Fifteen years ago I decided to apply for membership in...

Hippolyte Marc

Fifteen years ago I decided to apply for membership in The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, and in a branch church in France. The clerk of the branch church gave me a form to fill out. When I came to the question "Do you use alcoholic beverages?" I stopped short. For although I was free from the use of tobacco, I was still drinking alcoholic beverages.

The desire to progress in the understanding of the writings of the Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, was very strong, so I buckled down to the task of freeing myself from this bad habit. Cocktails, liqueurs, and beer were relatively easy for me to give up, but when it came to wine, well, then I hit a brick wall. My question was this: "Why does Mrs. Eddy require that we abstain from wine when Christ Jesus and his disciples did not drink only water but wine too, as is seen in the account of the last supper before Jesus' crucifixion? Why? Why did Mrs. Eddy require abstinence?"

One Sunday morning before the church service I talked with another Christian Scientist. He told me what he had done. He had simply put a bottle of water on the table instead of a bottle of wine. Fine, I thought, I can do that. I did this, and I have not drunk wine since.

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