Letter to the Editor – Does the World See Us (Christians) United as One? (Alcohol Issue)
8-20-12 *Letter to the Editor*
Does the World See Us (Christians) United as One?
Dear Editor,
Recently the Founder and CEO, S. Truett Cathy, came under fire because of his stance against same sex marriage, which caused an outcry of the media and an attempt to boycott Chick-fil-A. The response to the outcry brought the Christian community together in support of Chick-fil-A. Together the Christian community, as well as others, showed their extraordinary support and helped break a sales record of all fast food restaurants. The Christian community standing together in support of Chick-fil-A proved, to the outcry of a Christian businessman stance against same sex marriage, standing for what is right is greatly rewarded.
Jesus prayed an important prayer recorded in the Book of John that we, as Christians, should never forget and heed to in our daily walk. In John 17, Jesus prayed for Himself, the apostles, and for all believers. The core of Jesus’ prayer was that all Christians be unified as one as He and the Father are as one (John 17:21-22), so that the world may believe (John 17:21). If Jesus took the time to pray to the Father asking Him to grant us such unification, we need to take heed to the prayer and stand together as one (a Christian community) and do what is right in the sight of our Savior and Lord so that He might be glorified in and through our lives.
In the coming days there will be people asking you to return to the polls on August 28 to cast your vote concerning the wet/dry alcohol issue facing our great county of Madison. Some will try to persuade you to vote yes, claiming it will help the economical growth of our county. Some will try to persuade you to vote no, claiming it will glorify God for the stance you are taking against such a terrible thing (issue), which I personally agree with. Who is right? First of all, having hard drinks (liquor, whiskey, vodka) sold in our county will not bring in industry like some may claim. An industry does not base whether to establish themselves in a community or not based on alcohol sales. Secondly, no matter how one may interpret Scripture, alcohol does nothing but destroy lives. Jesus came to give life, not destroy it. So, I have to agree that taking a stance against alcohol is glorifying to God.
As the Christian community, along with others, sent a message by supporting Chick-fil-A, we too, can send a message by taking a stance and casting a NO vote regarding the wet/dry issue in our great county. The world (especially our community) needs to see us (Christians) unified as one, glorifying our Savior and Lord. But the message can only be sent by returning to the polls on August 28 and casting a vote of NO, so PLEASE citizens of Madison County return to the polls on August 28 and cast your vote in favor of what is truly right and glorifying to God!
III John 2,
Rev. Benjie Dyal
Pastor, New Home Baptist Church
Madison, FL
“First of all, having hard drinks (liquor, whiskey, vodka) sold in our county will not bring in industry like some may claim. An industry does not base whether to establish themselves in a community or not based on alcohol sales. Secondly, no matter how one may interpret Scripture, alcohol does nothing but destroy lives.”
Did you quote this from the bible? I am interested in knowing where this statistic came from. Is it true?, or just made up information so you can scare people into believing so you can fill seats on sunday morning…
“Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.”
-Thomas Jefferson
You know Benji, I personally think the reason people want to debate you over what you said, doesn’t have anything to do with the yes or no alcohol debate. But it has to do a lot with the Title of your letter to the editor. A majority of Christians don’t agree with you. So you are basically questioning our faith, of course it is going to gain a lot of attention.
Most of the people voting no, drink the stuff. hard liquor and not so hard liquor. Most cheat on their spouses. most have gotten divorces and make excuses for not ever being there for their children. Many have let a friend drive home drunk, because its not their business.
How many of you so called “Christians” have listened to a man rant and rave over the way that their ex is taking them to the cleaners for child support, and you agreed with him, instead of letting him know that divorce is wrong?
I don’t see any good fruit here, I just see a bunch of control freaks, that are scrambling to save their sneaky ways of life. and they are scrambling because they can see that enough people want change.
Thanks for your answer Rev. Dyal. The reason I mentioned gluttony (obesity) is the fact that obese people tend to have sleep problems and fall asleep at the wheel while driving more so than non obese people and the results are the same as a drunk driver.
I get very confused when people tells me that the Bible really doesn’t mean what it says and that the translation is different than what is written. I have been told by a very staunch religious person that Jesus didn’t turn water into wine. It was a misprint in the Bible.
I have to stand on John 3:16. That I understand.
VOICE READERS:
Thank you for reading my Letter to the Editor and submitting your comments, statements, and questions. It has been my pleasure discussing the issue with you. Check out my site at http://www.benjiedyal.com and read the articles posted and listen to the messages uploaded. Have any questions, please contact me. I am always willing to help out any way possible and love learning together what God has to say about things in His Word. On the issue of alcohol (because nothing good comes out of it and it only destroys lives) I am voting my conviction, which will be NO, and I encourage you to vote your conviction. We must make sure, however, that our convictions are those of God because He is the authority (and has that right because He is Creator). May God enlighten each of us and may His Spirit guide us into all Truth (note John 16:13). Thanks to John for publishing my Letter to the Editor and Thanks to all who read and will read it. God Bless!!!
That is your right and freedom. One last comment and I am finished, need to get to bed. Note AngryCon comment “I think Benji did a good job in explaining why a Christian should vote against this.” AngryCon understood exactly what I was saying. I am not forcing you or anyone else to think my way (we all need to think the way God wants us to think and when we honestly think His way we will make right decisions), I am simply saying to the Christian community, if we stand together we can let our message be heard at the polls by voting no. We need to vote no because alcohol destroys lives (many other things too, but the issue at hand is alcohol). We, as Christians, must take a stand, which we have the right to do just as any other people group. In the article I stated that “no matter how one may interpret Scripture, alcohol does nothing but destroy lives. Jesus came to give life, not destroy it.” Some of your statements I agree with, I cannot deny that. And, too, we must remember this is not personal, we need to still live, work, play, learn, and worship together. Check out my web-site and if you desire we can discuss things and learn and grow together. God Bless!!!
