Virtue EthicsAnswered

How many glasses of wine can a Catholic drink without being a drunkard, by New Testament standards?

TL;DR

Robert Sungenis answers that there is no New Testament number: the limit depends on the person, and conscience tells each of us when we have had too much. He notes that Scripture forbids drunkenness and gluttony alike, and says gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins, is widely neglected, including by many clergy.

A viewer asks how many glasses of wine or alcohol a Catholic can drink without being called a drunkard according to New Testament standards.

Answer

You cannot measure this by glasses per person. If one glass of wine gets you drunk, then your limit is one glass; some people who do not weigh much get tipsy on very little, so the rules for them differ from someone who weighs two or three hundred pounds. The thing is, we know when we have had too much; the moment we feel the slightest pang of conscience along those lines, we should stop. That is built into our conscience; nobody has to teach us where our limit is, we know instinctively. So there is no New Testament number; the only thing we have is that the Bible says do not be a drunkard, and by the same token do not be a glutton. I see many Catholics disobeying the command against gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins; a lot of priests and bishops tend to be gluttonous, because they are catered to, have their meals cooked for them, and do little physical activity. So each case has to be judged by itself, guided by conscience.

Answered by Dr. Robert Sungenis

Related Questions