Sunday, February 1, 2009

Baptists, Wine & Healthy Living

We've known for decades that the French are more healthy than Americans despite a diet that is rich, sweet & filled with all sorts of "bad" things. The question has always been why ... what is it about the French that make them healthier despite the rich diets? For that matter, most of Europe is healthier than America ... why?

The Romans were fond of saying that red wine would help cure all sorts of ailments. The new research would indicate the Romans were onto something. Researchers have isolated the active component in red wine that stimulates everything that is "good" for us.

Last week, CBS News
60 Minutes aired a segment on Resvaritrol, the "good" stuff found in red wine that may literally be the fountain of youth. Click here to watch the segment.

Antioxidants are in red wine. It helps lower bad cholesterol & raises good cholesterol. Red wine regulates blood sugar. It also contains large concentrations of folic acid, potassium, & magnesium, all of which are important to circulatory health.

Notice this is red wine, not the whites. That's because the amount of the good stuff found in white compared to red is lagging.

I am not versed enough in the science, nutrition, etc., on how all this stuff works. I'll leave that to the scientists. But what I am able to discuss is the utter silliness of some folks who take a teetotaler approach to alcohol & point to the abuse as evidence that alcohol should never be touched at all.

And these folks love to point out the crime stats involving alcohol, especially as it relates to destroying families.

Then they invariably use the Bible to say no one should ever drink at any time.

OK. There are many that abuse alcohol, just like many abuse sex. However, I don't see the same call for abstinence from married folks. Wrong use of alcohol is the issue, not the right use. And, yes, families are destroyed by alcohol just like families have been destroyed by overeating too. Finally, let's not forget that Paul did tell Timothy to
take a little wine for his stomach's sake.

I would add not only for the stomach's sake but for your family's sake, your community's sake, your friend's sake, your mind's sake, etc.

Being put in a theological position that tells people to not act in a healthy manner is a public relations nightmare. When that position also ignores science, it is seen as backwards. And when that same position actually makes X out to be a casual drug user ... well, the theology is in need of an overhaul.

Shame on the SBC for its stance on alcohol that is neither Biblical nor informed.


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1 comment:

Georgia Mountain Man said...

Now TBAR, you know good and well that the wine discussed in the Bible is only grape juice. I was enlightened upon this subject just a couple of years ago, when we had a local referendum on alcohol. A learned letter writer to our local newspaper set us all straight on this. Of course she didn't explain just exactly how they preserved that grape juice in the Middle Eastern climate. Refrigerators, I suppose. Doesn't the Bible just say that we should beware of over indulgence in alcohol not total abstinence? The churches, by the way, violated federal law when they campaigned heavily against the referendum, spending large amounts of money and placing signs in churchyards. They won and all of that tax money continues to flow to adjoining counties. The local recycling station is overrun with aluminum beer cans and wine bottles. We also have a large percentage of alcoholics.