BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Wine Wine and Religion

Hi Peter,

Some religions are very accepting of wine but for other religions it is a definite no-no. Would you know the history behind this?

Joy

I know that Islam doesn't allow any alcohol, wine included.

I know about wine but not much about religions.

Of the Abrahamic faiths, wine is essential for the religious rites of both Judaism and Christianity and the spread of Christianity to the new world was accompanied by the spread of the vine.

Islam frowns on alcohol, but that wasn�t always so. The Mogul (Muslim) emperors� palaces I visited in India show that wine was greatly favoured then. My understanding is that Muslims were forbidden from being drunk during prayers and since the faithful must pray at five times throughout the day everyday, and because the definition of �drunk� is hard to quantify, this developed into a wholesale ban on alcohol.

Mormonism bans alcohol. I don�t understand this since the faith says it has the same teachings as Christ, yet Jesus by his example in changing water into wine at a wedding party showed that wine for pleasure as well as a sacrament is acceptable.

But religion is about faith, not logic.

I will ask the BellaOnline religious editors to contribute their faiths rulings on wine and the history behind them.

Jodie/Peter, thanks for the info - it does appear rather illogical. And yes, it would be rather interesting to know the history behind this. (JOY)

Chiming in from the Bible Basics site, I'll say that the lack of logic about wine is not inherent in Christianity. Christianity as outlined in Scripture is definitely a logical faith. Its teaching about alcohol (wine, beer, strong drink) is clear. First is Jesus' example as mentioned above. He changed water into the best wine. He drank wine. He instituted our sacrament of communion, using bread and wine.
The important thing to note is that the Bible commands Christians not to get drunk (Eph. 5:18). Throughout Scripture (and in our modern day lives), lots of bad things happen when people get drunk, or get other people drunk as a way to manipulate or take advantage of them. Getting drunk is the problem, not including wine/beer as part of your diet.
I do not know why some denominations and independent churches in America decided alcohol is evil. THAT is illogical. I'm with Jesus (the best wine!) and Paul (use a little wine for your stomach --1 Timothy 5:23) on this matter.

Hi LeeAnn, many thanks for the explanation. Yes, it is all rather curious especially when you look at the various denominations and independent churches. (JOY)

"Islam frowns on alcohol, but that wasn�t always so."

My understanding is that Islam has always 'frowned' on alcohol use. The Koran prohibited its use (any stimulant which might 'veil the mind') well before the time of the Mogul rulers.

That Pope Alexander IV is alleged to have fathered a child with his own daughter does not indicate that the Catholic Church once found fornication or incest acceptable. That certain Mogul emperors allowed alcohol should not be seen as a precept of Islam.

Seems I was wrong about the Moghuls as they were ruling before Islam came about and adopted the faith later, so the signs I saw could have dated before Islam.

According to (the not always reliable) Wikipedia, the strictures against alcohol in the Koran were introduced at over a period of years:

At first, it was forbidden for Muslims to attend to prayers while intoxicated (4:43).

Then a later verse was revealed which said that alcohol contains some good and some evil, but the evil is greater than the good (In Surah Al-Baqarah: 219, it states "They ask Thee concerning Wine and Gambling, Say: In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit."). This was the next step in turning people away from consumption of it.

Finally, "intoxicants and games of chance" were called "abominations of Satan's handiwork," intended to turn people away from God and forget about prayer, and Muslims were ordered to abstain (5:90-91).

Interesting thread. Buddhism differs by branch on the use of alcohol. One precept that is used in some branches as part of the ritual to formally become Buddhist is usually translated something like:

"I undertake the training rule to abstain from drinks and drugs that cause heedlessness."

Some traditions interpret this to mean no drinking alcohol at all, while others interpret it to mean moderate drinking is OK, i.e. not enough to lead to 'heedlessness.' (And what constitutes heedlessness is very subjective!)

Most monastic traditions forbid alcohol, but I know very few lay Buddhists that don't drink at all.

Interestingly, there are certain Tantric traditions - mostly found in Tibetan Buddhism - that incorporate wine into certain rituals.

So, like most religions, it is all over the map, but intoxication is generally frowned upon.

Hi Peter

The first verse in the Quran relating to alcohol says:

2:219 They ask you about intoxicants and gambling say, "In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far out-weights their benefits."...

Intoxicants being anything that covers (khamara = to cover, khamr = intoxicant) the mind are said to be the works of Satan.

5:90 Oh you who believe, intoxicants and gambling and altars of idols and games of chance are abominations of the devil, you shall avoid them that you may succeed.

The next verse goes on to say that animosity and hatred and distraction from observation of prayers are the result of intoxication.

Wine is no more frowned upon than any other intoxicant such as heroine, cocaine, nicotine, when used as an illicit drug.

The choice is yours, wine or prayers, but the wine is a sin.

God tells us not to go to our prayers while intoxicated in case we forget what we are saying.