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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
As Christians, we are called to "go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15). Clearly, bars are usually filled with people who need to hear the gospel. Further, man...
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Jeremiah Navi
Supporter
My experiences and those I have been involved with tells me "No". I believe you are not only setting yourself up to fall into sin, but you will also likely be contributing to someone else's sin, weakness and/or illness. So many of this world's sin is directly related (physically and morally) to some form of alcohol consumption, including drug addiction. Eph. 5:18-KJV And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit -NIV- Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, You will be the vessel used in causing the downfall of others.
Anonymous
Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages is not forbidden of the Bible, therefore serving alcoholic drinks is not an ungodly way to earn a living. Therefore, yes, being a bartender is a perfectly lawful job for a Christian just like any other job, except if the specific bar is sinful in some way, such as playing sinful music or TV, or serving drinks to people who are drunk.
Mary McDonald
Supporter
Jesus was at a wedding feast in Cana and they ran out of wine. Jesus, (at the behest of His mother Mary) told the servants to fill six water pots, about 20-30 gallons apiece, with water. They did as instructed. Jesus told them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." They did, he tasted it, and then went and said to the bridegroom, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, AND WHEN THE GUESTS HAVE WELL DRUNK, then the inferior..." John 2:3-10 NKJV (Emphasis mine) Wasn't Jesus, in essence, a bartender in this instance? There had to be guests already drunk at this point. Jesus didn't need to do it, yet He provide more, and the best, wine! Why? To avoid the extreme cultural embarrassment for the host, respond to His mother's concern, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, to display the Love and Power of God. So was Jesus right or wrong doing this? My Dad had an alcohol problem. I remember going to the corner and waving to my Dad inside the bar while he drank. (It wasn't his favorite watering hole, that was further from home.) I was little and did not understand that his drinking was one of the main reasons why we had little food and were generally hungry. Well, I can tell you, it wasn't the bartenders fault or responsibility. It was my Dad's "choice." God endowed each of us with "free will" and an inborn thirst and knowledge of Himself. We were also born with a sin nature from the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. As such, we have all sinned and generally have a weakness or leaning toward one "sin of choice" or another. Alcohol, lust, pride, greed, porn... the list endless. But it is still our "free choice" to sin. God will provide a way to escape... IF we want it, but that is also generally not the case. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV) We alone are responsible to God for our lifestyles and sins. Jesus was in the constant company of sinners His whole earthly life, yet He was sinless! Being a Christian bartender would be difficult as the temptations are varied, open, and great. But if a Christian would need to work as a bartender, what an example it would be to rise above the temptations and willfully stand for Christ by not drinking, swearing, cheating, lying, and joining in the debauchery that can be found in those environments. A bartender once told my Dad to "go home to your kids", it was the only thing I ever heard my Dad say a bartender told him. It made an impression on him, and me too... that a stranger would point out to my Dad his responsibility to his family. What if every Christian bartender offered up a quick prayer to God for every person they were serving a drink to? Do you realize the magnitude of prayers flooding heaven 24/7? How the habit of "pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17) would edify the life of the bartenders as they prayed for others? With the state of sin in the world, the rapid decline in moral values, and the rejection of the True God for religion, I would propose there are very few jobs today any Christian can hold without the same kind of temptations facing bartenders, except maybe the constant supply of alcohol. Sin is sin, and it is everywhere! As Christians we should be fighting it every moment of everyday by putting on the "whole armor of God", being in the Word, and being an example of Jesus Light to others. (Eph. 6:11-20) It may be the only "Light of God" people will ever experience. Finally, we are instructed in Scripture "not to judge", lest we be judged by the same "measure" we judge others. (Matt 7:2, Mark 4:24) In all jobs and in life, there is temptation to sin. It is our choice whether we choose sin or cling to the promise of God to provide an escape, THEN LISTEN, and take it. YOUR CHOICE! We can't be perfect, but we are called to rise above those temptations and live as Christ lived, no matter what job we have, what we are doing, or where we live, God is with us... Always!
Matthew Harrison
Supporter
It also depends on what you believe if you don't believe in drinking then no it is not ok the bible says come out from amoung them and be ye seperate a bartender ministry is called justification cause the first customer that told the boss you helped his number 1 customer to give up drinking your ministry would come to an end come on people that would be like a Pentecostal person who believes in not cutting their hair to open a hair salon
mike hobby
Supporter
Using Jesus eating with sinners to justify being a bartender is a stretch. Even with his motives set aside, eating a meal with someone was a relational thing and he was not under the rule of a boss or a master to perform in a certain way. I think Jesus was demonstrating that we are to be in relationship with sinners so that we can share the good news with them and share our faith, but as a Christian community we should not be quick to justify sin that is acceptable to the culture, making certain sins acceptable. As you're serving the drinks to people who are intent to get drunk and telling them you're a Christian, might that help them to justify that what they are doing is not bad? If Jesus' ministry were in our time, I hardly think he would be taking jobs as a bartender or a bouncer at a strip club or in my state of Washington, or working in a pot shop to demonstrate that we need to be in relationship with sinners. He might still have a meal with them.
Billy P Eldred
Supporter
It is my opinion that the bible teaches us to be "in the world" just not "of the world". Therefore being in the world could include working in a bar without doing so to openly share Jesus while at work (that probably wouldn't go over too well anyway) as long as you represented yourself as a Christian should. Making friends by your actions and good manners might give you the opportunity to witness to some outside of work. Being nice to others is always a good thing and being a good listener could give you opportunity to guide someone away from evil and therefore toward Christ. The danger is not to become "of the world". You would need to separate yourself from the lifestyle you are in the midst of. I would caution anyone considering doing so to stay "prayed up" and to not even consider doing so unless you are firmly entrenched in Christ because, sooner or later there will be temptations and dangers that you must be ready for. Bottom line is : permissible but not necessarily recommended.
vanessa pannuti
Supporter
I think it depends on the place of work. I am a cook in a pub, it is in the outskirts of London, a family pub with a lot of children, moderate drinkers and very reasonable prices. I worked in other catering outlets, from residential elderly care homes where the vulnerable are mistreated to newspaper media group staff canteens in a sort of vain glossy environments and it was unbearable. The employees of a company must share its same values and support its same work ethics; so it is very important to choose the right place of work. It is important to focus in building relathionships with your colleagues as well, who are working with you long hours every day. It is not the best job, but I think it is possible to find a work placement that is suitable for the employee.
Joseph Barnett
Supporter
Absolutely no, nor should a Christian enter a bar! We are not to be a stumbling block, if a weak Christian for example saw you working as a bartender, knowing you claimed to be a Christian, they would be led to believe drinking was okay. There are at least 75 scriptures in the Bible condemning alcohol. Some Christians will refer to Jesus turning the water into “wine” at the wedding in Cana (John 2), as an excuse to drink. Jesus did NOT turn the water at the wedding in Cana into alcoholic wine! The six water pots held between two and three firkins, one firkin was equal to about nine gallons. If the wine that was already consumed was alcoholic, would Jesus really have created well over a hundred more gallons of alcohol? He would not have been sinless, had He done so (Proverbs 20:1, 21:17, Isaiah 5:11, Habakkuk 2:15, Ephesians 5:18). The original Greek word used for wine could mean fermented, or non-fermented. New wine is grape juice, found in the cluster (Isaiah 65:8).
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