ALCOHOL USE IS NO LONGER A MORAL ISSUE

Temperance is not a term that we hear or use much in the 21^st century.  But 175 years ago, it was a highly recognized word in American culture.  Around 1850, there was a moral debate going on that ended up focusing on the evils associated with the use of alcohol. 

A poem was published along with a woodcut of a swell-headed, bottle-toting gentleman:

How could I ever think to wed

A man who’s always drunken;

Who really has so large a head,

It looks like a ripe pumpkin.

The woodcut included the words: “Choose for yourselves men: the bottle or a bride.”

Remarkably, in 1851, Maine lawmakers declared the entire state of Maine “dry.”

By 1874, a group of women formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union [WCTU], advocating total abstinence from alcohol because of its destructive effects on health and family life. 

In the early twentieth century the Prohibition Party had been formed to make an impact on the country’s politics.

SIDEBAR:

My mother was a member of the WCTU and the Prohibition Party.  She would not drink a beverage from a glass that in any way resembled a wine glass. 

I recall an election year when she was denied the privilege of voting because she was not Democrat or Republican, but a member of the Prohibition Party.  She went to the judge on duty at the courthouse in Beaver, PA and he ruled her eligible to vote!  

She had strong convictions opposing the use of alcohol and made no attempt to hide them.  For a humorous story about my mom and dad, see my bog article:  https://hal-lelujah.blogspot.com/2011/12/egg-nog.html

 THE END OF PROHIBITION

 “By the 1930s, it was clear that Prohibition had become a public policy failure. The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had done little to curb the sale, production and consumption of intoxicating liquors. And while organized crime flourished, tax revenues withered. With the United States stuck in the throes of the Great Depression, money trumped morals, and the federal government turned to alcohol to quench its thirst for desperately needed tax money and put an estimated half-million Americans back to work.”  [https://www.history.com/news/the-night-prohibition-ended]

In February 1933, Congress easily passed a proposed 21st Amendment that would repeal the 18th Amendment, which legalized national Prohibition.  For the first time in American history, a Constitutional amendment had been repealed!  On December 5, 1933, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Utah were the last three states to meet the necessary ratification process to repeal the amendment. 

“An hour later, with little pomp and circumstance, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation declaring the end of Prohibition while also admonishing the country to drink responsibly and not abuse ‘this return of individual freedom.’ ‘I trust in the good sense of the American people,’ the president said, ‘that they will not bring upon themselves the curse of excessive use of intoxicating liquors, to the detriment of health, morals and social integrity.’”  [Ibid.] 

A remarkable fact of irony is displayed in the fact that the well-known and highly effective group – Alcoholics Anonymous – was created just a year later in 1934.  By 1939 it published its groundbreaking book, ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.  In 1940, it opened its first headquarters in Lower Manhattan.  [https://www.columbusrecoverycenter.com/alcohol-addiction/history-of-aa/]

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THE COST OF EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL USE

According to a study by Ardu’ Recovery Center Today:
[https://www.ardurecoverycenter.com/economic-costs-of-excessive-alcohol-use/]

Excessive drinking takes a heavy economic toll across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2010 economic cost of alcohol abuse was $249 billion. 

Productivity losses and healthcare expenses account for 83% of the annual economic cost. While targeted policies offer the most effective means to alleviate financial stress, cost-benefit analyses consistently reveal that the costs of alcohol consumption outweigh any economic benefits.

A 2023 report from Harvard Medical School projected that the annual cost of treating alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) alone would more than double over the next two decades, increasing from $31 billion in 2022 to $66 billion in 2040.  

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This information is not frequently published although it is obviously readily available.  We continue to live in a country where – within legal age limits – the consumption of alcohol is a free choice.  The morality of this issue is now rarely addressed.

As families and individuals, we must deal with the consequences of our choices. 

ALCOHOL - "No thanks."

I was raised by Hazel Haire.  She was a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).  She was also one of the last members of the 'Prohibition' political party.  She was as strongly against the use of alcohol as anyone I have ever known.  I never asked her why she took this strong stand.  Had she seen the negative impact of alcohol in the life of someone she knew?  I'll probably never know for sure.  

My father was less vocal about alcohol, but he clearly saw no place for it in his life!  His story I do know.  His father had been known as the town drunk.  He reportedly squandered his money on alcohol, forcing my grandmother to take in other people's laundry to put food on the table for her five daughters and one son.  I've spoken before of how my Dad drove a stake in the ground and said:  "The negative impact of alcohol in this family STOPS HERE!"   [For a humorous story, read "Egg Nog" 12/28/11]

When I was about thirteen, a PK (not Promise Keeper, Preacher's Kid) friend took me up on the ball field at the Tri-State Campground and gave me my first beer.  It had been laying in the sun for hours and tasted horrible!  I took one sip and poured it out on the ground.  As I look back, I'm grateful that it was summer - if it had been winter, it might've changed my course...

