascists published broad health campaigns to rid society of a so-called "scourge." It never dawned on the statists that keeping people behind walls, confiscating their goods, deciding their careers for them, deliberately starving millions, persecuting the faithful, stifling artistic expression, and limiting education would lead people to depression and substance abuse. No, it was just the booze talking.

Does this mean that health and wellness are a hallmark unique to secular tyranny? By no means. As for myself, I run and eat my veggies, stand nearly 6 feet tall weighing in at 155 lbs, and have about a drink a week. Good health is not the domain of fascists only. But I do want to dispel the myth that consuming alcohol is banned under Christianity and the Bible, or that it is inherently sinful in and of itself without considerations of excess. More power to you if you wish to abstain outright, but don’t scold others as though you have a commandment behind you. For that, you’re on your own.

Yet when we focus on health sans negative stereotypes, some studies have even emerged extolling alcohol consumption as actually yielding health benefits that increase the quality of life for people who partake in moderation. Some say it is good for the heart, has anti-aging properties, is purer than soda, and increases lifespan. Revered lifestyles like the Mediterranean and Okinawan diets encourage moderation with drink, but don’t rule it out altogether. I personally don’t know what to believe, as I’m not a nutritionist and all those researchers still can’t come to a solid verdict on eggs.

So from my vantage point, alcohol’s enduring legacy is an example of ancient wisdom’s triumph over Progressivism. I guess that when all is said and done, the fact that there isn’t a single commandment in the Torah against wine for the general citizenry can tell us a lot. G-d had an ample opportunity to strike it off, as he did pork, blood, and other unhealthy foods…and as legalistic as the tribes could be, they probably would have obeyed Him. Perhaps it will continue to be one of the greatest mysteries of all time as to why G-d allowed spirits into this world, yet maybe it does give us a serendipitous insight into the mysteries of Divine Personality.

Whatever the case may be, have a good St. Patty’s Day. And act as ladies and gentleman while you do.

I propose a toast: To the Father, the Son, (click-pop) and the Holy Spirit.

Cheers. >>