Whenever there is a law against anything concerning alcohol, there is an unspoken guarantee that it will unequivocally be broken. The Prohibition of the 1920s proved that.
There seems to be an unspoken understanding that the legal drinking age is simply a suggestion, and a bad one at that. Law is not fluid, but its implementation usually is.
According to SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), “Two-fifths of students have consumed alcohol by 8th grade.” What comes after eighth grade? “Three out of four students have consumed alcohol by the end of high school.”
The indulgence of alcohol seems to inspire a snowball effect. “58 percent of 12th graders report having been drunk at least once in their life.” Take note that these are not isolated actions. These students usually go out of their homes to drink.
My problem with underage drinking is not one of legality. It is of irresponsibility, especially among college students, including Christian ones.
Drunken college students are the more dangerous ones because they can drive, they have legal friends with access to booze, and being away from home seems to give many an inflated sense of adulthood.
In college, things have to be about utility and practicality. It’s just not practical to get so hammered that you are completely incapacitated by a hangover the next morning. You won’t be studying and you will probably have to skip class to nurse that earthquake of a headache.
The Bible’s stance on drinking seems clear. It is acceptable, to a very moderate degree and drunkenness is certainly unacceptable.
Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler: and whosoever is led astray by it is not wise.”
In several passages, we are encouraged to seek stimulation of the spirit instead of depressing it.
Most alcoholic drinks are depressants. Self-medication via alcohol is not helpful. It does not make you happy. It numbs you so that you cannot feel the pain or anxiety.
As students of higher education, we are called to be more contemplative than impulsive. We are called to use our resources to a higher end and not to regress our behavior in the name of mindless oblivion.
As Christians, we generally work to glorify God, but it can be difficult for a person to put effort towards the glorification of the Creator when his or her face is being intimately acquainted with the inside of a toilet bowl.
College is stressful. I can certainly attest to that. However, there are any number of different ways to relax.
If you’re underage, drinking is not one of them. If you are of age, you don’t have to be completely intoxicated to let your hair down. One or two drinks will do the trick, and with a meal it is even better.
The Bible warns us not to open our souls to demonic influences, and we should be equally, if not more, wary about opening up our behavior and bodies to negative influences or demonstrations.
Be smart, folks. Be responsible. And never forget who you are.