Moody Bible Institute Drops Alcohol, Tobacco Ban

This summer, Moody Bible Institute dropped its 127-year ban against alcohol and tobacco use by faculty and staff. The new emphasis is toward the creation of a "high trust environment that emphasizes values, not rules." Spokeswoman Christine Gorz says that employees must still adhere to all "biblical absolutes," but on issues where "the Bible is not clear; Moody leaves it to employees' conscience" ("Moody Bible Institute Drops," Christianity Today, Sept. 20, 2013). In reply, we would point out, first, that it is not true that this is a "gray" area. A strong case can be made from the Bible for abstinence of alcohol and tobacco in the Christian life. See "The Believer and Drinking." Second, if alcohol is a "gray" area and not a "biblical absolute," so is marijuana use. When is Moody going to allow its staff to light up a joint? Third, if ever there were a time to retain a ban on alcohol and tobacco it would be today. We know the terrible health risk of tobacco, and we can see that alcohol is a horrible plague in modern society. In January 2005 the Royal College of Physicians in England warned that Britain is suffering from an epidemic of alcohol-related problems that is fueling violence and illness throughout the country (The Telegraph, Jan. 3, 2005). The same epidemic is raging throughout the world. Alcohol is corrupting judgment in high places and destroying life in low places. In such a time, the commandment to abstain from all appearance of evil alone would call for a ban on alcohol consumption by the child of God (1 Thess. 5:22). If anything has the appearance of evil today, it is alcoholic beverages, and the Bible does not suggest that we abstain from all appearance of evil; it commands us to do so! But this generation is so wise that it can sniff out the horrible "legalism" of its forefathers and toss aside "rules" that have never harmed one soul but have, instead, done a lot of good and kept temptation at bay in an evil world.

(Friday Church News Notes, October 4, 2013, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143)

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