Holy, Or Holier-than-thou? (Tell His Story)

 Awhile back I heard a TV preacher (Andrew Wommack) say that he lived a holier life than most of his viewers, partially because he didn't drink nor smoke.

Well, certainly holier than me, because at the time I smoked one or two cigars a day, and still drink beer and wine. The things you learn when you hang out with Catholic priests and nuns!

But it does beg the question, is this kind of abstinence a true mark of holiness, or is Rev. Wommack inventing sins to subdue?

Certainly Paul came out strongly against drunkenness, but this is not the same as drinking. Indeed, wine and a

kind of mead were necessary staples of the day, because in that part of the world clean water was not easy to come by, and without refrigeration, things like juices were limited to the wealthy

 because of their short shelf life.

And, of course, Jesus and His followers did drink wine, as is amply documented in the Gospels.

Smoking is another story; it's not mentioned in Scripture, but one could say it's proscribed because it's harmful to the body, and can lead to addiction.

Certainly it doesn't do much good (I used cigars to help control pain and nausea), but as an addictive agent...well, ask any golf widow about addiction!

But I am no theologian, so I will throw the question out there...does abstinence from alcohol and tobacco make one holier, or merely (when trumpeted) holier-than-thou?

If you're interested, here's an article about winemaking in Bible times, which lists some modern equivalents.

After all that Sylvia needs a Hav-A-Tampa and a cold Corona.

 

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