Underage Drinking

[qfnol31]

I live in Texas, where I can legally drink with my parents around. My question is, can I go to a party in the woods where everyone is drinking and have a drink myself, though I am underage? Assume I have parental consent to be there...

This is a question a few of my friends have begun to ponder. I say that it would be wrong just because it is unlawful for us to be there drinking and I think it's a just law.

Any thoughts or opinions?

[Guest Aluigi]

though my friends consider me a Catholic dork for adhering to this: (they're Catholic too) it is wrong to break a law unless it is done for greater moral reasons. you must respect those in authority over you, so you must strive to abide by any law so long as it is not unjust.

[MichaelFilo]

Underage drinking isn't morally wrong. Since however there is a law that says you shouldn't do it, then you shouldn't. Of course the exception is a greater moral good.

God bless,

Mikey

Edited September 28, 2004 by MichaelFilo

[qfnol31]

Why can't you do it if it's not morally wrong?

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Sep 27 2004, 09:51 PM'] Why can't you do it if it's not morally wrong? [/quote]
Because breaking the law of the authority over you (when there is not a moral reason to break it) is.

Sorry...

[StColette]

The law says that you can drink when you're around your parents, even with your parents' premission to be able to drink at some party or whatever that they aren't at is not obeying the law. As someone underage you would have to be around your parents to drink.

If you were caught drinking underage at some party and went "well, my parents gave me premisson" this would not hold up because the law does not say that you can drink underage if you have your parents premission. If it were legal to drink underage just with the premission of our parents and we were asked by a policeman if we were given premission, many kids would say they were given premission, even if they were not.

[qfnol31]

So by what's been said here, it's immoral to go against the law, correct?

[HomeTeamFamily]

sounds like it to me

[IcePrincessKRS]

Yeah, it would be wrong to go out in the woods and drink even if you did have parental consent.

I personally think its a good idea to allow your kids to have a glass of wine with a family dinner or for a special occasion every now and then. From the families I've seen who practice this the kids have a greater appreciation and less of a tendancy to go hog wild once they are old enough.

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Sep 28 2004, 12:06 AM'] So by what's been said here, it's immoral to go against the law, correct?  [/quote]
It depends on the law. If the law itself is immoral then it wouldn't be immoral to break it. Thats not the case with legal drinking age though.

Edit: lol I'm a dork, I said "if the law itself is immoral then it wouldn't be against the law to break it"... bah... I fixed it, now you can read what I really meant.

Edited September 28, 2004 by IcePrincessKRS

[Thy Geekdom Come]

Yes, it would be immoral.

I'm interested now in what the law says in Texas.

Here, I can legally drink in my own house, but can't buy alcohol and can't go outside with it (although I've technically broken that law once or twice with a wine cooler on New Year's...never been drunk, though...).

[Unas]

Alcohol should be banned.

[heyyoimjohnny]

I don't think underage drinking with parental consent is wrong. I don't believe any underage drinking is wrong in itself; however, people these days are dumb and overdrink all the time.
Alcohol does have a greater effect on smaller bodies, but the reason for the age 21 (or what have you) drinking laws are in hopes that when the person reaches this age, he or she will be resonsible enough to control their drinking. And even if this person can't control their drinking, they won't suffer the side effects as badly as they would if they were younger.

Overdrinking is wrong, but I don't think underage drinking in itself is wrong. But the laws are there, and its our duty to abide by them, unless (as it has been stated already) for a higher moral reason.

[p0lar_bear]

[quote name='Unas' date='Sep 28 2004, 03:57 AM'] Alcohol should be banned. [/quote]
Actually, I think the puritanical view many Americans have toward alcohol and the Temprence movement contribute to the tendency toward drunkeness. Because alcohol is presented as something bad instead of something to be respected, it becomes the forbidden fruit and is more likely to be abused.

Although I support laws limiting or banning alcohol for minors, I don't think a good case can be made for an outright ban on alcohol for everyone.

[1337 k4th0l1x0r]

The forbidden fruit analogy is all too true. In the college culture, it seems like if you're under 21 and get wasted everyday, it's somewhat. When you're over 21 and do that, you're an alcoholic.

If something is legal to do, then it's no longer 'cool.' Speeding, underage drinking, and underage smoking all have an appeal to people because they're illegal. Then again, all these things would still have some appeal even if they were legal.

[Guest JeffCR07]

[quote]I don't think underage drinking with parental consent is wrong. I don't believe any underage drinking is wrong in itself; however, people these days are dumb and overdrink all the time. [/quote]

Johnny, God Bless!

The question is not whether or not drunkenness is wrong, that is always a given under any circumstance. The issue is whether underage drinking AT ALL is wrong and indeed it is.

This is true because All authority was God's in the beginning, will be God's in the end, and truly is God's now. It is only by His Permissive Will that people in authority are able to exercise it.

Now, we understand that God's authority can be used by a person in a temporal position of authority in three ways. First, God's authority can be used by men in power in order to uphold the Divine Law and promote a life of sanctity and grace. Second, God's authority can be used by men in power to attempt to work against the Divine Law and to harm the life of sanctity and grace. Finally, God's authority can be used by men in power in a manner in which those subject to that authority are neither aided nor harmed in their spiritual life.

Now it is clear that in the first case, we must obey. It is also clear that in the second case those in power are attempting to use God's authority to contradict God's Law and to coerce those subject beneath them to do evil. In this case, because God's authority cannot rightly contradict God's Law, we are obligated NOT to obey.

In the third case, however, their is neither a moral good nor a moral bad, their is only the authority of God being wielded by a temporal body. Thus, the catholic is obligated to follow such authority (laws) out of respect for the Authority of God. It must, therefore, be understood that to [i]break[/i] these laws, which in themselves are not moral codes, is to show [i]disrespect[/i] to God's Authority. This is sin, and thus should be avoided.

In this manner, we see that it is indeed a sin to break any law whatsoever that does not attempt to force one to go against God's Law.

Because the law that dictates the drinking age as being 21 does not force a person to sin, it must be obeyed.

Also, just so you know, I'm 19, so this all applies to me. (I should also point out that it is just as much of a sin to knowingly speed, run a red light, etc).

- Your Brother In Christ, Jeff

[Sinner]

It ain't a good thing.

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='Unas' date='Sep 28 2004, 02:57 AM'] Alcohol should be banned. [/quote]
gimme a break.

Adhere to the laws of your country, state, etc. Even Jesus said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's. I think He was talking about tax money, but we can apply that to behavior...I think.

Edited September 29, 2004 by toledo_jesus

[BullnaChinaShop]

I have a question. If the state you live in doesn't allow anyone under 21 to have alcohol even with their own parents supervision, and as a parent you believe the best way to teach your kids about alcohol is to introduce it in small quantities to teach them respect and responsibility, is it still wrong to introduce your kids alcohol as they grow up. Where do you cross the line between obeying the law and preparing your kids to be responsible adults? I understand that following the law is part of how you would tech your kids to be responsible but what about when the law inhibits teaching other forms of responsibility?

[qfnol31]

If you in good conscience, sincerely feel it is unjust, then you have a duty to go against it.