Dear Youth 83 - Youth Magazine Staff - September 1983

Youth Magazine Staff

Question: I am 17 years old. Why do most adults think that teenagers are too young to drink socially? They drink whenever they want to, but they put the brakes on us. This doesn't seem fair to me. Answer: While the Bible allows the use of alcohol in strict moderation (never drunkenness) and sets no age limits, man's laws in most places do indeed prohibit drinking by those under a minimum age. This is because many minors are not well disciplined enough to use alcohol without abusing it. Although the mere passage of years obviously does not guarantee that an adult will not abuse alcohol, nonetheless self-control and character should come with age, and age is the only standard that man's law has to regulate abuse. Since these minimum age limits are the law and are not in conflict with God's law, we as Christians should honor them. - Information Supplied By: Herbert W Armstrong Library