Madison Outsider is right when he writes that “…churches never address the gluttony issue that is mentioned in the Bible.” They also do not speak out against Tobacco – why – because unfortunately many church members in Madison County grow tobacco. Tobacco destroys as many lives as does Alcohol. Still, two wrongs (and in this case three wrongs) do not make a right. So, yes the Christian community is correct in speaking out against Alcohol in this “wet-dry” vote. But once this election is over – and regardless of how it turns out – they need to start also addressing the evils (and sins) of Tobacco and gluttony (Obesity).
Benjie , can’t agree with you in your response to Outsider . When one starts with this translation or that translation things become a problem . I think that is why there are so many denominations & sects that call themselves Christian , different interpretations of the same passages . Look at all the fundamentalist churches in this county , these different groups obviously look & interpret at least one thing differently , many of them are break aways from other churches . Somebody was not getting along . I believe in Proverbs drunken & gluttony are in the same passage . To me it is simple , drunk is drunk & overweight through poor eating habits is overweight . You may define gluttony any way you like . I vote yes on this issue .
Yeah I listen to other Christian opinions. I am always learning from other Christians, and non-Christians alike. Come and we will discuss the article. You can come whenever you want, it doesn’t matter to me. I will ever buy you lunch.
So would you discuss your article if i came to your service on sunday benji? Seem like you have a high stand on the pulpit. Seems you dont really wont to listen to any other Christian opinions.
Madison Outsider, in the article, I stated, “:and others.” I know it was not only Christians that supported Chick-fil-a, and too, that it was others, as you stated yourself, that supported the cause for freedom of speech. We (Christians) too, have freedom of speech just as everyone else. The organization Madison Yes has the right to free speech and so does everyone else. As I stated to Jj..j.kinard I am not going to debate the issue. I am onlly responding to make short statements in regard to respect of replying to your question. The word “glutton” is a word used in the Bible that is taken out of context easily when not study in-depth. There are some words that carry a different meaning in the Hebrew and Greek language than that of the english language. I know many people misuses this in thinking of overweigth people, but the term carries a diiferent meaning than that one might think so on the surface. I think that John does not want,or intends, this site to be used for a Bible study. So, contact me via my web-site and I will gladly discuss the true meaning of the four verses (two in OT and two in the NT) where the termn is used with you. God Bless!!! Great question (statement) however.
I supported the CEO of Chik-Fil-A for our Freedom of Speech. I did not see that as a United Christian movement. Rev. Dyal Could you explain to me why churches never address the gluttony issue that is mentioned in the Bible. I think the Bible expects us to make good decisions in all that we put in our bodies and in all the decisions we make.
Well said Independent Xpression!
Jj..j.kinard, I did answer your question (how it effects me). But, that is not the reason I am against it (just carefully read the letter and you will, if you want to, understand what I am saying). No one, not even myself, is sinless, only Jesus Christ. I wrote a letter to the editor, which is my freedom to do so. We all, both sides, has a right to voice our opinions and beliefs, concerning the issue at hand. And I voiced mine based on my belief. I am not going to debate you over the issue. Go to my web-site and read my articles and you will discover I am not one to judge (God is the judge), just one to proclaim what God has called me to proclaim. God loves you, and so do I. If I can ever do anything for you, please let me know.
If the advocates of a “wet” Madison County win on August 28th, (which I am afraid they will) it only proves what the Scriptures teaches us. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
But Christians of Madison County, we today may be in the minority, but take heart, for when Jesus returns to set up His millennium worldwide kingdom, His saints will rule Madison County. And during that 1000 year reign of righteousness, there will be no evil allowed such as demon alcohol and all the pain and hurt it causes.
So everbody should only care about your point of veiw. Nobody has had tragidy but you. Keep your righteous ego in check and answer my question stated before. You might sway votes.
Whether or not this county is wet or dry is not going to eliminate drinking and driving. If it does not pass, people are still going to drive outside the county to buy alcohol and the same people who drive drunk are still going to do it. Maybe we should be more focused on why our system is not working. Liquor stores are not the problem, “people” are the problem. Punish the individual who drinks and drives not the general public. The laws we have now and the system we have for drinking and driving do not keep a person from driving. Last I checked you still can physically drive without a license. What are we doing to fix this?
I have a friend that drinks a lot. I am realizing as I type this that she blacks out and can’t remember anything clearly the next day. That’s getting serious. She buys her liquor in Lake Park and will probably buy her liquor in Madison if it passes. I will not use her personal problems as a reason to punish the entire county. She says she’s a Christian. Okay, again, what does that have to do with anything? I drink with Christians all the time. Some of them get DUIs on a regular basis. One was blamed for the death of a passenger in his vehicle during an accident. My brother and sister where killed by drunk drivers before I was born. I still refuse to use my personal problems and issues as a tool to sway people to vote one way or the other. Tomorrow, I will vote Yes.
Jesus taught to love one another but that doesn’t mean you tolerate a person’s sinful ways.
I think Benji did a good job in explaining why a Christian should vote against this. I didn’t think he was “ramming” a vote of “no” down our throats.
…and I’m voting “Yes”
In response to Jj..j.kinard, “how it effects me?” Well, I did not ever get a chance having a grandmother I could know and be spoiled by and loved and cared for. Why? Because she was killed by a drunk driver.
I only have question for you benji and to others that no one has touched on. If you dont care to drink how is it going to effect you? Jesus teached tolerance. Also do pastors only get respect by not drinking?
I wasn’t going to vote but after reading this I will. I will vote yes. Thank for pushing my over the edge with this over the top garbage.