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Alcoholism and its impacts in a Christian perspective- An article by Tim Chacko Thomas

Introduction Alcoholism or addiction to alcohol is always being a severe problem among the people of various communities. Alcoholics are often eyed with suspicion and are considered as the most sinful in the society. Of course! Alcoholics may become public nuisance. Moreover these people are destroying their self through this harmful habit. Understanding the fact that it is high time for us, as Christians to think of the various aspects of this issue, Biblical Scholars as well as the secular, has done lots of research on the matter. Outcomes of these studies highlight the importance of the research and also point the shocking truth of its hazardousness. We should be aware of the fact that we all are living in a drug-oriented structure. Man needs relief from pains, and drugs aid for this. This pain may be of various types. It may be physical pain or it can also be a pain, which arouses from the mind of a person. Whatever the cause is, people need quick remedy. The search for quick remedy often ends in drugs. Medical science has made an enviable growth in the recent years so that drugs for almost all pains are available in the market. Tablets are available to be relieved from the mental tension. People often take these sorts of medicines without the knowledge of its side effects. There are rules imposed on the sales and distribution of Alcoholic Drugs. But these rules often find to be useless as the manufacturing companies finds loopholes in the legal infrastructure of the country. For instance, public advertisement of drugs is prohibited in India. Manufactures of drugs refrains from advertising those, but instead, they advertise Sodas or Mineral water in the same brand name. People on seeing this ads, will find the actual drug manufacturer and that brand name behind the Soda or Mineral water. By this, they successfully blind the eye and binds the hands of law. Addiction to alcohol has done a lot of damage in the life of society. It has its own share in many broke away families; it has made many wives suffer; it has done a lot in the down fall of many business establishments; it led many lives to suicide; and the list goes on… The survey conducted by a regional language magazine in Kerala, revealed the fact that 56% of alcoholics makes disturbance for the peaceful life of the neighbors . If we are going further in search of the evil effects of this, list will go endless. The study conducted by Alcomiss, an organization working among the alcoholics in Kerala, India, revealed the urgency of the concern. Their studies revealed that 47% of the accidents, 53% of the divorce cases, and 62% of the liver damage cases have alcoholism as its stimulant. This incident to which author had been a witness will cite light to the part of alcohol playing in accidents. During one of his journeys, author met a middle-aged man falling down from a two-wheeler with two of his children as the scooter skidded in sand. People gathered to help them and the man turned out to be drunk. Everybody warned him for traveling on that two-wheeler with those children. But the warnings fell in duff ears. He continued his journey. Author saw him again, met with an accident, about 5 Km away from the first spot, in which both of the children lost their lives. Who is responsible? Of course the children were innocent, but they lost their lives because of their drunkard father. These accidents should red light the awareness of the public. But nobody is concerned and nobody wants to think of it. This shows that, people fall in this habit of drinking, not because they are not aware of it, but because they are unable to pull themselves out. Again, it means, they are so much bound to that habit, that they could not come out. A person, who is under the effect of alcohol, looses his ability to think and to take right decisions on right time. Inefficiency to take decision on right time matters much when the person is riding or driving a vehicle, which usually ends up in accidents. Here is another incident from the case diary of Alcomiss. During their ministry, they met with a man desperate and gloomy. Few hours of dialogue brought out the story of his life. He was an officer in a private firm in USA. He learned the habit of drinking. Started from social drinking, he became complete addict. His company warned him several times. But he could not refrain himself from drinking. At last the company expelled him. He came back to India as a rich man. But soon in seven years, his palace like house turned to a small cottage. But the only change in his habit was the turn from the foreign brand liquors to the local made ones. Physical attacks on his wife resulted in a divorce. In brief, in ten years the rich proud man turned to a lonely condition without any possession. What all things, this man lost? He lost his Job, He lost his wealth, He lost his wife, … and he became in a