Yulia Sharakina Theo 216April 1, 2015

Alcohol abuse and domestic violence as the major threats to the society. Domestic violence is one of the many topics that has so much writings and discussions about that even the

Church seems to be the most concerned regarding such things as advocacy of people's rights, human dignity,

and Justice.

Any form of violence is impermissible since it is considered to be one of the seven sins - is the rupture with

God: “The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence” (Psalm 11:5).

However, Christians during the whole history embraced violence as a mean to reach certain goal; authorities

when pursuing conquests and new territories used crusades, wars, support of slavery, violence against Jews and

forced conversions. Holy War, for instance, has been used as justification of genocidal behavior. Despite that

controversy between religion and violence, Biblical teachings advocate peace, love, and compassion.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say

to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your

Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on

the just and on the unjust…” (Matthew 5:43-48).

For instance, violence, aggression, and alcoholism come to be the same -life threatening and hazardous

conducts that poison the individual’s soul darkening it with sin and expanding its evil all over the earth –it

pollutes the hearts of the peoples. Formerly, my position is to cite a case in point when, based on published

studies on “Epidemiological issues in alcohol related violence” (Roizen) alcohol-violence relationship brings

both cultural and social challenges affecting the core of our society -the family. Violence means destruction,

wars, coercion and anger among people and nations. It brings suffering and injustices into our lives. The burn

falls then on the society as a whole.

Throughout the paper I will chiefly focus on domestic violence, since the family is the starting point of any

societal behavioral and cultural development. Which are the drivers that induce to alcohol abuse and the

following consequences? How we can help to reduce a drinking pattern?

Likewise, I would discuss a situation with alcohol abuse nowadays, which is highly related to the rise of violent

acts. It is quite interesting to see the different governmental roles in different countries in respect to alcohol

policies, and what the Church says about the consumption of alcoholic beverages as well.

Violence has an impact on society as a whole, and that's why I believe we need a more careful research on that

issue and, namely; which are those roots that lead to the spread of violence nowadays? For instance, we find

that violence is highly and positively correlated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Medically speaking, the alcohol consumption has injurious effects on human body. A person who used to drink

alcohol in high quantities at a daily rates may develop several diseases and physical threats (i.e. chronic

intoxication, or even cancer). A person involved in heavy-drinking also faces with psychological repercussions

– when being under alcohol effects a man is unable to think rationally, which may contribute to personality

disorder and a subsequent aggression.

According to the World Health Organization, alcohol consumption, and especially in dangerous quantities, is a

major contributor to the occurrence of violent behaviors, which is also linked, not only to the physical harm, but

sexual and even psychological trauma at social level. Personally I am very concerned about the magnitude of

alcohol-related violence spreads; there are evidences pointing out that one of the problems of hard drinking

increases risk of victimization, aggressive behavior, personality disorders that may lead to suicide and

depression, and chiefly it may affect relations within a family. Children who see constant violent performances

between their parents are more likely to develop those psychological traumas I mentioned before, and may

develop delinquent behaviors during their childhood as well. Children are under risk of acquiring same

destructive patterns as their parents in the future: They grew up, make their own families and spread this seed of

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violence everywhere, so that the whole society results affected. . In Russia, up to 40% of all serious violent

crimes are committed within families. And, every year, about 14000 women are killed by their husbands or

other relatives (BBC News). Still, abusive men may take a text from the Bible and distort it to support their

right to batter. They often use Ephesians 5:22 (“Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord”)

to justify their behavior.

Actually, in Russia we face with a relatively high rate of alcoholism and, therefore, domestic violence and

children abuse. Basically big part of the income of an average household is going towards cigarettes and alcohol

purchases; in 2013 reporting about 61.5 million dollars, that’s 5.8%, being the world's average 1.5%. Russia is

also one of the leading countries in the world in rates of the consumption of alcohol; between 14 and 18 liters

per capita of alcohol per day (Blocker, 16). We have about 1.5 million people suffering from dipsomania and

that’s more than 70% of our society that is involved in heavy drinking process.

Pure alcohol consumption among adults (age 15+) in liters per capita per year (2010),

based on WHO Global Status report on alcohol and health.

