The Christian Citizen Has Solemn Responsibility

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 6, 1 September 1952, Page 1

The Christian Citizen Has Solemn Responsibility

Writing in the “Baptist Tirris,” Mr. Cyril W. Black, J.l C.C., M.l\, chairman of the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union, says: “Never lias our country in time of peace faced so many grave problems as today. A consideration of our national position leads to the conclusion that the elimination of the drink evil would go far to solve many of our most pressing problems. “Down the years of our long history the sound homes of our people have been a foundation upon which our national greatness has been Duilt. We are witnessing today the spectacle on a truly alarming scale of broken homes, broken marriages and broken home life for countless children. The pitiful story of the divorce courts and the continuing increase in juvenile delinquency both testify eloquently that something is seriously wrong with the heart of Britain, and while it would be an over-simplification to suggest that all these nils have a common origin, Christian ministers, magistrates, social workers, and teachers, would all testify that insobriety is a big factor in many cases and that the elimination of the drink evil w >uld make a great contribution to the building of sounder homes, sounder marriages and sounder home life.

“Christian people will rejoice in the broad conceptions of a National Health Service in which medical and hospital treatment are available to all, irrespective of the patient’s ability to pay. To many, however, it must appear striking contradiction that a governmen’ n is willing to sponsor a comprehensive h service of such meat cost is at the san< time encouraging in many ways the growth of the drinking habit which is one of the greatest enemies of physical fitness. The testimony of medical men and scientists is clear and plain, that addiction to alcohol is harmful to the individual concerned to the greatest possible degree. No man or woman with any considerable experience of business or public affairs would be in any real difficulty in compiling a tragic list of personally known cases of men and women whose careers in business and public hfe have been blighted and prematurely terminated hv the drink habit.

I he greatest of our material problems, created by participation in two world wars in which we

have poured out our manhood and wealth, is to secure a largely increased volume of production whereby the needs of the home market can be more adequately met and we can greatly increase our exports, particularly to the dollar area. The heavy outlay on grain for brewing and distilling limits our ability to increase the food of the people, while indulgence in alcohol stands in the way of many of our people making their utmost efforts in the field of production ... . The re-building of our national greatness calls for a supreme effort by all, and in a severely competitive world we can no longer afford to dissipate our resources and undermine our moral fibre. Survival itself is at stake. “The Christian Church and Christian people lia\e a great and solemn responsibility at this hour to practise and advocate that sober and righteous way of life without which the British people can never again rise in their glory.”