Dear Nicole and all Doves
 
I appreciate your encouragement to all to abstain from alcoholic beverages, however, this is not a scriptural requirement.
Jesus drank wine and his first recorded miracle was turning the water into the "best wine" at the Wedding party - and it is a Jewish custom - wine is not hard spirits...nor is it simply grape juice.  The difference is that we are not to drink to the point of drunkenness - the ideal analogy here is gluttony.  We know we need a certain amount of food for our energy and our nourishment - but we eat only the portions that are required and preferably healthy choices - the person who continually overeats is just as guilty of the sin of gluttony as the person who over indulges in alcohol.  My point - sin - is sin - no matter what.  Would you advise people to abstain from food intake because it may lead to gluttony? The same applies with wine.  There is absolutely no harm, nor scriptural condemnation in a moderate amount of wine consumption - it is a glutinous intake of such that leads to the sin of drunkenness.  By the way - I am a non drinker 99% of the time but do enjoy a glass of a good white when out at a special occasion.  The Lord made everything on the earth - including grapes which are put through the winepress to make good wine.   I believe it is a personal choice but not one that should be condemned in any way.
ysiC, Susan B in Aussie Land.