Appearance of Evil?

[beefche]

sjdean, just as an FYI (IIRC, you said you are not LDS but had/are considering it), the WoW does not allow us to drink any alcohol...not even beer. So, if you choose to be baptized, you will be asked to abide by the WoW which has been interpreted to mean no coffee or tea (not even decaf), no alcohol (not beer or anything else with alcohol), drugs, etc...

[Misshalfway]

The WofW is much more than just a commentary on alcohol and if I were to be brutally honest to the saints, I would say that there are lots of us who struggle to eat the healthiest of diets. Alcohol is just easy to pick on because it has become a black and white issue.

I wonder sometimes if some of the most self mastered of us went to the Lord and plead the case for the occasional glass of alcohol, what the Lord would say. It is clear to me that the Lord at least wants to free us from spirit sabotaging "needs". I think He wants to teach and train natural man tendencies. Part of such self mastery requires sacrifice and I think that this WofW law is really about helping us rise to a place where we don't "need" anything. Not a beer after work or 6 donuts to make us feel better.

Sometimes I think he wants his people as a whole to live this higher law to be an example to the world. Maybe to show the world the benefits of living a more wholesome and healthful way of life. I don't know many who could argue the nutritional benefits of beer. And I think I could name a number of activities that will produce relaxation and bonding between friends just as effectively as sitting around sharing bar nuts. I think this another message Father in Heaven is trying to send. He is trying to teach us how to get the very best out of our experience here on earth. The very best out of our relationships and the very best out of ourselves.

Why not give up alcohol? Why not avoid its pitfalls? Why would one such as I change course and add alcohol to my life? I am not seeing much of a case.

I think a good litmus test would be to see if you could give it up totally without any residual resentments or cravings. If you can walk away free and clear in all honesty, then you are in a good place. I am just not sure many could pass this test.....no matter how much they want to tell themselves they are ok.....or that "needing" it is ok.

[Dravin]

sjdean, just as an FYI (IIRC, you said you are not LDS but had/are considering it), the WoW does not allow us to drink any alcohol...not even beer. So, if you choose to be baptized, you will be asked to abide by the WoW which has been interpreted to mean no coffee or tea (not even decaf), no alcohol (not beer or anything else with alcohol), drugs, etc...

Oh I think he understands that, he was just saying when he first encountered it he read mild barley (and other grain) drinks as meaning beer was okay because in his mind (and he's not the only one) strong drink would mean something like whiskey or some other distilled spirit.

I'm a little cynical when it concerns that interpertation as I've had it mostly come from people adopting a sly look and think they are pulling one over me on this marvelous loop-hole, kinda like the teens who say, "Hey, it says herbs, my pot is fine!" Though I will admit there are people who have come to sjdean's understanding honestly.

[sjdean]

Actually any mods reading, can we get this topic closed? It's gone over ten pages and drifted way too much into a completely different topic of conversation that I never wanted it to be.

Been there, done that, took the daggers out :-)

It's kind of descending into half trying to tell me I don't know my own behaviour and a few others trying to bring it back on topic. For which Im grateful to them.

Leave it open if you wish, but if you agree to close it, grreat! Just wish some of the people could have taken it to a private message like I asked and stop this nonsense.

Cheers
Simon

[pam]

Closed for moderator discussion.