tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443579080104189937.post9176117133606045005..comments2009-07-03T14:46:23.584-07:00Josh Gelatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09647646162506627232noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443579080104189937.post-21922468061265466232009-07-03T05:59:38.014-07:002009-07-03T05:59:38.014-07:00Someone at my church was appalled when I implied that Jesus turned water into actual wine and not grape juice. I asked why do you think people accused Jesus of being a drunkard. That accusation would not have even been made had he been drinking grape juice.<br /><br />This is another example of the scripture twisting and extremism of &quot;fundamentalism&quot; that causes me to avoid the label of fundamentalist. And, another reason I cringe when I meet someone who calls himself a fundamentalist.Jeremy Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331090230613768236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443579080104189937.post-52313403109018739782009-07-02T09:44:33.842-07:002009-07-02T09:44:33.842-07:00My now ex-Wesleyan pastor friend had a real issue with one of their membership requirements that he was to state to prospective members - the agreement that total abstinence is the only acceptable option for the Christian (he, like you and I, does not drink, either). He said he couldn&#39;t see that anywhere in the Scripture. Probably because it isn&#39;t there, eh?<br /><br />Their stand is this &quot;Alcoholism has become the fourth major health problem in North America . . . and much of the world, exceeded only by mental illness, heart disease and cancer. Jon Zondervan in The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs declares that alcohol is a poison that causes impairment in reflexes, judgment of distance and speed and problems in mental concentration. A single small dose of alcohol produces small ulcerative lesions in the duodenum. The Wesleyan Church maintains its historic stand of total abstinence.&quot; And the biblical basis for that statement is......?<br /><br />If we apply that some logic to another topic, we may very well have to ban women because they cause men to sin. And vice versa. <br /><br />My seminary dean posted on this from his Reformed Baptist perspective <a href="http://blog.rbseminary.org/2008/08/the-son-of-man-came-drinking-was-jesus-a-social-drinker-part-i/" rel="nofollow"><b>here</b></a> and <a href="http://blog.rbseminary.org/2008/08/the-son-of-man-came-drinking-was-jesus-a-social-drinker-part-ii/" rel="nofollow"><b>here</b></a>.<br /><br />Sproul likes to refer to legalism as &quot;man making rules where God has left man free.&quot;Jeff Petersonhttp://www.thelightheartedcalvinist.comnoreply@blogger.com