I was raised in a "fundie" Baptist home with the kind of mentality that is being displayed by the opposition to this issue. I was told of the evils of alcohol and have heard countless sermons on the topic. What affect did it have on me.... Made me want to see what all the fuss was about! I never understood however and it was never made clear to me why "Wine" was so frequently mentioned in the Bible. Jesus turned water into Wine (and it's NOT grape juice like they lead to believe...fermentation occurs!). If this were the case, why the warnings against drunkenness and the abuse of wine in the Bible? How did the partakers of the Lord's table at the church of Corinth get drunk on grape juice? Why would Paul say, "Be not drunk with wine?" The Bible even says a little wine is good for the stomach.

So what does the Bible "REALLY" say about the topic:

There are 247 references to wine and strong drink in the Bible that can be divided into 3 broad categories: positive references, negative references, and neutral references. By far the most numerous type of references to wine in the Bible (58 references, 24%) are the casual/positive references to wine as an integral, commonly accepted part of the culture. No value judgment is attached to it, anymore than people in our culture would attach a value judgment to a choice of iced tea or Diet Coke with a meal. These references show that in the minds of the writers of the Bible, no stigma was associated with casual use of alcohol. Nowhere, in these references or elsewhere, is it even remotely suggested that it is considered a "sin".

A reference to wine in connection with Jesus comes in the form of a false accusation from Pharisees, recorded in Luke 7:33. Jesus maintains that the Pharisees wouldn't be satisfied regardless of what he did. John the Baptist had evidently taken a vow of abstinence and they had accused him of having a demon. Jesus evidently took no such vow, but ate and drank openly and freely, so they accused him of being a glutton and a drunkard. If Jesus was a prohibitionist, the charge of being a drunkard would have been too ridiculous for such astute twisters of the truth as the Pharisees to have advanced. Jesus evidently drank wine to the extent that his enemies thought they could discredit him by spreading rumors that he was a drunkard.

If Jesus were on this earth today he wouldn't be riding on the Church bus to the county commissioner meeting.... or based on their hypocrisy, attending any of the local Fannin County churches for that matter,

The Bible has several warnings against drunkenness, but only one caution against the responsible use of alcohol in celebration and with meals. That caution is to be careful, when you are in fellowship with Christians with a weaker conscience, that you don't cause a brother to stumble.

and in conclusion and I'm off my soap box....

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. Colossians 2:16

Some of the above information, which I found to be MOST appropriate for this topic was pasted from the following website:
http://www.wooga.drbacchus.com/bible/alcohol.html