Texas pastor Ed Young broached controversial topic during a Sunday sermon when he took out a can of beer and opened it on the platform. Young pastors megachurch Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, where he stood at the pulpit with a six pack of beer and addressed the “most dangerous drug and the number one drug in America.” He shocked the congregation by opening a can and pouring it into a cup. He acknowledged that the members of his church came from diverse backgrounds, with some potentially in the grips of alcoholism, others having a family history of alcohol abuse, and others who were supportive of social drinking. The Bible mentions the consumption of alcohol some 200 times, with drunkenness being clearly sinful. But whether or not Christians can partake in some alcohol consumption remains a “hotly debated topic,” admitted Young.

Young stated that yes, Christians can drink but cited Ephesians 5:18 to point out that drunkenness is not allowed. Young pointed out that his congregants should be filling themselves with the Holy Spirit rather than alcohol. “What and who are you filling your life with?” asked Young. Quoting theologian Dr. Wayne Grudem, Young defined drunkenness as, “a loss of good judgement, impaired thinking, diminished moral restraint, actions that harm personal or gospel reputation, compromised physical condition.” He pointed to Jesus’s first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana and the mentions of alcohol related to merriness in the Proverbs as evidence to allow drinking in moderation.

Young did not diminish, however, the realities of alcohol addiction. “One out of 10 become problem drinkers, become alcoholics,” he said. He stated that those who choose to refrain from alcohol completely were not in the wrong either, sharing Proverbs 20:1, which states, “wine is a mocker, and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” He noted that whether or not to abstain completely or to only partake in partial drinking is a personal decision that should be approached prayerfully. He also discouraged daily social drinking, saying it should only be taken occasionally. He encouraged his congregation to avoid alcohol for thirty days during the month of April. He then ended with a Quaker prayer, saying, “Father, we all come here today with our fists clinched. And especially, God, over this issue of alcohol—the battle over the bottle. Right now, God, in my life and in every life here, may we unclinch our fists and drop everything at the foot of the cross.”