November 30, 2006
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Beer and Clergy
I remember a few years back visiting a restaurant and watching as a pastor ordered and then drank a beer. It struck me as unusual.
Would it bother you to see your pastor or priest drinking a beer?
I remember a few years back visiting a restaurant and watching as a pastor ordered and then drank a beer. It struck me as unusual.
Would it bother you to see your pastor or priest drinking a beer?
Comments (210)
Not at all
I’ve seen them do just about every other fuckin’ thing Dan…that’s actually pretty mild.
No, not in moderation… like just one or two drinks… heck, Jesus turned water into wine!
no. actually, no.
Nope .. I’ve had my pastor over for dinner and he can throw ‘em back like anyone =). He’s fairly awesome, though.
Nope. Not a bit!
not nessecarily
nope. they are human too, except in the case of molestation.
Drakonskyr for religious content huh Dan? You crack me up man!
Once, as a public health nurse, I visited a high ranking priest to change a dressing on his foot. While I changed it he smoked a cigarette and drank a glass of wine. It made me uncomfortable because it seemed so wordly. He also had very nice antique furniture. (Expensive). These are things I noticed. First impressions hit hard sometimes.
it’s because my hair’s straight, i think.
it would be funny but yah
Thank’s for stopping by Dan. That makes my evening in a somewhat embarassing way. Though my evening wasn’t that hard to make, as I just got out of an exam and have yet to write a paper for tomorrow.
Well, the pastors in our denomination aren’t supposed to drink, so it wouldn’t look good. If they did away with that rule, though, I don’t think I’d mind seeing them drink in moderation.
Nope!
As long as they don’t drink excessively. Like get drunk.
Visit Europe- Visit a local pub and you shall see the local vicker out on the lash!
I find is rather refreshing myself…
XoxoxoX
Jane
(Making more art… come by for a visit?)
For a priest…no, not unusual.
For a pastor….a bit unusual.
Just don’t know why.
Um, didn’t Jesus turn water into wine?
nope…….
No, probably just entertaining. It’s like watching nuns going bowling or shopping at the mall. It’s a little out of place, but no big deal.
Nah. As long as they don’t get too drunk.
Technically, drinking is not prohibited in the Bible. In the US with Puritan Christian origins, it is generally considered by Conservative Christians, immoral. However, there is not Biblical basis to have such an attitude. What the Bible does prohibit is drunkeness. “Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).” is one example in the Bible against drunkeness, but no such cases are found for drinking alcohlic beverages.
Since pastors and priests are no closer to God than un-ordained members of society, it should be no surprise that they like the same treats as other people.
Why should a pastor be held to a higher standard than everyone else? Aren’t we all called to the same laws?
not unusual at all. in fact ive seen my pastor drink beer before.
only since i’m a/g and it’s forbidden within this denomination
I’d probably be the one buying the beer.
i am in ministry, and i dont drink much at all, but i dont have a problem with others who do
woah. other than the cool factor of that voice message thinger… i have to ask: does your wife know you get so many messages from other women? sketchy.
re drinking pastors. dude, if anyone needs a drink now and then it’s a pastor. pastors are people too. people who have to care deeply about every person they ever meet and every facet of their lives and pass out spiritual wisdom and direction like candy. soo… bottoms up!
YES
I remember being at a wedding where the priest was drunk as a skunk and smoking a big fat cigar and dancing while holding women’s buttocks. I was rather disturbed by it.
nope. my pastor used to be addicted to cocaine. A beer isnt unusual at all.
Yes, it would.
One of my favorite Christian ministers ever (however, there are few) was known to crack open a beer now and then when he was alive. He kicked ass.
This is a link to his book, Think Again. It’s pretty much fantastic.
Why should it bother anyone?
No.
I seem to recall Jesus himself turned water into wine.
