Article September 3, 1938 Issue

Making a Decision

[Written Especially for Young People]

MARCIA STEVENS BARBER

Sooner or later every young Christian Scientist comes face to face with the uncompromising attitude of his church toward the use of intoxicants and tobacco. On page 289 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy has said, "Strong drink is unquestionably an evil, and evil cannot be used temperately: its slightest use is abuse; hence the onlytemperance is total abstinence." Does this seem a rigid and joyless standard, shutting out young people from gaiety and placing those who are obedient to this ruling in the position of self-righteous critics of their more "broad-minded" friends?

Perhaps the experience of one young student of this Science will be interesting to others who are facing this perennial question. Feeling no desire to use either tobacco or alcohol to excess, she felt that total abstinence implied a narrowness of view which reflected unfavorably upon her beloved religion and its adherents. Self-will arched its back and said: "Why be so rigid? A little indulgence along this line means no more to me than an occasional piece of candy at a party. Besides, I have many worse faults than this—surely the overcoming of envy, hatred, and revenge is more important than never taking a cocktail or a cigarette!"

And so this young student did earnestly try to overcome the greater errors of envy, hatred, and revenge, while postponing complete obedience to the rule of conduct imposed by The Mother Church upon its members. One day, while she was talking with an experienced and consecrated Scientist, her attitude toward this requirement was brought to light. The older woman gently and lovingly spoke to the young student, unfolding to her the free, glorious, and altogether lovely nature of man in God's image and likeness, already experiencing and expressing completeness and spontaneity in the satisfying allness of God, Spirit. As the young woman thoughtfully looked through the lens of Christian Science at God and man, and as the glorious possibilities of man were thus revealed to her, she found herself wholeheartedly turning away with rejoicing from every offer of a social smoke or drink, her thought so flooded with inspiration and gratitude for spiritual man's freedom from any dependence on matter that cigarettes and even a single cocktail were seen as undesirable chains of bondage.

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