Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

These verses give us plenty of warning to shut out evil and also encourage us to enter the open doors of opportunity to sow seed for TOTALABSTINENCE. There are facts whichwe need to be able to tell. Many A-merican citizens are ignorant and aredeluded by false claims. Our duty asChristians is to give them the truth.For example:Since 1934, liquor sales increased 14times faster than the population; viz.population increased only 25.3%.Again, the National Safety Councilestimates that for the year 1952 40%of the motor vehicle accidents weredue to alcohol. This means that of the2,127,600 casualties of dead and injured, 851,040 were due to alcohol. THISFAR EXCEEDS THE 556,126 TOTALCASUALTIES OF DEAD ANDWOUNDED IN THE 5 YEARSOFWORLD WAR II. For the year 1953the figures are still higher.Another fact, there are $60 millionspent for advertising of alcoholic beverages in a single year "increasinglyfocused on the American Home byRadio and Television to make drinkersof the mothers and youth of our country."A fallacy we must contest is the claimthat beer and liquor BELONG to thelife in the U.S. Many will not listenwhen the moral side of the issue ispresented; but who can contradict thetestimony of such persons as EugeniaPrice, Senator Richard L. Newbergerof Oregon (June 1955, Christian Herald) and numerous members of Alcoholics Anonymous together with otherswhen they all agree that no problemis ever solved by the use of alcoholand most problems are aggravated byit?As Christians, we, of course, beginwith the moral issue,the right andwrong of the question. But those whoare insensible to the moral phase, willfrequently listen to such statementsas those presented inthe new bookby Ralph A. Habas entitled "What YouShould Know About Drinking.""In the United States alone there are65 million persons who use alcoholicbeverages. Of this total, 8 million arehabitual drinkers and at least 4 million,or one out of every 16 an alcohol userwhose drinking has become a seriousproblem to themselves and others.Moreover, the number of problemdrinkers in this country is increasingyear."at the alarming rate of 250,000 aOther sources show that from 750,000to 1 million are chronic alcoholics withdrinking beyond their control. Alarming? That is expressing it mildly. THEU.S.A. IS ALREADY ON THE SKIDS.Unless the Christian Church people a-412waken to our peril, we face national collapse.The picture is a dark one, but bylooking at the seemy side we can betterappreciate the freedom offered throughJesus Christ, who can take away thesin (of the making and use of beveragealcohol with its effects) from the world.How wonderful it is to hear the testimonyof the sinner who tells of thesaving power of Christ who forgiveshim of his sin and gives him the joy ofsalvation; then also to hear of thekeeping power of Christ to deliver himin the hour and path of temptation!For such redeemed the world becomesa beautiful place in which to live and enjoy the innumerable blessings of God.Let us rejoice and give thanks, butat the same time let us pray as wework to enlighten those around us regarding the snares of Satan laid for unwary feet by the Liquor Traffic.IMPORTANT NOTICE TO LOCALW.M.S. We have received requestsfrom several Women's Missionary Societies, asking for information about yourmission work in our new field in SanDiego for use in your January meeting. With the thought that others willbe writing to ask for information, too,we prepared a letter which has beensent to each local society. It has beenaddressed to the officer whose nameappears in the last Minutes of Synod.If you are the one scheduled to bringthis information to your W.M.S., pleasecontact the person from your societywhose name appears in the Minutesof Synod and get this letter from her.It will give you the information you'dlike to have for your missionary Society. J. D. and Lucile D. Edgar.LIQUOR ADVERTISING INPUBLIC PRESSIt is a well known fact that READERS DIGEST until very recently contained no advertisements of any kind.With the April, 1955 issue its advertising policy changed. It now accepts advertisements. In announcing the change,the editors specificallystated that noadvertisements of liquor, tobacco or patent medicines would be accepted.In taking this stand READERS DIGEST is to be congratulated. It is setting up a standard and saying no productthat does not measure up to that standard will be admitted to its columns. Itthus places a stigma upon the productsexcluded. In effect it is saying of theseproducts, in our judgment, "They areevil, not good. We will have no part inpromoting their sale and consumption."The influence of this stand will be farreaching.READERS DIGEST has apaid circulation in the United States ofover 10,000,000circulation of anymore than twice theother magazine published in the United States. In addition,it is the best read of any of our magazines. Its thirty to forty millions ofAmerican readers will note the absenceof advertisements of liquor, tobacco andpatent medicines and ask themselves,"Why"?The DIGEST'S stand against liquoradvertisements in particular is a greatvictory for the temperance forces of thiscountry. They should recognize it, rejoice in it and make the most of it. Especially should they write a congratulatory letter to the editors, Dewitt Wallace and Lila Acheson Wallace, Pleasantville,New York.Of course, there are other Americanmagazines that refuse all alcoholic beverage advertisements. We could name asmany as a dozen, each of which has a circulation of anywhere from one to fivemillion, and a combined circulation ofover thirty million; but READERS DIGEST tops them all. These also shouldbe commended. We suggest our readerstake time out to write a number ofthem.But over against these "dry" magazines we should face the fact that thereare more magazines, each of which havea circulation running into the millions,that do accept liquor advertisements,thus placing the stamp of their approvalupon drinking and the drink traffic.They aid and abet the sale and consumption of these poisonous beverages andshare with the liquor dealers in the trainof evils that result therefrom.We should bring the full weight of ourcondemnation to bear upon them. Especially at this pre-Christmas season ofthe year when they collaborate withthe liquor industry in increasing, andin some instances doubling the volume ofliquor advertising and making it themost attractive and persuasive of theentire year with a view to inducing thepeople to lay up an abundant supply forthe proper celebration of Christmas.This year they are stressing, not only thesuperb quality of the liquors, but thecontainers in which they are to be presented to friendsnot an ordinary bottle, but an exquisitely beautiful decanter,designed and manufactured for this special use. This is the Christmas gift, thatwill be most appreciated and prized byyour friends. Thus they join hands withthe distillers and brewers in profaningthis sacred day on which Christ, the Sonof God and the Saviour of the World,was born.Surely, everyone who appreciates thetrue meaning and purpose of Christmaswill take time off to let a few advertisers of liquor know whatthey think ofCOVENANTER WITNESS