Joel Naga
If the American Baptist missionaries had come to Naga Hills preaching against eating pork, it’s not inconceivable that the entire Naga nation would have become pork abstainers; and Bible-thumping Naga people would have justified the abstinence quoting Leviticus 11: 7-8 or Deuteronomy 14: 8. But the American Baptist is just that, a denomination. While it subscribes to the tenets of the Bible including in the belief of the Trinity, it was and is not free from prejudices, blinkered views and shortfalls. During the American civil war, slave owning Baptists broke away from the body and formed a separate organization called the Southern Baptist. These Churches existed according to the Times and the Seasons; and in their 19th century moorings also interpreted the drinking and wining in the Bible as per the prevalent surroundings. Consequently it came out strongly against drinking alcohol. So by the time the American Baptist missionaries came to the Naga Hills, drinking had equaled sin. This extra-biblical concept of drinking equals sin found its theological culmination in the Nagaland Prohibition Act, 1989. An equivalence would be the rabbinic law (as differentiated from Mosaic Law) which prohibits one from walking more than 2000 cubits (1 km) on Sabbath days. So it’s not surprising that educated Nagas are still incredulous when they hear tales of Catholic priests taking wine and alcohol – sure shortcut to hell!
The American Baptist is one of the very few denominations to outlaw alcohol and wine whereas for the other major denominations like the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, etc., wine or alcoholic beverages are very much part of their ecclesiastical rites including its usage in the Lord’s Supper. So how tenable is the stand of the Baptist Churches in America on alcohol or on any other Biblical tenets? It’s interesting to know that it was only in 2015 that the Southern Baptist allowed missionaries who “Spoke in tongues” into their fold – more than 100 years after the fire of the Holy Spirit had engulfed the world! There’re still some Baptist churches in America – local Baptist Churches are more or less autonomous – which view dancing or watching movies as sins (Source: internet). Given this strong Baptist tradition, it’s not surprising that many Baptist Churches in Nagaland still frown upon “Speaking in tongues” or even clapping in the Church! Clearly the American Baptist and its scholars cannot have the last say on drinking. Celibacy is celebrated by the Catholics but it’s just that – a personal choice.
To buttress its argument that drinking is sin, the American Baptist averred that the wine of the Bible is non-fermented. These proponents (past and present) of non-alcoholic wine or the abstentionist and the prohibitionist postulated that the Greek word for wine in the Bible ‘Oinos’ describes freshly pressed (non-fermented) grape juice. However, prior to this, in the last 1800 years or so there had been no ambiguity regarding ‘Oinos’ which meant fermented wine. It began slowly, the argument. A long line of prohibitionist and revisionist of Bible history began to argue that ‘Oinos’ also meant non-fermented wine. Later on, more radical revisionist emerged who totally rejected the original meaning and put forth their point that ‘Oinos’ IS non-fermented wine. The Abstentionist also argued that ancient Near East people could keep grape juice for long periods without fermenting. The evidence for this is lacking and at best hazy. Anyway, the whole argument on ‘Oinos’ is flawed because it pre-supposes that ancient peoples only drank grape juice and were not given to merry-making, drunkenness or waywardness. The idea of a morally attuned, finely balanced society with no ills and vices is foolish and preposterous. Noah got drunk and naked. 1500 years before Jesus, Lot got drunk and went one step further than Noah. Equally foolish is to surmise that these great ancient civilizations and peoples – the Greeks, Egyptians, Mesopotamians and the Jewish people could produce only freshly pressed wines!
Revisionist put forth more radical ideas. They said that the positive references to wine in the Bible alluded to non-fermented wine and the negative references to fermented wine! This is akin to stating that those Naga politicians who got elected in the last general election are good people and those that lost bad people!
Why would Apostle Paul decry drunkenness? Did he seriously think drinking grape juice would lead to drunkenness? Why would the Nazirite Jew be forbidden from wine and strong drink? Why was Samson forbidden to drink wine? Surely fresh grape juice cannot be described as strong drink? The Bible is also explicit that “John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine.” I suppose “drinking wine” alludes to some mixture which can induce drunkenness. I don’t see why the Bible should make a hue and cry about John drinking lemon or grape juice or Coke? Proverbs, Isaiah, Galatians, Ephesians, etc., preaches not against drinking but drunkenness. The Rechabites vowed never to drink wine as obedience to their father (Jer 35:14). Now why would any father not allow their children to drink fresh grape juice unless it’s not? Why would the 120 disciples be accused of drunkenness on the Day of the Pentecost? Jesus himself drank wine or why else would the Pharisees and Sadducees accuse him (Matt 11: 19, Luke 7: 33-34)? The miracle of Cana wasn’t water turning to fresh grape juice. Given the thousands of years of ancient tradition related to wine-making (fermented), surely Jesus walking into the most elaborate Jewish wedding festival possible – with the guests lavishly served with wine – only to embarrass Himself and His host and his guests by conjuring only the fresh grape variety would have been self-defeating for His earthly Ministry.
Like contemporary Nagaland, the 19th Century American Baptist Church was unable to deal with rampant drunkenness in their society. However, given the times – 19th and early 20th Century – when people were wont to go against religious strictures, it’s not improbable that declaring drinking alcohol to be unbiblical served its purpose of controlling a wayward society. The endless debate which has taken place since then has only ensued that denominational schism remains, and it continues to confuse believers till date.
God, our father is a Creative God. The art of wine making is one of the many expressions of His Creative gift given to us. Squeezing grape juice is not. Many a Naga has brought curse upon his body because he believed the wine he was drinking came from the devil and ungodly hands. Money per se is not evil; but its love is. Lift prohibition. Drink safe.
Nota Bene: While the 19th Century American Baptist was puritanical in its outlook with lots of fire and brimstone kind of preaching, the 21st Century American Baptist has, not surprisingly, adjusted itself with the Times and the Seasons; and as of today has no problem with SAME-SEX marriages in their Churches…an unthinkable position for a Church with Puritan roots.
So shall we hold on to the denominations and the tradition or the Word?
