{"id":11660,"date":"2012-07-27T16:34:09","date_gmt":"2012-07-27T20:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/news\/?p=11660"},"modified":"2012-07-28T17:37:23","modified_gmt":"2012-07-28T21:37:23","slug":"bibles-brew-mix-as-missionaries-head-for-the-pubs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2012\/07\/bibles-brew-mix-as-missionaries-head-for-the-pubs","title":{"rendered":"Mixing Bibles, bars and beer, missionaries head for the pubs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Theology at the Pub<\/a>\u00a0is a popular weekly event in Melbourne, Australia, aimed at \u201camateur theologians aged between 18 and 40 and any clergy who wish to enjoy a drink or two with anyone younger than the average parishioner.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Norfolk, Virginia, Holy Trinity Catholic Church regularly lists in the weekly bulletin \u201cTheology on Tap\u201d at a local bar and grill. There a regular crowd gathers to ponder Christianity over a glass of ale \u2026 or milk, whatever suits attendees, who often include local university<\/a> students and sailors from the nearby base.<\/p>\n

In New York City, Jay Bakker, son of disgraced televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, preaches in bars while sipping on iced tea since he\u2019s been sober for 14 years after a tumultuous childhood in front of TV cameras.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Cheyenne, Wyoming, Uncle Charlie\u2019s Grill and Lounge hosts a weekly \u201cBibles and Beer\u201d discussion that routinely\u00a0attracts people of all faiths \u2013 and even an atheist, reports Kevin Moloney for USA TODAY.<\/a><\/em>\u00a0\u201cAs many as 45 people have shown up, some toting Bibles. Some might have a drink; others stick to water,\u201d he reports. \u201cSome talk; others mostly listen<\/a>. There are only a few ground rules: Avoid debate and stick to the text to be discussed that week.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea of Bibles and bars\u00a0may be\u00a0highly offensive to devout teetotalers and worrisome to recovering alcoholics. Aftre all, in some circles, it\u2019s not a matter of discussion whether the wine Jesus\u00a0miraculously\u00a0made from water\u00a0at the famous Cana wedding was actually unfermented grape juice.<\/p>\n

Southern Baptist spokesman Dr. Richard Land says he\u2019s never tasted beer and doesn\u2019t want to. \u201cWhile the Bible may be subject to various interpretations concerning alcohol consumption (as well as the nature of the beverage consumed), Southern Baptists\u2019 understanding of the issue has been exceedingly unambiguous,\u201d the jovial Land wrote in a recent column, noting that the convention has regularly passed anti-alcohol resolutions as far back as 1886. \u201cWe often have been reminded of the potent question from Charles Sheldon\u2019s In His Steps<\/em>: \u2018What Would Jesus Do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA biblical argument can be made,\u201d writes author and radio host Mike LeMay<\/a> \u2013 that Jesus would have strolled right into the bar, particularly, \u201cwhen one reads about how Jesus went to Matthew\u2019s home where prostitutes and other sinners were partying.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Is this blasphemy?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cJesus went in boldly,” says LeMay,\u00a0“and proclaimed the Gospel, not caring if He was seen with sinners that would cause some to paint Him in a negative way.\u00a0 He boldly proclaimed the Gospel to people who were in desperate need of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Portland, Oregon,\u00a0a visit to a local bar was \u201ca sad night for me,\u201d reports theologian Tyler Braun.<\/a> \u201cSince my decision to get into Christian ministry, I have been around situations like this very rarely. I forgot how sad the bar scene can be. People lead lives that focus solely on the weekend to go out and get drunk. Of course<\/a> they probably would look at someone like me and think that I am stupid for trying to live for God. They would say that it isn\u2019t a very fun life. Let me paint the scene. I saw one guy passed out on a chair, others working on trying to get this girl or that guy onto the dance floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to say it is wrong to go to bars or to drink beer. I am saying,\u201d he writes, \u201cI was shocked about how far I\u2019ve distanced myself from people like this. I do not run into people like this in my everyday life. My life has relatively zero impact on the life of a weekend partier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find it sad that there are so many people so disillusioned and untouched by Christians who can give hope. I\u2019ve heard stories of church meetings in bars in Portland. I know some people who are relatively outraged about this. This is because they feel the church is then saying that what happens in bars is considered OK by the church. I don\u2019t agree.<\/p>\n

“All I could see were people who would never walk into a traditional church setting. How do we reach these people? Is showing up on Sunday and hoping they come to our church enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bakker says it\u2019s not. He stands with open Bible in Pete\u2019s Candy Store, a popular pub \u201cin the hip Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg,\u201d according to reporter Courtney Crowder<\/a>. \u201cThe nightclub is filled with Continued on page 2<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Theology at the Pub\u00a0is a popular weekly event in Melbourne, Australia, aimed at \u201camateur theologians aged between 18 and 40 and any clergy who wish to enjoy a drink or two with anyone younger than the average parishioner.\u201d In Norfolk, Virginia, Holy Trinity Catholic Church regularly lists in the weekly bulletin \u201cTheology on Tap\u201d at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":270,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32,4,102],"tags":[17,2090,2204,1145],"class_list":["post-11660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian","category-faith","category-feature","tag-alcohol","tag-bars","tag-christian","tag-evangelism"],"yoast_head":"\nMixing Bibles, bars and beer, missionaries head for the pubs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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