Debbie you asked me a few questions: "1)which of Ellen Whites writings are inspirational and which are not?
2) And of those that are, do you feel they are less inspired than the prophets writings in the Bible?"

ah Debbie you try to trap me ( )
Answer 1) Those that were written with the intent of "inspired council" would be inspirational. The writtings that we (SDA) have taken from her private council to individuals on unique settings,would be questioned. In all any writting be it from EGW or another source, needs to be weighed by scripture to validate its use as prophetic.
2)Of those that "are" of course they are as "as inspired" as those of the Bible...

NOW this does not address the question of What About Social Drinking? So, here is a slant "how is it that we blacklist wine, but not soda pop? There have been many studies that show 1 glass of Soda Pop is more harmful than 1 glass of 5% Beer. What gives? If we see an SDA drinking a Mountain Dew most times we to would want a glass, and if not there would be few that would cast judgement upon him BUT: If he were to have 1 glass of beer we would send the Elders to "educate" him. Just a thought...

Jam 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

I am sure there will be those who will now say that those who smoke and drink do not know that those things are not good. There will always be people who like to make excuses for anything. Look at Adam and Eve. They started right away making excuses for their sin.

That verse is clear enough to me Avalee. I think it is wrong to drink, and wrong to smoke (anything), so this would be sinning against God. Thank you for that verse
God Bless,
Will

it is wrong to drive above the posted speed limits. It is wrong to: not wear a seat belt: not get enough sleep, to get angry, to eat too much, to eat sweets, to burp and not say "excuse et moi": to swim after dark, to drink a coffee, to stare at the sun, to sit too close to the TV, to do...
So it seems that we as SDA Christians have a list of don'ts and a list of do's:
I "DO" thank God that it is not by my checking this "check list" that will give me access to eternal life but it is only through the Blood of Jesus. Yes we must take care of the temple (our bodies) but our outward appearence is not the key to salvation...

That's right Daniel, it is only through Jesus Christ that we are saved.

God Bless,
Will

as we understand further what and how we should live, we all make life choices. YES it is best to not drink or eat harmful items, as well it is best to not look upon the evils that present themself in this world. ie: pornography, glutany, greed, etc... so I agree with you Will, we should not drink alcohol at all, abstanence (sp) is the best. BUT is it scriptural to abstain? I am not looking for a "loophole" to become a "social drinker" BUT at the same time, if I teach my brother that drinking is a sin, and forbidden how can I stand alone on the word of God with this? The point I am looking at is twofold. 1) Drunkenness is an abomination before the Lord. YES! We have many examples that state that to be Drunk is truly a sin before God.
2) to drink wine (fermented) Frigidaire did not make the wonderful high tech Refrigerators that we have in North America today. So for long term storage they would put the wine (grape juice) in skins or jars, and yes the juice would ferment. Was this juice now "unclean" to use? The text that says not to look upon the wine as it "swirls" or moves in the cup is 100% true, the point is at what point does wine swirl or move in the cup? If you take a glass of wine and a glass of Welch's Grape juice, there is no difference to your eye. If you have 3 or 4 glasses of wine, when you look upon the 4th or 5th glass you will no doubt see the wine swirl or move in the glass. This shows me that scripture is true to itself and to us by being consistent in that we are to not become intoxicated (drunk).
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks!

There were lots of posts on a daily basis here, until my last post. Does anyone have a response, thought or concern to add?
CHEERS

Daniel, I am familiar with the arguments for and against drinking alcohol. I am convinced alcohol is a sin. Here's why: one sip is enough to impair our judgment and our ability to recognize and resist sin, self and Satan. I am unwilling to give our Enemy even the slightest advantage because, like you, I am determined to fight the good fight of faith, and I need all the juice I can muster. That's what I tell my non-Christian friends who ask me about alcohol, and they seem to be satisfied with that answer.

Excellent statement Mike! I for one am going to enjoy a nice tall iced glass of Welch's Grape juice and toast this last post!
Cheers!

Right on! But having said all that, I am not so sure that taking a sip of alcohol is the same as sinning. Alcohol may be a sin, but sin and sinning are two different issues. Getting hammered, no doubt, is sinning. But there is a difference between one sip and dumb drunk.

Like we agreed upon, one sip is too much for us. We are unwilling to give Satan even the slightest advantage. But one sip of alcohol is no excuse for sinning. It may be the reason why we take our eyes off Jesus and commit a sin, but it does not count as an excuse for sinning.

The reason I mention this business of one sip of alcohol is because I have met people who refuse to use over the counter cough medicine for colds because they think it is a sin due to the slight alcohol content.

1. Is it a sin to use medicine if it contains trace amounts of alcohol?

2. Is it impossible to resist temptation if we use medicine that contains trace amounts of alcohol?