Editorial March 28, 1936 Issue

Abstinence versus Moderation

George Shaw Cook

CURRENT advocacy of moderate drinking as a satisfactory substitute for total abstinence may have raised the question, "What is the attitude of Christian Scientists on this subject?" It can be answered that, as a class, Christian Scientists abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages and spirituous liquors. And total abstinence from drinking intoxicants is in complete harmony with the views on this subject expressed by Mary Baker Eddy on pages 288 and 289 of her book "Miscellaneous Writings" as follows: "Whatever intoxicates a man, stultifies and causes him to degenerate physically and morally. Strong drink is unquestionably an evil, and evil cannot be used temperately: its slightest use is abuse ; hence the only temperance is total abstinence."

In view of the foregoing unqualified statement by our Leader, it is difficult to see how those who are truly her followers could be persuaded to believe that there is any good reason why they should indulge themselves in the use of alcoholic beverages. There may be excuses for their doing so, but not adequate reasons. Some might possibly be deceived into believing that because they live in countries where the use of wine or beer at meals is customary, it would be inconvenient or impossible to refrain from their use. True, it might be inconvenient, but it would seldom, if ever, be impossible. And what if there should be ridicule or misunderstanding of one's motives for refusing intoxicants in places where the majority are using them without, perhaps, giving the question much thought and without apparent harm? Mrs. Eddy has said (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 451), "Christian Scientists must live under the constant pressure of the apostolic command to come out from the material world and be separate."

Possibly there are young people in our movement who, not having previously had experience with alcohol, may have been led, through persuasive propaganda, to believe that it is "smart" to drink or that liquor can be used moderately without harm. The answer to such arguments is that it is never smart to be fooled, duped, or imposed on by error, and that evil cannot be used temperately. To advocate the moderate use of alcohol is equivalent to advocating temperate use of poison, for that, according to material belief, is what alcohol is—a poisonous, habit-forming drug. Those who advocate the moderate use of intoxicants might just as consistently advocate moderate stealing, moderate lying, or the moderate indulgence of any sin or vice as being justifiable.

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