[tptacek]

Alcohol is fundamental to mainstream Christianity. It's a central part of the story of Christ. Which is no surprise, since the faith comes from the region and culture that invented brewing. For Catholics, imbibing is almost a sacramental requirement (you can skip the chalice if you want now; I'm not sure if that was always the case pre-V2; consecration of wine, though, is I think an actual requirement).

[dctoedt]

> you can skip the chalice if you want now; I'm not sure if that was always the case pre-V2

IIRC from childhood, before Vatican II only the priest drank the consecrated wine; the congregation received the bread only.

In the Episcopal Church, all hands get both bread and wine — indeed, when the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, Article 30 of the C of E's Thirty Nine Articles of Religion (1571, and still in the Book of Common Prayer) included the following: "The Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay-people: for both the parts of the Lord's Sacrament, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be ministered to all Christian men alike." [0]

[0] https://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/109014/Thirty-Nine-A...

[tsol]

I mean Mormons don't drink-- wine appears in the Bible but imbibing isn't exactly integral to the belief system

[psyc]

That's because "integral" would be understating it. Catholics consider the Eucharist the most important sacrament, at the very center of Christian life. Quite seriously the one sacrament to rule them all and bind them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharistic_theology

(I'm well aware that getting buzzed is not by extension at the center of Christian life. The above comment was simply too ironic not to respond to.)

[tptacek]

Which kind of makes my point for me, given how idiosyncratic Mormonism is. Meanwhile: imbibing is, in fact, integral to the belief system of what might be a plurality of Christians (Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans).

Add Judaism to the roster as well; wine is an integral part of the Seder.

[pen2l]

But hey, neither would be okay with imbibing to the state of inebriation, so the point that leading religions advise against mind-altering substances is still valid in... a technical sort of way.

[tptacek]

Yes, I do remember when Yeshua Ha-Nozri transformed water into wine at the wedding ceremony in Cana of Galilee, he followed the miracle up by saying "please enjoy responsibly".

[psyc]

Paul, Solomon, and a few prophets weren’t too keen on wine. Jesus, the only omniscient one in the bunch, clearly anticipated this very thread:

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”