Booze and religion have very similar effects. They both make you stupid and they both make you see things that aren't there. Booze makes you see pink elephants which cannot be verifiably observed by people who are not under the influence of booze. Religion makes you see the Holy Trinity which cannot be verifiably observed by people who are not under the influence of religion.

The attitude of organized religion towards booze consumption appears to be largely dependent upon whether the religious leaders perceive the effects of booze to enhance the religious experience or to compete with it. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, all Christian denominations uniformly approved of unlimited booze consumption. In America, where the church had no political status and rather little social power, Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia began in 1785 to write treatises suggesting that booze might not always be an unmitigated benefit to humankind. In 1788 Thomas Trotter of Edinburgh, Scotland was excommunicated from the Church of England for expressing a similar view. In 1803 the church relented and recommunicated Thomas Trotter, who then in 1804 went on to write a book about the evils of booze. In 1808 several Christian denominations began opposing unlimited booze consumption, and by 1836 all Christian denominations were either insisting on total abstinence or strongly recommending great moderation.

My knowledge of other religions is severely limited. Most denominations of Islam, as far as I can tell, strongly oppose booze consumption. Most Jewish denominations approve of booze in moderation, although I have met several Jewish non-drinkers.

Since the dawn of recorded history, if not indeed earlier, drinking together has been regarded as a symbol of the highest form of friendship. Basically, booze makes you stupid, as though most of us aren't stupid enough already. By drinking with your friends, you are, in effect, saying, "Hey, I like you-all folks so well and I trust you so much that I'm willing to make myself stupid in front of you!" This sentiment may have been the original source of the use of wine at Holy Communion, although the quantity of wine actually imbibed in most church services today is much too small to have any detectable effect.

So, what's my own personal faith about booze, you ask? Well, I believe in Scotch. Now, if you're gonna drink decent Scotch, it's gonna cost you a bundle of money.

Johnny Walker Black is my favorite Scotch. It's a vigorously flavorful backslapping hearty brew, probably the favorite of the doughty crofters in the highlands.

Pinch is best known for its incredible smoothness. It's the favorite of those who like their Scotch straight up, no rocks.

Glen Livet is probably the world's most perfectly balanced Scotch. Great flavor, great bite, great smoothness, with no one feature dominating.

Chivas Regal is a rather pleasant Scotch but has a slightly annoying sugary off-taste that I find somewhat disappointing in a Scotch of its price.

There are a few medium priced Scotches that are pretty good too, especially for your second or third drink when you're getting so you can't much tell just what you're drinking anymore.

Johnny Walker Red is a nice strongly flavorful Scotch that lets you know you're still really drinking Scotch even in a mixed drink. It's definitely not a smooth Scotch and is a bit harsh for many tastes.

Dewars is an exceptionally good Scotch for its price. It's a nicely well-balanced Scotch with just about the best flavor and smoothness you'll find without paying a lot more.

Cutty Sark is a pretty good but rather undistinguished Scotch.

I don't know of any decent low-priced Scotches. If you wanna drink cheap, drink something else.

Sadly, our modern society has provided us with many occasions where drinking booze of any sort is very unwise. Like when you're gonna drive a 6-ton SUV for instance. If you're gonna drink and drive, give up one or the other, preferably driving. If you can't give up driving, give up drinking. If you get drunk and drive and run over a bicycle rider, you certainly had better hope that nobody like me is on jury duty.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Modern Drunkard Magazine
Moderation Management
AA Deprogramming
Rational Recovery