condition that there is nothing left to loose. Alcoholism“Alcoholism is a condition caused by a dependence upon alcohol which results in Physical, emotional, and spiritual disturbance.” A man who drinks need not necessarily be an alcoholic. There is a clear distinction between a person who drinks alcohol and an alcoholic. In simple words, we can put it in this way, ‘A person who drinks can stop drinking at any time he wants, But on the other hand, An alcoholic cannot refrain from drinking on his own. Encyclopedia of Biblical Ethics considers alcoholism as a ‘Physiological disease’ . The moderator of Church of South India, Most Rev. I Jesudasan ascertains this fact. He says about alcoholism as a ‘chronic disease, which is to be treated as any other disease’ . According to Dr. M.C. Thomas of Alcomiss, craving for alcohol is just as any other cravings like that for tamarind. He is in a position that, as this is a physiological disease, proper medical attention should be given overall. Impact of education on alcoholismEducation has much to do with alcoholism. But the education systems should be formulated in such a way that people can understand the harm this consumption can make to them. Education is good. But education only to read and write is not enough. A person, who can read, can read the statutory warning on the liquor bottles, ‘ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION INJURIOUS TO HEALTH’. But, he need not understand what is this ‘injurious to health’. Hence proper awareness programmes must be conducted to educate the public accordingly. An Historical OverviewIt will beneficial for us to have an historical overview on this issue. Technology hasn’t been very much advanced those days, to have distillation plants and all, like ours. They were unaware of the most modern liquors, which we have in our markets these days. They had only fermented grape juice, palm juice and soma. The most fermented drink in the ancient days did not have more than 15% of alcohol. Also, the consumption was along with plenty of pure water. Moreover consumption of fermented juices was often considered as the part of religious rites. Rig-Vedas, the holy scripture of the Hinduism, gives much importance to the drinking of a fermented juice called ‘Soma’. Soma was the name of a plant, which is referred to as the king of plants. But this plant is presently unknown. ‘Sura’ another type of wine, made out of rice soup was also common those days.Bible also gives is lot of account on the use of wine various people. Some of the Jews considered wine as the cause of the fall of man. The records of Rabbi Jehuda “…he thought the wine was the forbidden fruit” mark this. Later the art of distillation came forth. Distillation is “the volatilization of a liquid in a closed vessel by heat and its subsequent condensation in a separate vessel by cold.” Spirit distillation changed the style and method of drinking. It also affected the toxification by drinking. Pathological ResultsAuthor doesn’t have intention to bring out the biological factor of drinking through this paper. But he thinks it is a must for us to know some of the hazardous effects that alcohol can cause in the conceivers body. Also we should be aware of the diseases, which can come through the consumption. Alcoholism can result in various diseases such as gout, gravel, paralysis, epilepsy, spreading of cellular inflammation, tendency to wound, inability of body to resist certain diseases and much more. Prevalence of spirit drinking may result in the clogging of liver, which may result in various other liver diseases. Certain types of skin diseases also have its root in addiction to alcohol. Impact of alcohol on human bodyAlcohol, will act as a stimulant on the first act, gives enthusiasm to work and courage to do difficult things. It stimulates the nerves and will give extra nourishment to the cells. But this is temporary. When the effect of alcohol seizes, it will make the man dizzier pushing him into all sorts of physiological as well as psychological disorders. There is hardly any part in human body, which is exempted from the damage through alcohol consumption. For heart, it is Cardiac Arrest; for lungs, it is alcoholic phthisis; for liver, it is diabetes; for kidney, it is calculus; for eyes, it is cataract and many others. It can also give sleepless nights though you are tired, physical as well as mental depression and many other psychological disorders. Alcoholism and CrimeAnother important aspect about alcoholism to deal with is its relation with crime. Alcoholism has a large impact on the criminal behavior of man. Crimes may be as a result of the mental condition of an alcohol-conceived person or from the economic conditions affecting the person due to drinking. The criminal records of the Police Departments clearly points forth that more than 50% of crimes have alcohol as its stimulant. In Kerala, counterfeit alcohol used is many times more than that which is in the official reports. This smuggling itself is a