Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

WASHINGTON, D.C.Fe bruary 2-4, 1971Annual Council MeetingRev. Alvin W. Smith, Sr., D.D.Chairman, Synod's Temperance CommitteePresident, National Temperance and Prohibition CouncilThe writer attended this meeting of the NationalTemperance and Prohibition Council, representing theReformed Presbyterian Church in North America throughSynod's Temperance Committee.Readers should be interested to know that the NationalTemperance Council was organized in Columbus, Ohio, in1913, under the name of the "Council of 100" with theprimary object of promoting a general temperanceeducational movement.At its first meeting, a few weeks later, held inWashington, D.C, organization of the Council was completedby the adoption of By-laws and the name changed toNational Temperance Council. It later became the NationalTemperance and Prohibition Council. The 1957 revisedConstitution states:Object"The object of this organization shall be to afford amedium through which citizens and organized agenciesinterested in the promotion of Temperance and Prohibitionmay take counsel and formulate policies to encourageeducation on all phases of the drink problem, promotelegislative measures and governmental policies in the interestof Temperance and Prohibition, and to secure unity ofeffort in behalf of the Movement against BeverageAlcohol."From this it can be seen that the Council stands forabstinence on the part of the individual and the eradication ofthe drink traffic. The Council believes that of all the narcoticaddiction-producing drugs, alcohol creates the mostproblems; that the existence and activity of the liquor industry"compounds the felony of alcohol." It definitelybelieves that moderate drinking underlies the total alcoholproblem.Purpose1. To work for a united witness of all churches forabstinence. 2. To seek the promotion of legislation thatwill restrict the manufacture, sale, advertising and use ofalcoholic beverages: ban their use on commercial planes;require stricter highway safety laws where alcohol is concerned;and require health hazard labeling on all alcoholicbeverages.From this review it can be seen that this Council cameinto being back in the old saloon days . . . was active duringthe 14 years of Prohibition and has not relaxed its alertnessand activities since Repeal came in.The Covenanter Church has been a constituentmember and has taken an active part with this organizationall along, and, please God, will continue to do so. We haveworked shoulder to shoulder with leaders of the NationalReform Association. Dr. John Coleman served his turn asPresident and Dr. Kermit S. Edgar played a leading part inannual meetings and more than once was chairman of theCommittee on Resolutions.This year for the second time, one evening wasdevoted to a program put on by youth from high schools andcolleges, members of the National Youth TemperanceCouncil. They demonstrated their awareness and courageand ability to exert a witness as Christians devoted to theservice of Christ.One of the outstanding speakers on the program wasDr. Melvin H. Knisely, Director, Department of Anatomy,Medical College of South Carolina. Many of you doubtlessread the article in Reader's Digest some time ago:ALCOHOL AND YOUR BRAIN (some news for socialdrinkers). This told of Dr. Knisely's research in connectionwith the blood and the discovery of its effect of sludging theblood vessels and thus depriving the brain of the vital oxygencarried by clean blood, with the resulting death of brain cellsnot to be replaced.Once having been a drinker himself (he swore off in1946) he showed us live films in which university studentstook part in a test (8 or 10) students. Part of them were givenintoxicants before being taken to a motel to spend the nightsingly under the watchful eye of a state patrolman.Then each of these students was examined in turn ashe or she lay on a table, face upward, under a high poweredmicroscope, fixed on the white of the eye. This was filmed.Results were easily seen and were tabulated; and withoutexception it was either positive or negative. In the case ofthose who had not imbibed .... the blood flowed clean andunobstructed through the unbroken blood vessels of the eye;whereas in the case of each one who had imbibed the daybefore ... the blood cells showed the clogging motionbecause they were sticking together.Dr. Knisely made this comment: "The degree ofdamage is in proportion to the frequency and amount of8 COVENANTER WITNESS