Sacred Abstinence: Alcohol’s Spiritual and Liturgical Role
Based on the cited materials, there is indeed an opinion that consuming alcohol outside of a liturgical context is undesirable, and regarding personal and public spirituality, complete abstinence is considered a blessing. For example, one source issues a stark warning directed at those who allow even the slightest consumption of alcohol:"Abstain. Sometimes adults say, 'Better try it at home than on the side.' Wrong. Don’t try it either at home or elsewhere. Because you might have a negative experience – feeling unwell, a headache, nausea. And perhaps you’ll like it, and you’ll become ensnared in sin. You’ll want to try it again. And again... And again... And before you know it, you will have moved to the stage of regular consumption. You’ll become a teenager, enter youth, and suddenly realize that without drinking, life isn’t as fun or interesting. More and more often, the thought of wanting to drink will come to mind. These thoughts will increasingly crowd out all the other good and pleasant ones. And then, it arrives – the stage of an obsessive idea. You are a slave to sin. The final stage is complete alcohol dependency. You may know such people. They are generally adults. And how hard it is for them, their children, their wives, and their parents." (source: link txt, page: 12)It is also noted that within the culture there is an understanding that anyone who permits even minimal consumption of an alcoholic beverage exposes themselves to the danger of succumbing to harmful addictions – as expressed, for example:"But essentially, it would be better. Moreover, here in Russia people do not know how to approach alcohol sensibly; they do not understand that one can drink just a little, yet they drink as much as they have money for or until they empty their entire supply. This is a national vice. … Because if a person drinks a little, especially if he is tormented by carnal passions, it can unleash such a storm within him that no prayer can hold it back." (source: link txt, page: 3)At the same time, another source emphasizes that refraining from alcohol is seen as a path to spiritual and physical well-being, since abstaining from alcohol consumption helps avoid its harmful consequences:"We would only wish that all abstainers, scattered and living in different places, might actually help gradually break the chains of a bad habit! … Renouncing the dubious pleasure of a dangerous drink—you lose nothing but only gain in life." (source: link txt, page: 4)Meanwhile, a significant role in understanding the purpose of alcohol is played by its use in a liturgical context. In one source it is explained that during the liturgy we bring our offerings—bread and wine—which symbolize life itself and our gratitude to God. Here, grape wine is not regarded as a drink for personal consumption, but solely as the sacred element of the Sacrament of Communion:"As children grow up, it is important to explain to them not only the Gospel events associated with the sacrament of Communion, but also what it means for us today. During the liturgy, we bring our offerings—bread and wine. Bread and wine are our food and drink… As we entrust our lives to God…" (source: link txt, page: 15)Thus, summarizing the opinions presented, one can conclude that the ideal is complete abstinence from alcohol in all spheres of life, except for its sacred use in the context of the Sacrament of Communion. This approach is based on the dangers inherent in arbitrary alcohol consumption and the negative consequences described in the materials, while a special place for wine is reserved exclusively for liturgical procedures, where it holds a purely symbolic and spiritual meaning.