You Don't Have to Drink

by Robert L. Gates

George T. (Ted.) Waller, now of Hartford, Connecticut, started what he thought was social drinking when he was sixteen. His drinking increased in college and after entering the Air Force it became excessive. Over a period of ten years he became a chronic alcoholic. The military tried to help him, without success. Then he began studying Christian Science, and it transformed his life. He lost all desire for and dependence on alcohol. Today he is a fully committed Christian Scientist, totally free of alcohol and successful in his profession.

During the time I was drinking I was searching for some satisfaction from life, some method of reaching an inner peace I'd never found. I studied many philosophical writings, several Oriental religions, spiritualism, and astrology. I even read cards for many years. I joined five denominational churches and left each of them because I couldn't agree with their concept of God being both good and bad, and that man could, for instance, be sentenced to eternal hell and damnation. Each time I would go back to the Bible. But I thought it contradicted itself so much I'd put it away and return to the bottle.

By this time the military had had it with me and threatened involuntary administrative discharge. I had lost almost all my friends and began avoiding people because I just couldn't accept what I saw to be a false sense of life.

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