Page "Church of the Nazarene" Paragraph 52

Throughout its history, the Church of the Nazarene has maintained a stance supporting total abstinence from alcohol and any other intoxicant, including cigarettes.

Primary Nazarene founder Bresee was active in the Prohibition cause.

Although this continues to be debated, the position remains in the church.

While the church does not consider alcohol itself to be the cause of sin, it recognizes that intoxication and the like are a ' danger ' to many people, both physically and spiritually.

Historically, the Nazarene Church was founded in order to help the poor.

Alcohol, gambling and the like, and their addictions, were cited as things that kept people poor.

So in order to help the poor, as well as everyone else, Nazarenes have traditionally abstained from those things.

Also, a person who is meant to serve an example to others should avoid the use of them, in order not to cause others to stray from their ' walk with God ,' as that is considered a sin for both parties.