The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-12-06
ABSTINENCE AS ABSTRACT
PRINCIPLE is lh0EFEMSIBLE E

Reverend G. w. McCreerv at the
First Methodist Episcopal church last
evening speaking from the following
text:
Rom, IA 421-"It is good not to drink
wine or anything whereby thy broth
er stumbleth or is offended or made
weak" said:
Total abstinence as an abstract
principle Is indefensible. Even the
Christian Is not under obligations 10
limit himself In the enjoyment of that
which harms him not. Touch not.
taste not. handle not as a rule of
conduct is condemned In the Bible,
YES In the New Testament. In our
lesson Paul clearly tells us that TO
the pure all things are pure. Paul
refers TO those things which are not
distinctly immoral The sinful act Is
not under discussion. Paul is dis
cussing those practices which are not
in themselves wrong, These prac-
ticeS were proving harmful TO some OF
the Christians and Paul was discus
sing the relation OF the Christians
TO whom these were not Injurious.
He settled il not on platform of
abstract total abstinence, but upon
that OF brotherhood
So prominent has become the strug-
gle against intemperance that we
only speak of total abstinence as it
relates to the use or non-use OF alco-
holic beverages.
There are several things that en-
ter TO confuse Us in a discussion or
the question OF ones personal rela-
tion to the use of intoxicating bever-
ages. We will consider them and
perhaps after they are fully consider
ed we Will see that the use of liquors
is taken out of the list of non-moral
practices and put In the category OF
the immoral
l. There has como firm conviction
among those who have investigated
the use of liquors In scientific way.
that even moderate use OF liquors
even light wines, is injurious. Every
one. scientist or not. agrees that eX
cessivc use is harmful.
Germany has investigated the use
OF beers in that country and with
great reluctance it's leading men agree
that Germany is far behind other ma
tions, because the working race is
never fully sober,
Even careless France is alarmed
over the Incorporate conditions.
There comes a time when light wines
lead TO the use of absinthe and other
drug lntoxlcants and that kills more
quickly.
Many leaders Of the great Amerl-
can Federation of Labor stand for
rohibition-knowinG that II will mean
Il higher living for every one who
comes under its reign. They openly
advocate total abstinence,
Why this changing attitude every
where? Simply thiS-there is a grow
ing conviction that the use of alco-
holic beverages Is detrimental If
detrimental then the greatest loss in
connection with its use is not the
great amount of money spent for the
same but loss to the world of good
work not done; literary creations
which have died unknown; the ad-
vancement that would have been
made had not this brake been locked
on the wheels of progress, so that the
world Is far behind in the race with
opportunity. We easily recognize,
therefore. that that which stands con,
yicted by its own results can no long.
tT ne considered as nOn-mOTdl Dul Is
rather sinful While Paul and those
of his day did not consider these as
Injurious. because we have the fullest
light OF the experience of the race
since that time. and now know how
detrimental they are. we are bound
by that knowledge TO act with refer
ence to it Paul came to this standard,
however, by the motive oil human
brotherhood
One can be strong enough never TO
become slave to intemperance, but
one can never be too strong to escape
harm. | venture the assertion on eX-
cellent authority that there is no pure
whisky sold over the bars OF Ogden.
We claim also that whisky is in the
control of a great trust that is lower
Ing the standard OF purity while In
creasing the profits. The brewerleS
are in great organization that makes
its way by corruption. A great fund is
annually spent In buying off the move.
ment of the people for temperance,
II has stopped to fraud to gain Its
way wrapped up with the question OF
ones personal habits is the fact that
the freedom with which q man buys
drink and another sells has been