The facts behind this story are, as far as I'm aware, that our local store lost its drinks license a few months ago for selling alcohol to under-age customers. The reasonable penalty meted out to them has resulted in a somewhat draconian approach to the rest of us, but if it is effective I'll go along with it.
Meanwhile, though, I note that the government is considering revising our 24-hour drinking laws which were supposed to deliver a cafe culture but apparently made some of our town centres no-go areas at the weekend instead.
Personally, I am rather disappointed by this outcome. I remember the slightly strange pleasure of a couple of very late night drinks in both Sydney and Utrecht, and there was indeed something quite civilized about being able to drop into a pub for a swift half if you felt like it at 1.00am.
It saddens me that the British (for it certainly includes the Scots and Irish - I can't speak for the Welsh) have such a bad relationship with alcohol. For some reason, we are like the Finns, who don't know when to stop either.
For myself, I've always had what some would consider a 'liberal' attitude to drink - one of the first Bible verses I learned to quote as a new Christian was Psalm 104:15: "He makes wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine" (very useful amongst tee-total friends).
Another of my favourite quotes is from Martin Luther's second Invocavit sermon on March 10th 1522,
I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philips and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it.What a great pattern of ministry! Teach, preach, write, have a snooze and a beer with your mates. Trust the word of God to do the work of God. Now there's an idea.
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What a great pattern of ministry! Teach, preach, write, have a snooze and a beer with your mates. Trust the word of God to do the work of God. Now there's an idea.
ReplyDeleteI was reading recently of the monks and how sociable they were, and if you ever popped in to see them or stay with them, beer was always plentiful.
The article went on to say that the Robin Hood character, Friar Tuck, would have been more of an accurate representation, than we might imagine.
Of course, as I thought about this I realised that whenever you visit a monastary, there is usually Monk made mead etc.
Love it....