Billy Sunday was a fiery preacher, but he really preached against drinking. He said, “If all the combined forces of hell should assemble and conclave, and with them all the men on earth who hate and despise God, purity, and virtue; if all the scum of the earth could mingle with the denizens of hell to try to think of the deadliest institution to the home, church, and state, I tell sir, the combined forces of hell could not conceive of or bring an institution that could touch the hem of the garment of the tavern to damn the home, mankind, womanhood, business, and every other good thing on earth.”

With Christendom so divided on the subject, we must go to the Word of God and not to personal experience as the criterion. But those who will disagree must profess interest in human life – that we can’t possibly go on and see so many people die from this and not have it provoke something within us. We can’t be indifferent toward the proven killer – alcohol.

If there was a deodorant that was causing cancer in mice, it is likely that it would be forced off the market immediately. But let it be shown that approximately nine million Americans are excessive drinkers, ¾ of all prison inmates committed crimes after drinking. Alcohol is now in first place in the teenage drug abuse scene, and most people simply shrug their shoulders and turn their attention to something else.

People are indifferent. Christians are seduced with the teaching that no one can prove that the Scriptures forbade the drinking of intoxicating beverages, but rather only excessive use. Drinking certainly is serious business, but who’s business is it? I believe more pulpits need to be talking about these things.