crime. This reveals that how much crime is involved behind. Drinking in the light of BibleThough this is a sensitive issue, Bible is not teaching this matter directly. But it clearly points and warns against getting drunk and points the consequences of excessive drinking. Proverbs teaches “Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It is stupid to get drunk” . Again in Habakkuk, the prophet warns “Wine is treacherous, the arrogant man shall not abide.” . New Testament is also not silent on the issue. In the epistle to Ephesians, Paul teaches, “Do not get drunk with wine which will only ruin you, instead be filled with the spirit” . There are many other verses, which can be picked out from the Word of God, which deals with this issue. Though it is not directly saying ‘do not drink’, these verses reveals that Word of God is not in accordance with getting drunk.Should we drink? – A discussionThere are certain conditions in which we cannot withstand with our slogans against alcoholism. It should be a matter of consideration in our discussion about alcoholism. Author would like to turn the attention of the readers to three cases and discuss further. Firstly, The soldiers living in the frozen peaks of Jammu & Kashmir, Secondly, an undertaker dealing with the decayed bodies and thirdly, prescription of some doctors alcohol as medicine. In the first case, soldiers living in the high altitudes in Jammu & Kashmir and similar areas often drink to warm themselves. It is easy for us to make ethical resolutions sitting in a comfortable place in other parts of the country. Certain discussions are on, on this matter already. They cannot be blamed for drinking to make themselves warm. As answer to the might arise question, ‘Why can’t they use other measures to make themselves warm?’ we should be aware of the situations there. They are using all the warm clothing as per the military norms. But chill exceeds that. They cannot use electric heaters, as most of their duty will be outside their tents. They cannot use fires as it may draw the attention of the enemies. But if he continues his habit after being withdrawn from the frozen hills, it should be blamed. But the thing is he can refrain from drinking as many of the people living in same conditions refrains themselves from drinking. We cannot expect each and everyone of that state drinksTurning to the next case, persons with normal mind won’t be able to take even dead bodies, then what about decayed bodies? Most parts of the body must be decayed and hanging. Police forces often uses the help of these undertakers to take these bodies to the mortuary. Alcohol makes their conscious mind to a stage in which they can do whatever they like as discussed above. Again if they prolong in drinking, he also comes under the category of an alcoholic and should be treated. The third is often a controversial issue. The addict people often make this remark that even the doctors prescribe alcohol as medicine, then why can’t we drink. But no doctor prescribes alcohol as medicine to drink as much as he/she wants. Medicine should be taken as medicine and we cannot deny that. But most of them make this a habit even after the period of prescription. They also should be taken for an anti-alcoholic treatment. ConclusionAlcoholism is a cancer in the society. It is a religious problem also. But its social concern is much more than any other problems prevailing in the society. It is not a problem affecting the alcoholic and his immediate family members, but it is one that affects all the community either directly or indirectly. There is no enduring solution to this unless the people concerned should discipline themselves and abstain. Nobody can make another person not drink without his involvement. Efforts are on in helping people to get out of this habit by various NGO’s. But the result depends on the attitude of the patients as well as their families. Families usually forget that they are also responsible for some of the cases. On ethical perspective, we cannot give a straightforward answer to this important query. Only possible thing we can do is to judge the matter according to situation. If we are saying an emphatic ‘No’, we are blinding ourselves from various factors leading to the issue. On the other hand, If we give a positive response to this, again we are turning our eyes from the sufferings of the families as well as their community because the addictive tendency of the alcoholic. So we, as Christians, should discern the issue and should judge accordingly. But situation does not matter in case of addiction. Consuming alcohol for various reasons is justifiable at least for argument. But it is not, when it turns to addiction. Hence, a very careful study is required on individual cases. We can conclude the topic like this. We don’t have authority over our body to destroy it. Since Alcohol kills the body inch by inch, let us ask ourselves. Should we drink? No! it’s authors conclusion

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