It sometimes bothers me when people have a PROBLEM with this. Not that I am used to having a beer or two with any pastor (my dad is a pastor and only ever had alcohol in the house on the rare occasion that they/we had wine – once a year at the most).
As a Christian, I see nothing wrong with having a beer as long as it isn’t sinning. I think this is an important distinction – for me to have a beer would not be a bad thing, but for an alcoholic to have one, that makes his drink to excess and go home and beat his kids is a sin (two extremes obviously).
Personally though, I often wish that pastors would partake more often in this social event. I think it is important for members of the clergy to be able to connect with others, and if they are ‘holier than thou’ about something, like drinking, then it’s hard to have that connection.
Sorry – I rambled.
Nope. In fact, I’m starting to equate a good beer with a good theological conversation. But then, I’ve been reading a lot of C.S. Lewis lately. I also once attended an hours-long Easter Vigil at a Catholic church to support a friend of mine being confirmed. Afterward, there was a little reception, where the little old ladies kept pushing their homemade pies on us…and the priest kept pushing more champagne. Seriously! We must have drunk several bottles because he kept noting that our glasses looked empty and opening another bottle for us. I know several Catholic churches even host “Theology on Tap” programs in the summer. It would be weird to see an evangelical pastor at a bar, though – I’ll give you that. I’m not sure why that makes a difference, but somehow it does.
Often people confuse clergymen with renunciates (monks.) Renunciates, of which Eastern yogis are a good example, renounce things in order to avoid distraction on the path that they wish to tread, This is usually descibed as the search for enlightenment. They are not paid for this, and they are rarely clergymen, because they are usually too busy doing there own thing to waste time organising jumble sales and listening to parishioners woes.
Clergymen are professional, trained teachers of beliefs, who often hang onto the only job they know long after belief has gone. They are usually not required to be renunciates, and things usually turn out badly when they are.
Nope.
It’s sad that so much of “Christendom” has reduced itself to conforming to a new law of its own making, instead of really living the freedom that Jesus won on the cross. Pastors, like anyone else, should enjoy a good beer. Not the foamy, colored water brewed by mass American brewers, mind you. But that’s a different discussion.
not at all. jesus drank wine for heavens sake. now, if he was getting intoxicated, that woul be different.
Not really, no.
But I recently found out that my pastor did coke and slept with male prostitutes, so not much could shock me in that arena anymore.
no, but if my minister order heavy scotch or something, i might be a little concerned. everyone has bad days though, and nobody is perfect.
Only if he/she drinks Busch Lite… now that’s unusual! Busch Lite sucks.
no, i’m catholic (and part irish) … i pretty much expect that it happens. and yet, thinking about it, i can’t ever remember actually seeing a priest drinking. hmmm …
No, not really. As long as it’s in moderation and such.
No way.
I have had a beer at dinner with my pastor before. Not a thing wrong with having a drink unless you are a drunk
sorry, man. you’re a hard one to shop for.
I’d think a whole lot more of the ones I know personally if they WOULD do it out in the open. But then they couldn’t look down their noses at us sinners. The last church I attended (and I do mean LAST)…the pastor was a frequent guest at our home. He told my husband it made him uncomfortable for him to drink beer while they watched a ballgame but he was having premarital sex with his girlfriend. (By his own admission later…) WTF? I didn’t care if he had sex so why did he care if we drank a beer?
No. I would drink a beer with my pastor.
Uh. No. Jesus drank alcohol.
Not at all-some denominations are against drinking so in that case maybe, but overall, no. As long as they aren’t getting totally wasted, I say they aren’t hurting anyone.
wouldn’t suprise me… in fact i’m used to seeing that with pastors in the family that drink socially
Beer is fucking nasty.
it would be hilarious
Priests drink all the time. I live in the Bible Belt so it is very unusual to see a Pastor drinking in public – If they do – they hide it.
“Beer is fucking nasty”
Now I get to argue with Jill again.
