Free Beer During Service: Church Of England Loses Reality!

Well, the state of modern religion is starting to border on the insane. I found an article in the London Telegraph which shows just how desperate churches are becoming to attract members. This article says the Church of England offered beer and barbecued meats on Father’s Day. Men attending St. Stephen’s church in Barbourne, Worchester were handed bottles of beers by children to slake their thirst during the service.

Other churches offered bacon rolls, chocolate bars, and even a hog roast to the few who found economic times hard enough to sit through a sermon in order to get their alcohol fix and grab some “manna.”

In some ways it is understandable, as a study recently found that less than 20% of men in England attend church monthly. So if you have the wrong message, at least give them the right product to fill the pews.

The archdeacon of St. Stephen’s defended the beer giveaway, comparing it to the flowers that are given to mothers on Mother’s Day. Another bishop tried to legitimize the giveaway by comparing it to the gospel story in which Jesus turned water into wine, because He was “in favor of partying.” This from a man supposedly versed in the Bible, which advocates moderation, rather than a party spirit.

He argued that the free beer was intended to be symbolic of “the generosity of God”. Nothing about the gospel message. Don’t you just love recognizing the truth of the Bible?

Does The Bible Give Guidelines On Clothing Standards?

Christians should always use the Bible as a guideline for how they represent themselves. Scriptures tell us God’s true Christians are the light of the world (Math. 5:14), and as such are ambassadors for God in conduct and appearance.

Looking to scripture, there are three principles which can applied when selecting clothing:

1) Is it modest apparel? (1 Timothy 2:9). Christian women should never wear clothing that might be arousing to the opposite sex. This includes miniskirts, overly revealing bathing suits, and dresses that expose cleavage or are too tight. These are not appropriate — their intent is to cause arousal, which does not express good taste or wisdom.

Modest apparel should also not reflect extremes in fashion. Tongue and nose rings, excessively high heels, an inordinate amount of jewelry, overly baggy pants and outlandish hairstyles all reveal an attitude of immodesty. On the other hand, clothing which goes against all conventions of style would also be a wrong extreme. The Christians’ life should be one of balance and moderation, never (Philippians 4:5).

2) Is the clothing of good quality? Being modest does not mean we have to dress in a drab fashion. Rather, we should maintain high standards by buying the highest-quality clothing within the limits of what we can afford. Being a light to the world means setting an example for others to follow. Therefore, our clothing should be sharp, reflect balance and good taste.

3) Is it appropriate for the occasion? A formal dinner requires a different outfit than a more casual event, to avoid standing out. In addition, many denominations allow people to attend services dressed any way they want. So one will come in shorts, while another wears jeans or coverall. Casual clothing is never the standard God expects from His true adherents at Church services — after all, they are appearing before the God of the universe.