posted November 15, 2011 03:24 PM            

The Bible forbids the eating of things like crawdads and shrimp:

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Leviticus 11:9-12 says:
9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

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Deuteronomy 14:9-10 says:
9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

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But not only do churches (even Westboro Baptist) refrain from picketing Red Lobster, not only do Christians refuse to blame the shrimp eating (as opposed to blaming the gays) at New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina (even though the hurricane looked vaguely like a shrimp on the weather map...), not only are there not religious amendments that state lobster isn't real food (with "sin taxes" and the like to discourage its consumption as "we're a Christian nation"), but my favorite restaurant that serves the best crawdads I've ever had (my mouth is watering just remembering it!) is smack dab in the middle of the East Texas Bible Belt (aka, "Behind the Pine Curtain") where the churches rule almost unopposed (it's perhaps a good thing so many churches hate each other or I think East Texas, if not the entire state, would've seceded by now and be the Christian version of Iran) and the Bible/Word of God is touted as the supreme guide for conduct (some of the scarier ones will even agree with the more distasteful parts, like the Bible's endorsement of slavery).

However, a great many counties behind the pine curtain are "dry." This means that for all practical purposes it's illegal to buy and sell alcohol (some counties allow specific exceptions and hard to get licenses, but I think that's rare as most churches that are responsible for the bans on alcohol try hard to outdo each other in holier-than-thou behavior). Even when a county does allow liquor stores and bars to operate then they are always (as far as I know anyway) barred from operating on Sunday morning (if they can be open on Sunday at all).

But I don't know where the Bible bans alcohol! And Jesus even turned water into wine!

posted November 15, 2011 04:31 PM            

As to consumption of alcohol.....
There is no one answer to the question
"Is drinking alcohol a sin?" -
for some people, in some ways, it is a sin, for others, in other ways, it's not a sin.

John the Baptist did not drink alcohol; Jesus/Yeshua did drink alcohol in moderation (as explained further below, getting drunk is a sin, Jesus drank, but never got drunk) - and both were criticized for it, either way:

(Luke 7:33-34 KJV)
"For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"

Alcohol consumption is seen by some as a sin when it corrupts righteous thought or behavior, harms health, or violates any civil law:

(Proverbs 23:29-30 KJV)
"Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine"

(Proverbs 23:20-21 KJV)
"Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty"

(Ephesians 5:18 KJV)
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess"

(Romans 13:13 KJV)
"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying."

1 Corinthians 6:10

New International Version (©1984)
nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

New Living Translation (©2007)
or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people--none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

English Standard Version (©2001)
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

International Standard Version (©2008)
thieves, greedy people, drunks, slanderers, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
Neither frauds, nor thieves, neither drunkards, nor the insolent, neither extortioners; these do not inherit The Kingdom of God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
or thieves, those who are greedy or drunk, who use abusive language, or who rob people will not inherit the kingdom of God.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

American King James Version
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

American Standard Version
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Bible in Basic English
Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God.

Darby Bible Translation
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor abusive persons, nor the rapacious, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

English Revised Version
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Weymouth New Testament
nor theives, nor avaricious people, nor any who are addicted to hard drinking, to abusive language or to greed of gain, will inherit God's Kingdom.

World English Bible
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God.

posted November 15, 2011 05:59 PM            

But now I'm remembering that the Russian Orthodox were very different. When I was 17 I went through their Pascha rite (weeks of various fasts) and on the day of the Resurrection (by Eastern Orthodox measure), or actually 4 AM (after a total fast and hours of standing & chanting amidst incense--it was surreal!), we were led downstairs to a HUGE feast. And the Russian Americans (some from Russia) had a bunch of wine and vodka there and I saw them giving kids as young as 10 vodka. I had some wine but I had vodka after vodka shoved in my hand and given all the fasting and lack of sleep I got trashed pretty fast. Even though this was more of an educational experience for me and I wasn't Christian I totally got into the spirit and when the priest (himself seeming drunk) ran down the stairs to where we were and shouted, "Christos Voskrese!" ("Christ is Risen!"), I (along with the others) shouted back passionately, "Voistinu Voskrese!" ("Indeed He is risen!"), and the last time, really trashed, I even stood in my chair with one foot on the table and my vodka glass raised to the priest before gulping it down and going back to the feast. I doubt it could've been any more different than from my years of being raised among Baptists in a dry county behind the pine curtain.

posted December 11, 2011 04:57 PM            

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Originally posted by Randall:
Good info, LEXX.

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posted December 11, 2011 04:58 PM            

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Originally posted by Randall:
I hope to eat some cold shrimp and cocktail sauce today.

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