Alcohol and Evangelicals
April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Many Christians assume that negative statistics about alcohol apply only to the secular world, to people not committed to Christian or other religious groups which stress high morals and strong character. However, it is worth noting, during Alcohol Awareness Month, that two-thirds of Protestants now report they drink at least socially. This means that 10 percent of Protestant drinkers eventually will be problem drinkers or alcoholics. Why? Because the same factors that lead the average American drinker to becoming a problem drinker also apply to church-going Protestants.

Even the conservative evangelical movement is not immune. In the last two decades, we have seen an increasing phenomenon, that of the committed church member who drinks. Drinking alcoholic beverages socially has largely become an accepted part of the lifestyle of many church members. Evangelicals, who used to be known primarily as teetotalers (those who abstain from alcohol), no longer hold that distinction. Many evangelicals, particularly upwardly mobile ones, now drink to stay socially relevant in work and community situations. Acceptance of evangelicals into mainstream America has in turn had the effect of evangelicals’ acceptance of many mainstream American social mores. Perhaps, too, the explosion in the use of other drugs made alcohol seem like a minor health risk as society’s attention focused on non-liquid and illegal drugs.

While a former generation of evangelicals would frequently hear sermons denouncing alcohol, today’s pulpits rarely mention the subject. It seems that warnings of the dangers of illegal drugs have all but buried this older threat. To Christians and non-Christians alike, drinking alcoholic beverages now seems relatively innocuous. And yet, statistics concerning alcohol are alarming.

Nearly 70 percent of Americans today drink to one degree or another, the largest percentage ever. An alarming 10 percent of all Americans are considered heavy drinkers, consuming two or more drinks (at least 24 ounces of beer, 10 ounces of wine, or three ounces of liquor) per day. Even more startling, 10 percent of all drinkers (about 7 percent of the population) will eventually become problem drinkers or alcoholics. That is nearly 20 million people, more than six times the number of alcoholics in the USA in 1950.

Alcohol dependency decreases average lifespan by 15 years. Two hundred thousand (200,000) Americans die each year from alcohol-related causes. Alcohol can produce noxious effects on brain chemistry and circuitry. Alcohol consumption can result in lower brain volume. The drug that contributes to half of all vehicle accidents, half of all homicides, and one out of four suicides is alcohol.

Several salutary treatments now exist for alcohol-related issues. Anyone who needs help, or knows someone who does, should reach out for medical and professional assistance, which is readily available in north Texas. Asking for help is the most important step in recovery.

—Frank Minirth, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Frank Minirth is a diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Medicine. Holding doctorate degrees in medicine and theology, he is an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. He works closely with University Behavioral Health of Denton treating patients desiring a Christ-focused approach to healing. You can learn more at www.ubhdenton.com.