Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-10
BIBLE AND PROHIBITION.

The liquor interests are flooding the
country with literature In defense Of
the saloon traffic We have before us
the galley proofs Of an editorial that is
to appear IN the November number Of
our Country" magazine published
at Louisville. Ky
In this article the Biblical World"
Is quoted as follows:
How can we teach total abstinence
from Bible which represents Jesus as
partaking OF wine at feasts, and which
| even tells how he mraculously pro-
duced wine from water on one occasion
when the supply fell short?'
And "Our Country comments. in.
part:
"rhe question puts the matter square
| ~ before the Christian. He must choose
between the Savior and the Anti Saloon
league. He cannot uphold an organiza-
| ton that Is anti-Christ, unless he is
| willing 10 sacrifice his Christianity"
The Biblical World" is published by
the Chicago University. endowed with
|
Teller. and the liquor men evidently
consider the question quoted from that
publication, a regular "corker;" for
they are mailing IL 10 5000 ministers.
as utterly unanswerable. And yet,
there is not a question more easily
answered than that
In the first place. it must be admitted
that our Lord, according 10 the gospel
narrative. produced wine at the. mar
rage at Cana. and only by a most vio-
lent exegesis can 1t be made 20 appear
that the good wine" OF the Master
was unrermented. The very expression
| Of the ruler OF the feast" seems TO
| contradict that idea The Master was
not an ascetic He did not belong 20
the Essenic order, as alleged. On the
contrary His enemies referred to Him
as a glutton and wine-bibber. friend
Of publicans. and sinners" But, not
withstandlng this, We can consistently
teach total abstinence from all intoxi-
cants, from the Bible.
II will be admitted, We hope, that
the Apostle Paul understood the teach
ings OF the Bible, and the doctrines OF
Christianity. II win be admitted. we
hope. that he Is an authority on such
subjects Hear him then. He says:
1T is good neither TO eat flesh. nor 70
drink wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth. or is offended. or
made weak" from. IA 2t.) According
10 this doctrine total abstinence should
even be extended 10 the eating OF flesh.
II such eating proves an offense TO a
weak brother. That Is Bible doctrine.
well established. Paul repeats Il IN his
first letter to the Corinthians He
points out that eating. in itself, makes
no man neither better nor worse. and
yet he cautions his readers against US
ing their liberty 10 eat as a stumbling
block TO them that are weak" This ne
applies particularly to the sacrifices Of
fened 10 idols n. he argues those who
are weak take offense because Of the
exercise Of your liberty. through your
knowledge shall the weak brother per
ishf" And then he adds: But when ye
hn 20 against the brethren. and wound
their weak conscience. ye sin against
Christ" And this consideration prompts
him 70 the conclusion: Wherefore. q
meat make my brother TO offend vii
eat no flesh while the world standeth p
q Cor 8. SID
II this doctrine is carried out in prac'
tice total abstinence from intoxicanti
viii be the consequence, for there i'
no greater stumbling block in our ag'
on the road to eternity than the liquoi
traffic
II must be remembered that al tn
time or our Lord. there was in Pale
slime. no liquor traffic, properly speak
ing There were no saloons opening
their doors Wide 10 perdition. Bresc
and wine. real grape juice. were arti
cles or food. Today different condr
lions confront ne. There De- salooI
problem that does not seem capable o
any solution but that ~ the sword o
prohibition. The saloon has become
menace to the home. by absorbing M
wages of the lahorer and tempting th'
boy by Ite aHurements The saloon
the ally OF fsc gambling don and en-
broihcI. has become menace 90 th'
community Doc which IL De- fostered An,
by lts corrupt methods ihe saloon %
politics hss become the curse Of th'
state There ls no Institution tha
causes more poverty more crime. NOR
misery. tears and sufferings than an
saloon. And there rs no greater frau'
perpetrated upon the people than th'
lIouors sold by the saloons n monel
ever was obtained by false pretenses
the liquor sellers are guilty. when the'
sell aH kinds OF fraudulent compost
, tions under the name ~ "heer" o
swine" The modern liquor traffi
hnds no parallel among the jews 20
antiquity Rut tho law mat was givel
from the Mount amidst manifestation
OF the Divine Presence Numbered foru
be- edicts against stealing and murder
and by No doing branded a. unlawful
/, any business that has for its aim th
robbng ~ feilow-oreatures aud the de-
struotion OF their bodies and souls Tn
modern saloon trahac Is thereby pro
I, hibited
Are the MARTENS AZ biz fools q