Religion and alcohol seems to be a forbidden combination. It would be wrong to spill beer on the verse John 3:16 in your Bible or to try your now-justified “did it hurt when you fell from heaven” pick-up line on a cute Christian girl. Wouldn’t it be?
The members of Penn State’s Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) don’t seem to see a problem with it. They have been holding Sunday service at night in Phyrst Bar for over a year. For one hour, Pastor Jeremiah Kingshipp shares the Word of God while members steadily get drunk. The atmosphere is much more laid-back and relaxed than those traditional, organized services held in churches. This may very well be the reason why college students are more willing to give the church in a bar a try than church in a … well, church.
Of course, no one can talk about religion without critics. Someone must have been offended by the mixture of the Bible and beer, but to Pastor Kingshipp, it doesn’t matter. “Is this going to offend them? To be honest, I don’t care,” Kingshipp said. “I know there’s always going to be an issue with alcohol. But I’m trying to teach balance and moderation, acceptable versus beneficial behavior.” Ah, progressive thinking.
Many people may have a problem with this. Christians may disapprove of using the Word of God under the influence of alcohol. Creeps and sluts also may disapprove of religion crowding their favorite bars. It would definitely be harder for a pervert to slip a roofie in some girl’s drink with a pastor in the corner reciting verses or for girls to dance salaciously on bar counters while a prayer is taking place. However, if you are doing those things on a Sunday night, maybe it’s time to take a break from the bottle and try something else, like AA meetings.
I can understand how people can get a little anxious if religious sermons held in bars become the norm. It would take away a major social setting where people can act like drunken idiots without being criticized. It’s bad enough we have to take the subway and listen to some subway car pastor telling us we’re all going to hell because we support consumerism. However, as long as services are limited to Sunday nights and in certain bars, I don’t see why church in a bar can’t go on.
Religion is always controversial. More people have died in the name of God than for any other cause. It seems to me that this is all caused by the mutual fear of death. The thought of merely disappearing after your time has come is unacceptable for many people. Our “superior human intellect” renders us incapable of accepting death as the final outcome. Religion makes it easier to cope. Eternal happiness, 72 virgins or living in “Thug’s Mansion,” whatever you think you deserve in heaven: it is so much easier to believe in life after death than to simply not exist anymore. To me, religion is a cop out, but a justified one. Religion can help you cope with dying, but sometimes it can also prevent you from living.