On the surface the argument is plausible: let liquor become part of a child’s life when he is young and he will drink in moderation. Unfortunately it does not seem to work that way. It appears strange that while many countries are cracking down on the abuses of alcohol, we Americans are calling for more leniency.
Alcoholism is one of the great social problems that face America today. Alcohol is the fourth-leading preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In 2014 alcohol-impaired driving was involved in 31 percent of overall driving fatalities.
Alcoholism is also one of man’s oldest sins. The sands of history are strewn with the wreckage of lives and nations ruined by drunkenness. The Bible repeatedly speaks to us of the dangers of alcohol. It warns, “For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags” (Proverbs 23:21).
Evangelist Billy Sunday once said, “One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.” Alcohol is dangerous, and if we are wise we will treat it as such.