Very often people are interested in the question of the attitude of Orthodox Christians to the use of alcohol. Practice shows that it is this question that is most often asked by student guides during excursions to theological seminaries. The answer is unusually simple.
In the Holy Scriptures there are wonderful words of the Apostle Paul that everything is permissible for a person, but not everything is beneficial. Then the saint continues the thought, saying that a Christian should not have any passion. It is this view of things that can be applied to absolutely everything, including the use of alcohol.
The Bible teaches that wine can cheer a person's heart. And the apostle of the Gentiles, as some of the holy fathers call Paul, in the epistle to Timothy gives a decree on the use of a cup of wine for the benefit of his health. It turns out that it is quite possible for a Christian to consume alcoholic beverages in moderate doses.
Also in the biblical texts you can find indications that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. That is, the passion of drunkenness is considered a sin. Accordingly, the Christian Church warns people against alcohol abuse. In addition, the problem of alcoholism can be understood in a medical light and viewed as a disease of human nature, and the disease is not only bodily, but also mental (spiritual).
The Christian Church forbids indulging in the passion of drunkenness, because this can lead to undesirable consequences for the health of the body and soul. But at the same time, there is no strict prohibition on alcohol. A person has free will and choice. If he knows how to drink within reason so as not to lose his human appearance, then the Church treats this condescendingly. But if a person begins to abuse, then this is considered a sinful passion and is subject to prohibition.
