Living in the United States in the late 20th and early 21st
century, it would be easy to think that the majority of
Christians have always opposed the use of alcohol, especially in
this country. Actually, history tells a different story. When
the Puritans set sail on the Mayflower, they brought with them
more beer than water. Alcohol was consumed on a regular basis,
being safer to drink than oft-polluted water. It was seen as a
gift from God, serving as an analgesic, an “energy drink,” an
enhancer of food, and a tool of socialization. The Puritans,
however, were strongly opposed to the abuse of alcohol. As famed
Puritan preacher Increase Mather worded it, “Drink is in itself
a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness,
but the abuse of drink is from Satan, the wine is from God, but
the Drunkard is from the Devil.” Those who abstained from
drinking alcohol were considered to be less healthy and less
spiritual, since they rejected part of what God had created for
man. The community provided str