Hopefully, you’ve taken our first date advice and aren’t headed to the bar for your first encounter. Although not the focus of this article, it’s a good piece of initial advice for avoiding drinks on the first date. We got you covered the rest of the way here.
At this point, we feel it necessary to state that drinking alcohol is not a sin. Jesus certainly drank wine, and alcohol consumption was not treated as inherently sinful by Him or the Apostles. On the other hand, drunkenness is indeed sinful and should be avoided (1Cor. 6:10). This tends to be the theological reasoning behind most decisions to not drink alcohol.
Whatever your reason for being a teetotaler, we support totally support that decision. There are some really good reasons for abstaining from alcohol. As such, hopefully, this article will help you express those reasons and stay dry without seeming like a buzzkill.
List It on Your Dating Profile
Online dating has become the normative way of meeting people to date. There are even specific dating sites that cater to an audience of Christian singles. You might’ve known that already, but I bet you didn’t think it could help with this issue. If you play your cards right, there’s a chance that you’ll never have to broach this subject at all.
As you probably already know, most Christians who abstain from alcohol are seeking other Christians who are doing the same thing. Listing your preference against alcohol is a great way to get the message out about your intentional sobriety and find someone else who feels the same way. At the very least, you’ll find someone who respects your decision.
More than just other non-drinkers are also going to find this quality about you endearing. Listing your preference allows others who do drink alcohol to plan around your beliefs and avoid an awkward situation. When you set a standard upfront from the beginning, you’re less likely to have your convictions tested or teased by others.
How to Talk about Your Preference
Sometimes, a hard conversation is inevitable. How you handle these types of discussions makes all the difference. Let’s set you up with some tips for success.
Perhaps you’re at an establishment that serves alcohol and you’re offered a glass of wine (or other alcoholic beverage) by your date. Politely decline but have a backup choice ready immediately. Water is always a perfect choice if you need more time to decide on another beverage.
Don’t be afraid to take these types of moments as opportunities to express yourself and start a meaningful conversation. Simple phrases are always the best icebreakers for deep discussion. A fun statement like “I broke up with booze a while back” will almost always get a smile and invites an inquisitive response from your date.
Always be firm about your adherence to your beliefs. If you’re being peer pressured to drink after making clear your position, we strongly suggest you make a hard exit from the circumstances. It’s always an uncomfortable situation to be in, and their disregard for your feelings demonstrates a forboding lack of respect.
That being said, if you choose to date someone who does drink, it’s important to respect their choices too. If you feel a slight disappointment whenever they order a drink, it’s eventually going to influence your attitude. If you find yourself feeling this way often, we suggest only dating other non-drinkers.
Fun Alternatives to Drinking
Sometimes it’s not as simple as saying “I don’t want to drink” and making them decide what to do next. That’s not the best approach if you’re hoping to score another date with them. You might find yourself sorely disappointed when they don’t call you again.
It’s not their job to think of an alternative! If you veto their suggestion, you should be the one providing an alternative. There are plenty of ways to have fun without alcohol, and instead of going to the bar, we’ve taken the liberty of providing you with a few alternative suggestions below.
Walks in the Park
This is what we suggested in the article mentioned at the beginning of this one. You don’t see many people drinking alcohol while they walk long distances outside. It’s counterintuitive since drinking alcohol dehydrates the body. We recommend this activity for a first date, or if you haven’t had the talk about alcohol abstinence yet, then this is a good way to kick the can down the road for another date or so.
Ax Throwing
We love that this is a legal form of entertainment and not something your crazy ex did that one time. If you’ve ever imagined being a Viking in another life or just want to feel empowered for about an hour, this is the sport you’ve been waiting for. Chucking axes at targets is a lot of fun to do once you get the hang of it, but booze and sharp pointy objects don’t tend to produce insurance-friendly results. For that reason, these places typically frown on alcohol usage on their premises.
Shooting Range
If you thought ax throwing sounded extreme, welcome to the main event. Shooting isn’t for everybody, and we’ll leave it up to you for that decision. But as any episode of COPS will reveal, guns and booze don’t mix well. There’s no chance that any gun range officer will let alcohol on the premise during live gunfire.
Oxygen Bar
This gimmick is a fun one. It provides a “stimulant” that people come to partake of while being a great alternative to the traditional bar atmosphere. It’s an experience you both won’t soon forget, and if you overindulge, you’re just going to be really clear-headed for a while.