FACING TOMORROW

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 10, 1 January 1953, Page 2

FACING TOMORROW

By REV. H. M. WHELLER (Australian Temperance Advocate)

“Facing Tomorrow” is a good title and 1 like it. It means we are in the fight against liquor and we intend to stay in it. We may say of the great Temperance movement “There’s no discharge in this war.” We shall go right on and when we have finished, others will take up the Cause and press the enemy wherever they can. The hquor trade has immense financial resources and may be regarded as probably the most wealthy concern in Australia. Then there are its resources in the established customs of the day. \\ hether we like it or not we have to recognize that in campaigning for liquor reform we are fighting not only against the trade itself but also against a firmly entrenched social custom which has developed somewhat over the last few' years. A community such as Australia can hardly go through two world wars—with collapse of moral standards over large sections of the community and with the increase of drinking in the Army—and still expect a return to the position which prevailed before 1914.

Social Drinking There has been a marked increase in the custom of social drinking. Many homes, which a few years ago would have regarded it as utterly unthinkable to have liquor associated with a wedding, now regard it as quite the proper thing. In their desire to be “It” in the social realm, many good people have swallowed this doctrine. Even more deplorable, liquor is often used at christening functions.

W hether we like it or not, these social customs are to be regarded as assets cf the trade. Apart from social drinking, the trade finds another asset in the hold which liquor has upon the human system —something which we find very difficult to overcome and which the trade finds easy to exploit. This is an asset which the liquor people know how to exploit and to glamourise—and they are glamourising it in a very effective way.

One of the finest assets the liquor trade has is the indifference of so many good people to ai evil which does not touch them directly in ai > shape, or form. Evil asks only one thing of men and women like ourselves —it asks to be let alone. This is the most subtle temptation which can come to a good man or woman. Evil makes the very specious appeal: “We don’t interfere with you, we don’t embarrass you, we allow you to go on your w’ay.” It’s an appeal to a certain generous strain in human nature. It’s very easy for a mar. to say: “I live my life and be lives his, why should I interfere with his life.”

Another asset of the trade is the tragic condition of its victims. These people are quite unable to do anything themselves to resist the trade, and are thrown on the scrap-heap, of very little value to society and certainly no value from the point of view of moral reform save by way of tragic example. Liquor paralyses a man so that be can’t hit back.

Now to look at our assets. From a financial point of view*, the Temperance forces are not, of course, anything near as strong as the liquor trade

Nevertheless, I am persuaded that there are financial resources which ought to be made available, and which under ceitain conditions I am persuaded will be made available. I believe that if we can awaken the conscience of people, large sums of money would be available for constructive and creative work in the temperance movement. Then our resources arc not only in money. They are in the realms of Faith. After all, art we not engaged in this work because we believe it’s right for us to bo in it ?

We who light these battles arc again and again driven back to the fundamentals of Christianity. Its the will of God to do everything to hinder those things which are spoiling human nature. Once a man believes that what lie is fighting for is right, resources swell up within him, and they are resources which cannot be got in banks. Spiritual Power

1 believe that when the liquor traffic is over* thrown, it will be overthrown through a great uprush of spiritual power in the souls of men and women everywhere. Our resources are in God and in our Faith, and in the belief that there’s nothing beyond the power of the Grace of God. Therefore, we continue the fight counting up our resources. And we tave to try and stir men and women out of the lethargy which allows them to leave evil alone. So many good people are fast asleep and evil goes on its way unchallenged, rejoicing in its prosperity, caring not that men and women are going to hell as the price of its prosperity. As sure as day follows night this wave of paganism will defeat itself. People will turn away from it in disgust and out of the turmoil will come a quickening of human spirit, and the outraged consciences of humanity will find some means of expressing itself and defeating the liquor trade.