Contacts Through Temperance

The present interest in the problem of alcohol in the nation, with its attendant juvenile delin­quency evils, offers Adventists the grandest oppor­tunity of their history to build up a large group of friends among ministers of other faiths, leaders in temperance work, and high school principals.

A W. C. T. U. leader, speaking of organizing a Junior W. C. T. U., said, "In organizing such a group, go to the Seventh-day Adventist church, where you will find a group of the brightest-eyed, widest-awake youth to serve as a nucleus for your organization in that place. They never drink, and would not smoke a cigarette if you paid them to."

At the annual State convention the president of Michigan's W. C. T. U. held in her hand a copy of the temperance educational number of the Signs of the Times and made this statement : "I always have on my desk a pile of the best literature avail­able to send to ministers_.; Sunday school teachers, and others requesting help in temperance pro--grams. Among the very finest of publications is the annual temperance Signs published by the Ad­ventists. I have secured a supply of these, and I am passing out a copy to each of you. Take them home with you and use them in your work."

The head of a temperance organization stated to me, "You Adventists have the finest temperance literature published." He told me of a minister who had examined two thousand pieces of tem­perance literature, and decided that the Signs of the Times was the best.

Another temperance leader wrote me : "If there is any religion that believes in total abstinence, it is the Seventh-day Adventist. I shall never for­get a talk that was given at the sixteenth conven­tion of the World's W. C. T. U. in Washington, D. C., in 1937, about Pitcairn Island, how every person on that island was a teetotaler."

A temperance leader in another State said: "I verily believe that there is no church in the United States that is giving as intelligent thought and as effective action to the liquor campaign as the Sev­enth-day Adventists. I am a Methodist. If the Methodist Episcopal Church were giving approx­imately the same devotion to the cause in propor­tion to its members, there would be no liquor prob­lem in the United States. Methodists are good talkers. They are good believers. They are good ,pray-ers-----but alas, faith without works is dead."

The finest people in other denominations over­look our peculiarities of doctrine when we lead out in temperance promotion. We have had as many as a dozen ministers listen to us respectfully and attentively, knowing that we are Seventh-day Adventists. We are urged to occupy their pulpits, though there are already more appointments than we are able to care for. Most earnest prayers are offered for God's blessing upon us because we are willing to assume leadership in the battle against liquor. Offerings are urged upon us. High schools are open, Sundays schools ready to listen.

How true is the statement from page 384 of Gospel Workers, "Of all who claim to be num­bered among the friends of temperance, Seventh-day Adventists should stand in the front ranks." Any one of our workers could become the most­talked-of man in his town if he would prepare a rousing good lecture on temperance and give it under the name of the American Temperance So­ciety. He could form very close friendships with some excellent ministers, and some of these would be fruitful in due time in their taking their stand with us. 

HENRY F. BROWN.