The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1949-09-15

~ NJ NA- 8 -''NAHf VI
else both of them
lose their excuse
for existence. This
is not a now idea.
II was in the Bible III
long ago. Our
Psalms for this
week are among
those TIL a t bring
out this truth: God
is interested in DE- FOREMAN
how people live.
He is interested in what they do
seven days and seven nights a
week; he is interested in their
habits as much as their souls.
Psalms Is and 81 are so plain on
this point that they need no ex-
planning.
Churches and Liquor
Don't Mix
This truth, that right religion
L and right behavior are twins.
lights up all of life like a flood
light; but since this is our temper
ance lesson, let us focus it more or
less on one spot.
It is a sore spot: the drink
habit. Why does the church
make such a fuss about people
drinking? Catholic churches
are opposed to liquor in excess,
and most Protestant churches
are opposed to liquor, Period.
The movies have made the
hinge" the hangover, almost re-
Specialize; but the church knows
better. Why? VIII the time ever
come when the churches are not
opposed to the liquor business?
Ne, it will not; because the
churches know what liquor does.
The minister is usually the man
(alors with the lawyer and doctor
and the sheriff. who has to pick
Up the pieces when drink gets a
man or a woman and braaEs I'D a
family. The min ster gets behind
the scenes, he knows that some
funerals would not have been
funerals if it had not been TO.
drink.
The car that event out of con-
troll, the disease that should not
have been fatal, the family quarrel
that grew to hatred and violence
he secs enough of these caused
by alcohol, to have no illusions
about the stuff.
A Psalm in Reverse
IF THERE is a single reader of
these lines who imaqines that
religion is only q "matter of the
SOUL and has nothing to do with
what people eat or drink, then
let him try q little experiment
with the 18th Psalm.
AS it stands in the Bible, it is
a description Of the kind of man
who can appear without shame be-
fore God-in short, of the religious
and-moral man.
Now beginning with verse ?,
take the Psalm phrase by
phrase, and see how false
and ridiculous i is if you try
to make the description fit the
man with The drink habit.
''The victim of drink wa.keth
uprightly, and Worketh right
eOusness-"! Cutie the con-
trary, he seems TO be doing his
best to ruin his own happiness
and that Of others.
''The drunkard spaaketh the
truth in his hear:"-! There is one
truth he never speaks in his
heart: ] am a drunkard. The one
thing the victim Of alcohol never
admits till it is too late (f every
is the hold which alcohol has on
him. "He that ba@zbiteth not with
his tongue, nor taketh up a re-
proach against his neighbor"-!
Contempt Is No Cure
WyELL, read on for yourself. The
w slave to alcohol (and many
man is chained TO it, who would
feel insulted if you called him an
alcoholic) certainly does not fit
the description of the man whose
life God approves.
But the Christian will by no
means think his duty done
merely by sitting in the scorn-
er's seat, or being an abstain
err himself, or even by helping
those who have fallen iat0 the
pit. He viii remember that an
ounce of prevention is worth
pound OF cure.
The liquor business has no con-
science. 1t sometimes comes out
with pious remarks about temper
ance-but it keeps right on adver-
Using, it knows no law but profit.
The only whole-hcartcd workers
for temperance will always be the
people who make no money out Of
intemperance. and the most eff
fective workers for temperance
will be those who themselves, in
all their habits, give examples in
life of what they preach.
Copyright by the International Council
of Religious Education on behalf of 90
Protestant denominations. Released by
WNU Features