At least he was honest enough to admit it. “I have a real problem with Jesus on this one.”

I had just shown a clip from our upcoming documentary film When God Left the Building, which shows a Christian police officer who wants to start an outreach in a local pub.

After viewing the clip, this man approached me and shared his discomfort with Christians who would allow themselves to be seen in or near a bar. “What kind of witness is that?” he asked. “Especially when the Bible is so clear about the evils of alcohol.”

I reminded him that Jesus faced criticism for hanging out with those whom the religious establishment looked down upon. “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'”

“I know,” he said. “And that bothers me.”

He told me how alcohol is the root of “all of society’s problems.” He said he seizes every opportunity to condemn those who drink. “We are called to confront sin whenever we see it,” he said. “And that policeman is not helping the cause.”

Before I could remind this man of Jesus’ first miracle, he brought it up. “I know Jesus turned water into wine,” he said. “That’s always bothered me.”

I asked, “If Jesus were standing right here, what would you say to him?”

He said, “I’d ask him, ‘What were you thinking?!'”

Things haven’t changed much since Jesus’ time. Some religious folk still seem to find delicious delight in one-upping Jesus when it comes to delivering judgment.