"CONCERNING ALCOHOL"

Press, 29 May 1978, Page 14

"CONCERNING ALCOHOL"

Much has been said and recorded in our daily papers of recent days concerning alcohol. Three great facts are found in (Proverbs 20:1) "Wins is • mocker, strong drink is raging: And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise". Wine mocks its victims and strong drink makes them wild and boisterous — whosoever submits to its sense destroying powers is senseless. Yes, I know total abstinence cannot be proved from the Bible, but you can prove the wisdom of total abstinence from both the Bible and from human experience. In scripture the word wine is used of all kinds of drinks — even the grapejuice when it

is yet in, the cluster (Is. 65:8). Hence it does not always refer to intoxicating drinks. One of the saddest records of intoxicating drink occurs in the life of Noah. (Gen. 9:2021) A great man of God, his was the first vineyard, he was the first recorded drunken man. Noah lived over 300 years after this incident but sadly nothing worthwhile is recorded about his life after the drunken episode. Scripture forbids Priests to take wine (Lev. 10:9). It is not for Kings or Princes, lest they err in judgement (Prov. 31: 4-5) It is not for Christians lest we make a weaker brother stumble (Rom. 14:21) and be not

drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). Leaders are those who are not given to wine. (1 Tim. 3:3) (Titus 1:7) but teachers of good things (2:3). Yes intoxicating drink should be left completely alone in view of the fact that no drunkard shall inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10). Gordon Chilvers has written "While millions have regretted having tasted alcohol, no person will ever be sorry he rejected it". A convict composed the 'following poem:— The name of every saloon is "Bar", The fittest name by far;

A bar to heaven,’ a door to hell. A bar to manliness, a bar to wealth, A door to sorrow, grief and shame. A bar to hopes, a bar to prayer; A door to darkness and despair. Whoever named it named it well. If alcoholism is e disease, then it is the only disease that is bottled and sold. And it is the only disease that is contracted by the will of man. It is the only disease

that requires a- license to propagate it. It is the only disease that requires commercial outlets to spread it. It is the only disease that produces revenue for the government. It is the only disease that provokes crime. It is the only disease that is habit forming. It kills on the highways and is the only disease that is spread by advertising. It is .the only disease without a germ or virus as its cause. Maybe it’s* not a disease after all. Yes, alcohol kills the living end preserves the dead.