I've never had a desire to drink alcohol or use drugs.  The few times I tasted alcohol, it tasted like cough medicine to me.  No thanks!  [One notable exception:  the night I drank three screwdrivers.  What can I say:  I love orange juice!  That night, Debbie declared that if I was a drinker, I'd be a 'happy drunk'.)

As a pastor in the Free Methodist Church, I've agreed to not use alcohol.  That commitment was important to me, and I've honored it.  

But, I've seen the damage of alcohol!  It (along with drugs) captured someone precious to me and led to a seven-year struggle to regain balance and sobriety.  Alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the death of someone I dearly loved.  I've had scores of parishoners who were caught in its grip;  I've tried to be a resource to them to reorder their lives.  Debbie and I have twice opened our home for an extended time, to individuals who were struggling to break away from substance abuse issues.  

I scratch my head when I see the changes that are taking place in the Christian community as I experience it.  Several decades ago, the position I hold was not unique.  Those who named Christ as Lord almost universally stood against the use of alcohol.  But, as Bob Dillon recorded, "the times they are a-changing'".  

Somewhere along the line, social drinking seems to have become acceptable.  

I acknowledge that this has always been a complicated discussion.  After all, Jesus created some great wine at the wedding of Cana!  Certain nationalities have for centuries included wine as an escort to their mealtime.  Science has declared the benefits of moderate use of certain forms of alcohol.  Red wine is purported to raise the level of HDL's in our blood (for a brief period, I drank four ounces of red wine every evening for this purpose, before going to bed.  I held my nose and gulped it down.  On a visit home, Travis found my bottle hidden in my study and carried it out announcing to everyone:  "Hey, Dad's been hiding hooch!")  Even the Bible reports that a little wine is good for the stomach  (I Timothy 5:23).  

I have no interest in returning to a legalistic day when all alcohol drinkers are declared "going to Hell".  

To the contrary, I recognize that sin has many forms that are far more subtle and damaging than drinking alcohol.  

The teaching I received was simple:  "If one drink can lead to alcoholism - then don't take that one drink!"  It made sense to me.  But that logic seems to have been set aside by many today.  

Those who compromise on this position may unintentionally send a message to their offspring that drinking is ok - or even good.  However, will their children have the wisdom of restraint?  Will they be able to avoid the strong addictive pull?  the ability to temporarily escape from life's stresses?  

I was in a situation recently, where the parents were lightly drinking, while in another room their children (some under the legal age) were taking it to a different level.  It troubled me...

It seems to me that the core teaching from scripture here would be based on two primary points:

1. As a follower of Christ, my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit!  (I Corinthians 6:19)     
2. As a follower of Christ, I am to honor Him above all!  (I Corinthians 10:31)  

These principles guide all of us in the ways we choose to live our lives.  I'll admit, my Mom was a bit overboard when it came to alcohol.  She wouldn't even drink from certain kinds of glasses because she thought it might be misconstrued by others.  But you have to appreciate her dedication...

So, how do we present Christ to our world?  What messages do we communicate?  This, I hope you see, is pervasive.  We've moved way beyond the topic of alcohol now.  

But as a committed follower of Christ, doesn't it make sense that I would scrutinize my life to try to bring it into conformity with His life and purpose?  I'd be thrilled if I could, by this article, get a few people to think more seriously about their "followership".  Part of the benefit I get from writing this blog is that it causes ME to think more seriously about MY "followership"!

     

EGG NOG

My Mom was a staunch believer in abstaining from drinking alcohol!  She was a member of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperence Union) and a registered member of the Prohibitionist Political Party. 

The reasoning I was taught - from an early age - was that if one drink can even possibly lead to alcoholism, then why run that risk?

My Dad worked part-time as the custodian (handy-man) for a local children's home throughout my childhood.  He would work eight hours in the mill and then a couple of hours at the children's home.  He was loved and appreciated there.

Every Christmas, Mrs. Hasselback - the director of the home - held an elaborate party for the board and primary financial supporters.  Our family was always included in this event. 

My Mom and I would sit quietly out-of-the-way, while my Dad moved about the crowd comfortably conversing with people. 

One year, the party featured egg nog, something that my father loved and didn't very often get.  As he refilled his cup and worked around the room, he seemed to grow louder and a bit more outgoing than usual.

My Mom told me to get a cup of egg nog and bring it to her.  She smelled it and sent me to my father with the message:  "Don't drink anymore egg nog!"

I think my Dad slept really well that night!