Regarding the situation in Russia, the state should reconsider a

free-alcohol policy about sale and manufacture of alcohol

beverages. Perhaps, we should start restricting the extent of

alcohol among the young population, since there is a lowering

of the age threshold in consumption of alcohol, and this is

happening on a global level not only Russia. For example, according to the OECD Health Data, in the top per

capita consumption level ranks Luxemburg (12.7 liters of pure alcohol per capita in 2010). Spain is in the 7th

position, being USA in the 22nd, as the alcohol consumption in the States dropped 23% per capita since 1990.

The abstention of alcohol on US is much lower than in any of the Western countries, and we can explain it

because of the attitudes Americans had in the past –during the strong temperance movement during the 1800´s.

US also have strong alcohol policies that prohibit consumption for people under age, high taxes advertisement

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Country total beer wine others

Belarus 17.5 17.3% 5.2% 30.9%

Russia 15.1 37.6% 11.4% 0

United States

9.2 50% 17.3% 0

Spain 11.2 49.7% 20.1% 1.8%

restriction, and legal blood alcohol limit in traffic. There are also some municipalities that still maintain the

"dry" policies that forbid the sale of alcohol beverages as a whole; millions of Americans who currently support

the concept of prohibition (Handson J).

According to ARDI application, from 2006–2010 there were approximately 88,000 deaths annually attributable

to excessive alcohol use. In fact, “excessive alcohol use is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death for

people in the United States each year. Excessive alcohol consumption cost the United States $223.5 billion in

2006. This amounts to about $1.90 per drink, or about $746 per person” (CDC). Evidence also indicates that

alcohol plays a significant role in the amount of crime committed by people under the age of 18 (IAS). The

National Probation Service advises offenders that ‘alcohol is a factor related to a lot of crimes including many

assaults, murder and rape cases (between 50 and 80%).

In addition, the costs due to excessive drinking largely resulted from losses in workplace productivity (72% of

the total cost). Impact Assessment paper on minimum pricing calculated lost productivity due to alcohol in the

UK at about £7.3bn per year (IAS). But, the greatest cost is one of the health care expenses, (11%) (CDC); how

many people result hospitalized, not just due to alcohol intoxication, but because they become victims of

violence, crimes, car crash disasters, or psychological traumas.

Consumption of beer increased dramatically over the past fifteen years. Global beer consumption amounted to

187.37 million kiloliters in 2012 up 1.0% from the previous year (Kirin Holdings Co).

In Spain, for instance, If you decide take a walk over Grand Via you would see bars crowded by people taking

their daily portion of Mahou with some tortilla, and many of them are teenagers between 14-18 years old. What

we can say is that the mentality has changed; children began to drink with low ages which contributes to the

development of a unhealthy habit; if today an average teenager drinks only a couple of beers when going out on

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weekends, we expect his consumption rate increase over time, until that child reaches a regular use of alcohol.

One of the main reasons is the aggressive promotion of alcohol beverages, cigarettes, energy drink, and so on.

Alcohol is one of the most significant ‘fast moving consumer goods’ (FMCGs) marketed today, with the global

estimate approximating $1 trillion. We see alcohol advertisement on TV, online networks as Facebook, thought

different sponsorships... So it is not strange that children encouraged by this trend of drinking start consuming at

early age. It looks like something intentional that moves teenagers towards “the hard stuff”. In the case of

Russia, the country itself is acting as a driver to the consumption of alcohol and, therefore, is the one that must

take action to stop it. We are asking the state itself to develop anti-alcohol programs. But, for example in

Russia, there is not any existing policy concerning alcohol, and that’s because there is no governmental

monopoly on the production and sell of alcohol beverages; all the business is in hands of private firms, and they

receive huge benefits from supply of alcohol. So I believe that the Russian government should intervene in

alcohol commerce because we are talking about the welfare of the whole nation!

Another solution I see is that to provide a required education inside the family and the public institutions

(schools), in order to inform both adults and children about the risks of consuming alcohol. Actually, in Spain

already exist many organizations founded by both the state and private sectors that fight against alcohol.

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Representatives from anti-alcohol and anti-drug institutions such as Fundacion de Cooperacion Juvenil San

Miguel visits every school and college and give speeches on alcohol dependency.