You have just never had good beer girl. Next trip to Seattle give me a call, I will educate you to the world of good beer.
a beer? no. several beers? yes
He needs to unwind everyonce in awhile, give him some room.
Nope. Not a bit, as long as they stayed sober. What would be weird is seeing a nun drinking a beer…
No, unless I knew he had a drinking problem in the past, like my husband did before he got saved, and then I would have a problem with it. But Jesus drank wine, which is good for you in moderation.
not really
Well, that depends on the beer. Guinness? Not a problem. Bud Lite? Sorry, buddy, you gotta go. American beer is just foul. That shows poor judgment.
Hypothetical, of course, as I don’t have a pastor or priest. Heh.
Not especially,I would not be happy to see them drunk.
I always thought it was a little strange that “holy men” drank alcohol, but, as far as I know, alcohol isn’t specifically forbidden in the Bible so I guess they technically can, right? I still think it’s a bit strange though. I do despise alcohol, so maybe I’m a bit more biased then most?
just a little bit
no
Is drinking beer a sin? As long as it wasn’t lite beer.
Jesus drank wine, no?
Not really…they’re people too.
Honestly it would. Probably because I was raised Baptist and I had an uncle who was an alcoholic. Of course I’ve drank beer and stronger but it’s extremely rare and I don’t have much of a taste for it. I could take it or leave it and I’ve thought about leaving it.
not really..as long as he wasn’t drunk.
nope
Nah – I grew up near a Catholic church, Father Bernie was an alcoholic and everyone knew it. If he wasn’t at the bar he was at the general store buying beer. He passed away not too long ago, his liver shut down from his alcoholism and ended up having a heart-attack. They drink wine right in the church so why not outside the church? :p However my parents were baptist, my aunt gave my grandfather alcohol for Christmas one year and the church asked my parents not to come back because they believed it was a sin. Ridiculous if you ask me… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it though.
yeah it would bother me. though some people say so long as he’s not ‘drunk’ but what drunk is, is arguable.
Yes, but my clergyman is a Mormon, so…it should bother me.
and there is the arugment that wine that they made in the Bible was much weaker than the alcohol we drink today.
I’ve seen mine drinking. There’s plenty of drinking in the Bible. Its not the consumption of alcohol in and of itself, its the overindulgence that’s the problem. One or two beers, no biggie. Getting drunk, big problem.
yes. definitely.
If they can enjoy a beer, then maybe they enjoy everything you do, reader.
So the answer to the question is a question.
How secure are you in your perception of reality if a pastor drinking your beer bothers you?
Because bother comes from the shattering of illusion.
A pastor is a paster, a choice to serve.
If you saw a halo blow away in the wind…
Check yo self son, you be playin!
No, why should it? Didn’t Jesus drink wine?
yes, it would, i think that they should set a good example.
Jesus drank.
Not really
It would surprise me, and make me look twice, but upon further inspection, it would not be a big deal. I’d like to throw a few back with my pastor. That’d be pretty cool.
Ben
Why not?
They’re only human.
nah….a beer is totally cool
like j_andres2 said
No. I would probably laugh though.
No, it wouldn’t bother me.
But it would bother me if a priest or a pastor or a nun who owns cars.
Lots of them here.
Me and my family, gee we don’t even own a car. We only make use of public transportation and cabs and yet, we see priests riding in cars.
yes
Yes. However, I know for a fact that my pastor would never do that. Ever.
No. But it would bother me to see him drunk.
no…
no
– Pat
I do think that most people would be freaked out a bit so because of that he shouldn’t drink beer. He is just human but humans put restrictions on their pastors…
Is that even legal in pastor world?
My pastor gives wine to underage teens at communion on Sunday mornings, why not?
Yeah, and Jesus drank water at all those weddings, right? Are you serious? He was a party animal! Gotta drink the wine, baby!
Absolutely not. Ten beers, maybe…
no – as long as he or she wasn’t overindulging….
