The Christian and Alcohol

By Kouabran Amangoua

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) published in 2014, alcohol is responsible for just over 5 percent of deaths worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis, or violence. This rate is 25 percent in the twenty to thirty-nine age group.On a spiritual level, the controversy surrounding the consumption of alcohol by Christians continues to fuel conversations. One wonders if alcohol is really banned from consumption by Christians. And if so, is it absolutely?This second edition of this book, revised and enriched, provides some answers to these concerns and questions. It offers sustainable solutions for those who want to break their dependence on alcohol.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098042165

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The Christian and Alcohol

Kouabran Amangoua

Copyright © 2020 by Kouabran Amangoua

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Lord, I dedicate this work to you who did this for me.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he has set the world upon them.

—1 Samuel 2:8

Preface

The Christian and Alcohol is a complex and controversial topic. Nevertheless, Elder K. Amangoua is attempting through the Bible and writings of other authors who fight alcoholism to convince us of the negative impact, both spiritually and physically of alcohol in the life of he that consumes it.

The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes 5:23).

God wants each part of the Christian’s body to be kept pure because the body of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the body of the believer must be respected and kept without blemish. Indeed, God condemns the consumption of alcohol (Gal 5:21) and curses all those who run after intoxicating drinks (Is 5:11).

That is the reason why Elder K. Amangoua warns all chosen of God to be careful not to tempt God and try to abuse his grace by consuming alcohol.

A careful reading of the Bible reveals that God goes further by calling out man to not make use of alcohol, to do without, and even not to touch it because of the negative impact it can have on the body. Because alcohol, even taken in very small doses, remains very toxic.

Apostle Kobina Attah

Superintendent of the Biblical Institute of Yaou, Bonoua of the International Church of Pentecost of Côte d’Ivoire

Foreword

Alcohol in our societies is not a trivial matter. In Africa, most ceremonies or receptions are celebrated with alcoholic beverages. In Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, for example, bringing a strong liquor as part of the dowry is almost a must.

After all judgment under the palaver tree or in the high royal court, the fine imposed on he who lost the case always includes an alcoholic beverage.

During funeral ceremonies, those who disrupt the ceremonies are, most of the time, people who drank and escaped the vigilance of the committee in charge of managing drinks. Even the dead are entitled to alcoholic drinks through libations.

In a world of constant changes and marked by the common consumption of strong drinks, the phenomenon of alcoholism is growing. Indeed, dealing with stress mostly induced by unemployment, life’s difficulties, social tensions, growing instability of marital life, and loneliness in a world that has become selfish, some think of finding a solution in alcohol.

A survey of the Economic Department of the Embassy of France in Côte d’Ivoire, conducted by an Ivorian newspaper, mentions that France produces an average of fifty million hectoliters of wine annually. According to the same sources, Côte d’Ivoire has spent twenty-four million Euros or sixteen billion CFA francs in 2009 on wine and other liquors just coming from the hexagon.

This figure does not include the production of local breweries and that of other countries. In addition, the rural population and a large part of the urban low-income population are happy with handcrafted alcoholic beverages. These drinks are manufactured in large quantities in all regions of Côte d’Ivoire and other countries of Sub Saharan Africa.

Yet alcohol is not without danger for society. Consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to psychological, physical, and social problems. A study reported by Jerry G. Dunn reveals that in the ’60s in France, 60% of divorces were related to a drinking problem. As for crimes, 75% of them are committed by people under the influence of alcohol.¹

A specialist on the subject, David Bême, declares, "Every year in France, alcohol is involved in about 23 000 deaths, most of which are the result of cancers (lips, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, larynx, liver), cirrhosis or nervous system diseases². If we add the direct and indirect causes, alcohol is responsible for 45 000 deaths annually.³

Another specialist, Alain Sousa, adds: "Every year in France, 700 to 2 000 children are born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and some regions such as the Reunion Island, the Nord Pas-de-Calais or the Brittany (Bretagne) seem particularly affected. This syndrome, little known by future moms, causes craniofacial defects, growth retardation, and behavioral and cognitive disabilities. ⁴

Given the importance that society gives alcoholic drinks and the many negative consequences that derive from the use of such drinks, what should the Christians’ take be on this? This was the purpose of our study, and we want to share our findings in this book.

We want to take this opportunity to give glory to God for the second edition of the book. The opportunity to edit this book a second time lies in the unexpected reactions of the readers who exceeded all expectations. Indeed, the many encouragements and exhortations to continue researching on this topic, which still divides the Christian environment, corroborate our words.

In addition to correcting some unpleasant misprints, the reader will discover with satisfaction more in-depth reflections and additional chapters on some new questions. However, notwithstanding these additional efforts, we are not claiming to have addressed the issue exhaustively. Thus, any concerns and suggestions of the reader, to which we want to pay special attention, are instead highly recommended.

God bless you!

Acknowledgments

I give all the glory to Almighty God who made this project a reality.

The production of this second edition of this book has benefited from the support of several people whose action is to be welcomed here. Those are:

Mrs. Tatiana Ebe, for the excellent work of translating the book into English.

Mr. Yao Fiendi Benie, my nephew, for his great contribution to this second edition.

To Editions Christian Faith Publishing for agreeing to support us by