The Bible discourages the consumption of alcohol as well; many of its passages refer to the "drunkenness" as

one of the big sins that is mentioned about seventeen times in the Scriptures (Easton's Bible Dictionary).

Perhaps, Christian views vary; there are small religious groups who allow a moderate consumption of alcohol

beverages, as they see wine as a gift from God, which constitutes the center of many rites such as the Eurachist

(Christian rite).

In general, alcohol is prohibited for Jews and Christians. The Muslim Law that does so is based on the Qur’an:

“O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, altars and arrows of chance are afflictions which are the work of the

devil; you shall stay away from him, that you may succeed” [5:90]. Thus, they perceive alcohol as something

evil and destructive. For example, the Mossaic Law neither allows the consumption of fermented beverages

during the Passover feast (Exodus 12:15) Although, there are still many Muslims, Jews, and Christians, who are

indulged in drinking alcohol because they believe that there is noting wrong in drinking just a little bit

(moderate quantities). They support the claim by stating that, in the Gospel, the consumption of wine was

approved by Jesus Christ; in the parable of new wine skins and old wine (“eating and drinking”). So basically

people find justification for their drinking in the example of Jesus Christ and his teachings. For example,

alcohol appears in “the wedding Cana”, when Jesus shows a miracle when he converts water into wine (John

2:10,11). “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor win…” (John

2:10, RSV), in this sentence there is no reference to intoxicating effects –and the term “to be drunk” should be

regarded as “to be satisfied”, so each person should reach his mean, kind of self-control, in order to not reach

that extreme of drunkenness.

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On the other hand, Moderationists see Christ’s allusions to wine as a sign of approval to moderate consumption

of alcohol. In the Bible alcohol is mentioned as “juice of the grape” that is approved when used reasonably.

However, some reasons why the Scripture condemns the consumption of alcohol is that it deforms (deviates

from the standard form) man’s perception of reality, damages capacity of reason and making moral decisions,

and it also causes physical sickness and disqualify people from doing their job (Lev 10:9-11).

Typical was the Methodists condemn of alcohol as they saw it as something degrading since in the estate of

being drunk people can thing rationally, even act as 'human beings', as alcohol leads to hostility. Methodists

said that alcohol is "a clouder to mind that make us to be easy-going good fellowship, and an obstacle to self-

improvement" (McLeod, 41).

Briefly, those Christians groups who were opposed to alcohol consumption we call Protestants, being

Methodists another religious religion brunch with a more liberal views about race, ideology and gender.

American Methodism developed in England in early 18th century, during the pick of the Industrial revolution

characterized by industrialization. That period were characterized by high level of poverty, crime, economic

disruptions, and wars, yet the alcohol was considered to be a contributor to the social decline. And it was John

Mesley who called for temperance movement by forbidding excessive use of alcohol, asking people to find their

mean and look for moderance in all the things including alcohol consumption. For instance, one of the Biblical

proverbs says:"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts"

(Proverbs 31:6). And by "heavy hearts" it refers to those people who have that notion of moderance and know

where is their mean. I see it quite interesting that the alcohol issue came to use from many centuries ago, for

instance, "the virtue of temperance" is actually a Greek philosophy. It was Aristotle who talked about the virtue

many times in his writings, referring to it as a mean between two vices. St Augustine also did so.

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Nevertheless, temperance can be seen as a step towards emancipation of society, claiming for their rights and

for a moral reform that would set down the privileges of certain groups and create an egalitarian society that

everyone was looking for. In Spain, an alternative to Marxist reformists, "libertarian socialism" emerged in

Europe as the strongest ideology among the working class groups (46), which gave people a chance to proclaim

their liberty and rights for education. The problem, from the totalitarian government point of view, is that an

intelligent individual can be dangerous in terms of revolution; especially in that society where major powers

look for total control. Critical thinking about the world and the reevaluation of one’s current situation make us

seek for better living conditions, the desire of changing society starts to flourish in our hearts.

Hence, people can only think rationally when they are completely conscious and sane, thought "drunkenness"

deprives us from that, and that’s why those Protestant branches like Marxists and Methodists were so opposed

to drunkenness.