Nope, considering I have a handful of pastors in the family, I see clergy as human as me, and I like it that way.
Just remember, Jesus brought the wine to the party once upon a time. Well, made it there on the spot, but still what a miracle that was, lest we forget.
Most priests are alcoholics.
NO, didn’t Jesus turn water into Wine? A man of the cloth is just as likely to enjoy an adult beverage as any other adult.
Wouldn’t bother me as long as he/she wasn’t drunk.
no, i dont think so…
Yes, for the main reason that he discourages the congregation from drinking. Drinking itself isn’t a sin, but it sure does lead to much that is. I should know… been there and done that many years ago. Praise the Lord, He freed me! Blessings~
Yes, since he’s said he’s chosen not to drink for the very reason that some people find it disconcerting, even though a few drinks in moderation when it’s legal for you to do so is perfectly all right.
The best beer in the world is made by monks.
It bothers me more when clergymen sodomise children, as is their more usual practice.
nah… Jesus drank wine, it’s no big deal
depends what number it is
I used to smoke a cigar and drink scotch with a Catholic priest in Wichita and never thought twice about it. I’d like to see them stop fondling little boys, however.
not really
It would bother me if my pastor/priest were drunk, as it says in the bible not to do so. But drinking in and of itself is not bad.
Interest me maybe, not bother.
A beer, not so much…but a lot of beers would be odd!
My dad was a pastor and as soon as he retired he put beer in the fridge…he never drank while he was a pastor because he never knew when he would be called out to the hospital or have someone drop in.
No. At the church picnic this summer, soda/juice was 1.25 but beer was free.
Drinking is stupid! My pastor would never do that!
no…
That voice thing is neat
My pastors/elders do all the time…hey, Jesus drank wine and Paul told Timothy to. It’s only modern (mostly US) culture that says it’s wrong. Most European Christians think nothing of drinking.
no. Especially not if they were doing it socially.
No, then again, my pastor doesn’t drink. He says that we shouldn’t cause others in the faith to doubt and sin. Not long ago, he preached 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 and applied it to a holiday party that served alcohol. It was a most interesting lesson.
no, the bible doesnt say they cant drink. It says not to get drunk. I have no problem with the pastor drinking a beer.
Drink up, man. (That’s a fruitcake question)
I think it would bother me more when they moleste little kids!
I know a pastor that brews his own beer!
No, not at all. As long as it wasn’t in excess and he started going crazy…*meh*
maybe a priest, but not a pastor, probably not bothered by either though. as long as they arent getting wasted
no, not at all. If I saw him sloshed at a bar, that would be a different story. But a beer or two? No problem there.
I went to hear an English minister give a talk one time and he told a story about his visit to Germany to see a fellow clergyman. At dinner the German clergyman started pouring beer all around and the English minister said “English ministers don’t drink beer” and the German clergy replied “Then let us be thankful that we are German.” I guess it depends on your perspective.
Nope and it shouldn’t bother anyone else. It’s a personal thing and while pastors have a calling to be earthly shepherds they aren’t called to be more than human. So why do people always seem to expect them to be more than we ourselves are? Hmmm.
Very much so, yes. He’s always preaching against it. I have no problem with drinking, but I’d be kinda dissapointed, you know?
Drunk, yes. Drinking, no.
Just because someone is called to shepherd a flock does not mean that they are any “closer” to God… pastors live by the same ten commandments as everyone else.
I guess it depends on his church’s stand on drinking. If he was of a denomination that allowed it then I wouldn’t have a problem, but if he was going against his church’s doctrine then I would.
I’d have more faith in Christianity if I saw more loaded priests.
Nope
actually it does.
For me, to be honest, yes. It’s the image of alchohol and, as I see them do it, being unaware of whether they control it or not. I personally am against alchohol 100% and I’m sure that what I would do myself influences my decesion quite a lot.
I wouldn’t care, but if I had a clergyman, it’d be Bill Brasky.
