This week’s Christian Standard features an article on “The 12-Stepping Church” by Dan Gilliam, who until recently served as minister of meditation and prayer at LifeBridge Christian Church in CO. He discusses the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and the value of AA and other programs in serving and possibly sharing Jesus with people in recovery.

I’m all for churches adopting the 12 steps, Celebrate Recovery, etc. As Gilliam writes, “Many Christians, having seen remarkable transformations firsthand, believe 12-step fellowships are nothing less than an anonymous arm of Christ’s church, exposing agnostics, atheists, and pre-Christians to the life-changing gospel without some of the more religious aspects that could close their minds to God.”

As I read, I found myself thinking that while it’s now okay to say “I’m an alcoholic” at many churches, it’s not okay to say “I’m a moderate drinker.” For many Christians, any and all alcohol consumption falls into the “black” side of a black and white world.

There’s no question that the best way to avoid substance abuse is to avoid the substance completely. For many people it’s less an issue of legalism and more a recognition of weakness. I have friends who struggle with moderation in eating or spending money and have decided not to add drinking as another temptation in life. I respect that.

For others it’s generational. Many of my Christian friends drink, but most of their parents do not.

Opinions on the issue also vary geographically. Recently I interviewed for a staff position with a church back in the midwest. To remain above reproach, the church requires all paid staff to completely abstain from alcohol. Again, I respect this—the congregation adopted this policy to protect its staff and to make a statement to the community. Although I enjoy a glass of wine most evenings, I would have happily agreed to this rule if called to this role.

But several of my Christian friends out here expressed surprise at the restriction. “You can’t drink at all?” they asked. “What’s the big deal?” Californians tend to (often wrongly) consider themselves more progressive than everyone else, but in this area they do seem less conservative. Whether it’s the proximity to Napa or to Hollywood, the no-booze-for-good-Christians mindset is much rarer here than in the Bible Belt.

And this can be both good and bad. The line between “social drinker” and “heavy drinker” can be a fine one for some folks, and the mindset that all drinking is bad avoids that line altogether. However, it also creates rules that can alienate sincere seekers like my friend who—when presented with the gospel and asked if he wanted to accept Jesus—said, “I want to be a Christian, but……..can I still have a beer with my pizza?”

At the end of the day, (around cocktail hour), it becomes a matter of conscience for every Christian. This isn’t as nice and neat as our Evangelical Prohibition, but I think it is more biblical.