Alcohol abuse is one of the main concerns of the Catholic Church because it harms the basic unit of our society:

family, which has a special position in CST. As Aristotle said, a man is a social animal who needs other people

presence, communication and interconnection with other human beings to be happy. And every nation is

composed by groups of communities and, In turn, these communities rest on families. The family comes to be

the heart of every society because that’s where an individual starts to develop his identity as citizen. In a family

is where children learn about themselves and discover their vacations within the social world. Family is the first

place where people encounter God (Massaro, 102) as children use to identify God with their parents, and they

are who also teach their children to moral values, so they contribute to their physical and mental formation.

Thus, if a child grow up in a, lets say, Catholic family who shows all of those catholic values such as love, faith,

and solidarity -they set an example for their children.

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However, not all the families show the same respectable behavior. In fact, real life families face many

challenges such as worsen economic conditions, social and psychological problems. For example, alcohol abuse

is traced to the minimum wage concern: Parents feel they can’t do better so they start drinking, as they do not

see any hope in improving their situation. Then, any hitch or challenging living condition can serve as a driver

to the domestic violence, which leads to the rupture of family ties.

As mentioned before, a family is the core of every society, so the disfigurement of a family contributes to the

disfigurement of all the communities. I think that this could explain the disconnect that exists among people,

even among nations. And such separation was preeminent throughout the human history and not only today.

How we can love our neighbors, be solidary with people, if we are not able to be solidary with those who truly

love us–our family?

The well being of whole communities depend on healthy families, thus, the issue of alcohol abuse should be

regarded further by both religious and political institutions as they are the only ones capable of major changes.

One of the Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching is “Call to family, community, and participation”,

that’s about alcohol and drug addiction, compulsive behavior, and domestic violence and abuse; and it invites

all of us to deal with that issues for the good of the society. “The Church societal teaching proposes principles

for reflection; it provides criteria judgment; it gives guidelines for action” (The seventh commandment, 2423)

The Bishop Banks about alcohol abuse: according to the Scripture and the practice of Church alcohol is

considered as a gift of God, but they also see it as a threat when exceeding the norm. St. Paul opposes the

drunkenness and calls for self-control, which is the essence of the scriptures: “to live sober, upright and godly

lives in this world" (Titus 2, 12). "The guidance that the Church offers in regard to the use of alcohol is the

virtue of temperance, which is not to be confused with the temperance movement of a century ago" (New

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Catholics). In this context temperance refers to the control of ones desire of drinking, so it is a voluntary choose

for absence for certain period of time. By this we cultivate our virtue that is the ultimate work of the Scriptures.

Hence, the response of the Diocese of Green Bay is to "alert our brothers and sisters to the problem of alcohol

abuse and to work together to lessen the societal pressure to use and abuse alcohol", and this by; encouraging

alcohol free policies, educate about dangers of alcohol abuse at workshops and educational institutions,

trainings and different programs concerning that subject, special centers to assist alcoholics to recovery.

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Work Cited

Massaro, Thomas. Living Justice: Catholic Social Teaching in Action. Franklin, WI: Rowman&Littlefield,

2011. Print.

"The Church Responds to Domestic Violence." When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic

Violence Against Women. Proc. of When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against

Women. USCCB, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.

"Diocese: Alcohol Abuse Information Page." The Church's Teaching on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol. Catholic

Diocese Green Bay, 2002. Web. 07 Feb. 2015.

Larsen, M.L., and M. Hilden. "Sexual Assault: A Descriptive Study of 2500 Female Victims over a 10-year

Period." An International Journal of Obstetrics&Gynaecology 122.4 (2015): 577-84. Wiley Online Library.

John Willey&Sons. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.

Philipov, Alexandr. "The Church against Alcohol Abuse." Pravmir. Православие и Мир, 02 Mar. 2009. Web.

10 Feb. 2015.

Nemtsov, Alexandr. A Contemporary History of Alcohol in Russia. Huddinge: Södertörns Högskola, 2011.

Soderton University. Web. 7 Feb. 2015

Blocker, Jack S. "Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History." Google Books. AC-CLIO, n.d. Web. 07 Feb.

2015.

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333

USA. Prevalence of FASDs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.

"The Silent Nightmare of Domestic Violence in Russia." BBC News. N.p., 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

"Diocese: Alcohol Abuse Information Page." Diocese: Alcohol Abuse Information Page. Diocese Green Bay,

n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

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