The Bible & Alcohol Use Volume 1 | Page 32

Pregnant women who drink have a higher incidence of premature births, low birth weight babies and birth defects. The offspring of alcoholics show impaired vitality of the most deep-seated character, such as deformities, neuroses, which may take the severe forms of chorea, infantile convulsions, epilepsy or idiocy. [American Prohibition Year Book, 1912] RESPIRATORY Alcohol depresses the respiratory functions. A quantity of alcohol sufficient to make a person oblivious to his discomforts will interfere with breathing. [You & Your Health v1, p. 421] People under the influence of alcohol are more susceptible to pneumonia.” [You & Your Health, v1, p. 422] When the amount of alcohol in the body fluids becomes dangerously high, the body‟s vital functions are impaired. When death occurs, it is from paralysis of the breathing mechanism. [You & Your Health, v3, p. 253] 31 [You & Your Health, v1, p.422] “Use a little wine [oinos – can be either fermented or unfermented] for thy stomach‟s sake and thine often infirmities.” [1 Tim 5:23] Medical studies try to prove that a drink of alcoholic wine every day is beneficial to the heart, arteries and stomach. Thus, a new generation of wine drinkers is spawned. God‟s created grape is so powerful, that after being abused through fermentation, saturated with sugar, food coloring and preservatives - a tiny blessing remains in the booze. But truly, if it is help for the stomach, or heart which the drunkard seeks, he should look to the unfermented grape juice with ten-fold healing in its wings. God inspired Paul to write counsel that a man‟s infirmities could be healed. Is it the pure grape or the very poor second choice bearing the multiple negative side effects of alcohol? Unfermented grape juice is preferable to non-fermented wine in medicinal properties and healing. Alcohol affects the digestive organs. It increases the flow of both saliva and gastric juice. It may cause an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and a congestion of blood in this lining tissue. [You & Your Health, v1, p. 422] The carbonation in beer, together with the irritating effect of alcohol, produces a permanent inflammation of the stomach mucosa. This results in increased gastric juice production, which briefly improves digestion, but results in stomach inflammation. The result of regular consumption of wine or other alcoholic beverages is a permanent inflammation known as chronic gastritis. Indigestion, slow digestion, gastritis, and gastro duodenal ulcer are common among beer drinkers. The Clinic Hospital of Barcelona has confirmed that men who drink wine during their meals experience 70% more heartburn and inflammation of the esophagus. Diarrhea is an unwelcome consequence of the use of alcohol. Page When an expectant mother uses alcohol, it is shared with the unborn child so that the baby‟s tissues contain about the same proportion as the mother‟s tissues. Babies born to alcoholic mothers present a shockingly high incidence of physical and mental handicaps.