No.
At first I thought yeah, but then I remembered that priests drink alcohol every Sunday during church…wine! Beer isn’t that far off from wine. And some of them priests CHUG! lol.
-Jessica
Definitely. Funny. . .but when I last went to Church (stopped going a little after easter) every sunday there was this BEER truck parked in the church parking lot. Apparently, one of the attenders/members works for a beer company, or beer trucking company. . .I wonder if it’s still there?
it would if he’s not over the age of 21
Yes…it would bother me.
It wouldn’t bother me to see a pastor drinking in moderation
As long as he does not get drunk, no. Psalm 104 says that the Lord made man capable of producing alcoholic beverages to make merry the hearts of men. Gluttony — leading to drunkenness however is disgraceful and to be avoided. Moderation.
What’s wrong with alchol?
do read all of the replies, dan?
why does this strike you as odd? Christ drank wine…
Well, yes I think so. Not because I hold him to a higher standard but because well…hmmmm I’ll think on the because why…..okay because I know him and what he feels about it and so yeah it would shock me. I’m not sure if I would be shocked if I didn’t know how he felt.
But also, I grew up with an alcoholic parent so my view on that might be a bit skewed.
No. But it would bother me to see him participating in a drinking contest. Or to see him slobbering drunk somewhere. That would bother me. I’d probably ask him what happened.
~Victoria
I wonder if anyone at the wedding thought it was weird to see Jesus drinking a glass of wine?
It would confuse me a little bit, but I realize that it doesn’t say in the Bible that you can’t drink alcohol at all.
Nope. I quite enjoy my glass of wine.
nope
NO. In the Jewish religion people start drinking wine at a young age (at least they used to – I think I started having a weekly glass of a tiny amount of wine at 8). At the temple I like to go to, they will have wine and sometimes beer. A minister or priest having a glass of beer – BIG DEAL.
I don’t know. It might bother me.
if he had a designated driver I wouldn’t be mad. but if he got drunk or didn’t have a designated driver then I would be scared.
No, as long as they aren’t drunk. The Bible preaches against drunkeness, not having a drink or two.
amanda
i don’t think so. they drink wine! but i could never see my pastor d oing that
We are called to live above reproach, so if in the pastor’s community or culture it is thought of as unacceptable, he should refrain. For this reason, I choose not to drink alcohol. I personally feel it is ok for Christians to drink in moderation, but a lot of people feel differently, so I choose not to drink at all.
Yes, it would.
Well…are they actually allowed to do that? They are people who are kinda obligated to set some kind of example for everyone, but to me it wouldn’t really bother me that much. I wouldn’t interfere with their social life.
i saw my pastor coming out of Godly Spirits one time..
I dunno. I mean, there’s a difference between drinking and getting drunk (even though I do neither).
insist he buy the next round!
Only if he tried to lick the bottom of the glass.
I recall Jesus’ first miracle was to make wine in order to keep a party going.
So this preist walked into a bar….
I don’t go to church. I think it’s boring. Plus, none of the stuff anyone ever says in there makes any sense. But I guess if a pastor or priest wants to drink beer, then so be it.
-KrIsTiN-
It probably wouldn’t, no. Pastors in my denomination are required not to drink, but I don’t think it matters as long as they don’t much (but I don’t think anyone should much). Fine to enjoy yourself from time to time tho.
No. A pastor is allowed to be human.
It would not bother me to see my pastor drinking beer. It would bother me to see him drunk. I can’t find anything in the Bible against alcohol. I do find many verses against getting drunk. There’s a difference.
Theres nothing wrong with drinking alcohol, i mean, Jesus changes water to wine. However, if a pastor got drunk, then i would have a problem with it.
That reminds me, i went on a missions trip with my pastor last year. We were at a restuarant and they were playing pool. It made the group laugh because he wasnt very good, but then we got to thinking, would it really be a good sign if your pastor was a pool shark? lol… not that its a bad thing, but very similar to the alcohol drinking concept.
