John MacArthur calls out the YRR.
If everything you know about Christian living came from blogs and websites in the young-and-restless district of the Reformed community, you might have the impression that beer is the principal symbol of Christian liberty.
For some who self-identify as āYoung, Restless, and Reformed,ā it seemsĀ beer is a more popular topic for study and discussion than the doctrine of predestination. TheyĀ devote whole websites to the celebration of brewed beverages. They earnestly assure one another āthat most good theological discussion has historically been done in pubs and drinking places.ā They thereforeĀ love to meet for āopen dialog on faith and cultureā wherever beer is servedāor better yet,Ā right at the brewery. The connoisseurs among themĀ serve their own brands and evenĀ offer lessons in how to make home brew.
Itās clear that beer-loving passion isĀ a prominent badge of identity for many in the YRR movement. Apparentlybeer is also an essential element in the missional strategy. Mixing booze with ministry is often touted as anecessary means of penetrating western youth culture, and conversely,Ā abstinence is deemed a āsinā to be repented of.
After all, in a culture whereĀ cool is everything, what could be a better lubricant for oneās testimony than a frosty pint?
Of course, beer is by no means the only token of cultural savvy frequently associated with young-and-restless religion. All kinds of activities deemed vices by mothers everywhere have been adopted as badges of Calvinist identity and thus āredeemedā: tobacco, tattoos, gambling, mixed martial arts, profane language, and lots of explicit talk about sex.