Re: Why is drunkenness a mortal sin?

Jun 18, '07, 11:55 pm

Dwyer Regular Member   Join Date: February 26, 2007 Posts: 1,359 Religion: Byzantine Catholic

Re: Why is drunkenness a mortal sin? Someone had a similar question like this in April. I tried to write a Catholic theological explanation on why drunkeness is a sin against God. A Catholic Answer. I really don't want to type all that again. You're all welcome to click your computer mouse on my name, and look at my previous posts. There about halfway down my first page. I'll just repeat one or two things. There is a Catholic virtue called Temperance. As Catholics we are called to be temperate in all things, including food and drink. I heard Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa of EWTN say once that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit, and not the spirits of alcohol. That Wedding Feast of Cana always comes up (John: 2). You need to read the text closely. I have the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, considered by many to be the best scholarly modern translation. There is absolutely nothing in the text that says people were drunk at the wedding. People may drink a lot at modern weddings today; but that doesn't mean they necessarily did back then. In movies depicting the life of Jesus, they may show drunk revelers; but that's the movies. Modern Orthodox Jews can only become drunk once a year, during the Spring Festival at Purim. I assume ancient Judaism was similar. (These, granted, are all big assumptions.) I assume there is something in the Old Testament prohibiting drunkeness. The text only says when the men have drunk freely, the cheaper when is brought out. Well, there could have been 200 people at the wedding, or more, we don't know. Even if the Cana guests did get drunk purposely, that's their own Free Will. Jesus provided the wine; but he didn't tell them to abuse it. We also have to be humble and realize that our thoughts are worthless compared to God and His Holy Will. We are fallen creatures made in His image, but fallen nonetheless. We each have a conscience. We each know in our heart of hearts when we have drunk to much. I don't think there's a bright line rule, but you know when you're drunk. Frankly, I don't know why anyone would have to drink more than 2 glasses of alcoholic beverages in the space of a day, given that we now have so many other choices they didn't have in ancient times. Being Catholic, because of the Natural Law, requires us to obey the Civil (State) law as well. (This was from an EWTN expert, a priest, at their website ewtn,com) Anything the State legislates that is not contrary to the Natural law must be obeyed. Many states prohibit underage drinking and being publicly drunk. (Not just while driving). Thus, if you've drunk more than a BAT of .8 (whatever it is in your state), and are walking home from the game, or you're underage and drunk, you've committed a mortal sin, because you've broken the Civil law. We have such a wet society. Alchohol ruins people's lives.        Jun 20, '07, 1:30 am RPConover   Join Date: January 29, 2006 Posts: 465 Re: Why is drunkenness a mortal sin? Quote: Originally Posted by Dwyer Thus, if you've drunk more than a BAT of .8 (whatever it is in your state), and are walking home from the game, or you're underage and drunk, you've committed a mortal sin, because you've broken the Civil law. By that measure, if I purposely go even one mile per hour over the speed limit while driving (Say, keeping with the flow of traffic) I've committed a mortal sin, need to confess and if I die will go to hell. Does that sound a little odd at all to you? I think you're forgetting that a mortal sin also consists of grave matter. Do you really think that a person with a normal tolerance for alcohol having three beers and then walking home constitutes grave matter?       un 20, '07, 10:25 pm Dwyer Regular Member   Join Date: February 26, 2007 Posts: 1,359 Religion: Byzantine Catholic Re: Why is drunkenness a mortal sin? Conover . . . it's possible that such a violation of the civil law could only be a venial sin; I'd have to look at the ewtn.com site again where they have Catholic experts answer people's questions. It's either mortal or venial sin to violate a state's law that does not contradict the moral law. I'm know I read something to this effect on the ewtn.com site. As Catholics were obliged to obey Civil law; again as long as it doesn't go against the Natural Law (e.g., abortion, doleing out "emergency" "contraception" pills, etc.) However, I probably won't have time to look this up again until the end of next week. It could go either way; even slightly intoxicated people are endangering their lives and possibly others walking around drunk because their senses are dulled; they tend to not notice cars, cross streets when the crosswalk says don't cross, etc.