Just because someone’s a pastor or priest doesn’t mean they’re a Christian. In fact, George Barna did a survey that showed only about 50% of pastors are really Christians. Scary thought.
no…the bible does not speak against drinking….only being drunk. You have to ask yourself why you are drinking. If it is to merely become intoxicated then youre headed for hell( just kidding)
Yeah, a bit. But it really shouldn’t, I mean drinking one beer when it’s legal is not a sin.
I love these conflicting views.
No of course not. There’s a priest at my church that we call “the party animal”. He’s always at every party that the parishoners throw, whether he’s invited or not. Normally he’s invited because, well, he’s the life of the party. He’s always seen at the parties with a beer in his hand and chatting away about football. And he’s always hanging out at the Green Turtle. Basically, whenever he’s not saying mass, he’s hanging out there.
hahah no not at all.
don’t all preachers have to drink?
not at all.
in fact, ahem; Martin Luther wasn’t all that much of a stranger to it…
I think if I remember right that Martin Luther once said that beer was proof of God’s love for us.
I’ve seen it! My pastor belly up to the bar with an Odoul’s
depends on the pastor and his stand on alcohol, but the first time I saw a preacher order beer, it surprised and shocked me as well, but I was younger and assumed all liquor was evil. Now, it would proabably be a little bit odd, but not something I was uncomfortable with.
There’s nothing wrong with alcohol, it’s no different from a normal person drinking beer. Anyway, I’d rather have a pastor/priest who drinks than a priest/pastor who molests children… *cough cough*
Nope. . .perk of being Presbyterian.
Naw,(i’m ordained and I drink once in a while, if I invited;)) I remember when I was a teen how a reverend I was fond of use to have to drink the rest of the”sacremental” wine after every one recieved sacriment. we use to think he was cool. what upsets me more is ministers who smoke
Nope, the priest I had growing up micro-brews in his basement.
it’s just one beer
Yes it would. Big time! As a southern Baptist gal I have a pastor not a priest. I don’t know if it is the norm for priests to drink but it isn’t for pastors for the most part. At least not any that have been our pastor. It is not to say that it doesn’t happen but I would be so disappointed and wouldn’t want one being my pastor that chose that.
Pastors, leaders of the church though human, are actually called to a higher standard just because they are leaders. See the book of Timothy in the Bible. Better to stay away from it but…just want to say that overeating(gluttony) is wrong too but how many pastors do you see that are overweight?? Yet it seems to be accepted in churches. Does it bother you if your pastor overeats and is obese because of it? (Most people would say no!)
my parents priest is the town drunk…seriously….
No it wouldn’t surprise me. I use to drink with the nuns at off school events.
I have no problems as long as it’s for the taste and not the being drunk part. The book of Proverbs makes perpetual jests and ridicules drunkards and habitual drinkers.
not really
No, why would it?
i wouldn’t be disturbed but yeah i’d think it’d be odd
I’m an Epsicapalian, we are sometimes called Whiskapalians
because we are known for our drinking. As long as it is
in moderation, there is nothing against it in the Bible.
Answering as a retired pastor, no, it would not.
I’m a pastor and I occassionally drink beer. Now, if you saw a pastor who waws excessively drunk, that would be wrong.
eh a little
depends on the manner of his drinking a beer
nope, not at all. Our priest drinks beer and cheers for ohio state at the same time.
I have to very close family friends who are priets. Seeing them drink does not bother me, it’s hearing about the antics they pulled before and during the siminaries (sp?) Each time they are with the family, they have drinks, as my in-laws are polish and must drink to live. The drinks start flowing and then the stories start flowing. Some of the stories would make a sailor blush.
Since the Bible doesn’t say it’s wrong to drink (as long as you don’t get yourself drunk), I don’t think it would bother me
It’d definitely be strange though