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218
Temperance
Our unbelieving friends have stood exulting while they see the
dissension in the church that has grown out of our people uniting
with the Red-Ribbon Club. They have had no sympathy for us as
a people upon the subject of temperance. They are far behind, and
have ridiculed our people as fanatics upon health. They are willing
now to be favored, and receive the strength of our influence while
they come no nearer in sympathy to our faith; when if the matter
had been managed discreetly it might have had that influence upon
some to change their opinion of our faith.
If the temperance club had been left to stand on its own ground,
we, as a people, standing upon our advanced ground, keeping respec-
tively the high standard God has given us to meet as necessary to
our position and faith, there would have been a much more healthy
[220]
influence existing upon the temperance question in the church than
now is revealed.—
Letter 1, 1882
.
Not to Sacrifice Principle
—From the light God has given me,
every member among us should sign the pledge and be connected
with the temperance association....
We should unite with other people just as far as we can and
not sacrifice principle. This does not mean that we should join
their lodges and societies,
[Note: These remarks were made by Mrs.
White at the annual meeting of the Michigan Health and Temperance
Association. Her statement touched on a number of resolutions just
presented, among which were the following:
“Resolved
, That we encourage the organization of a local club
in the church to which we belong or with which we are associated....
“
Resolved
, That we urge our young people to take an active part
in our local clubs and at the same time endeavor to guard them from
the influence of
other societies that do not adopt the high moral
and physical standard
that we advocate.”—
The Review and Herald,
October 21, 1884, 669
. (Italics supplied by compilers.)]
but that we
should let them know that we are most heartily in sympathy with the
temperance question.
We should not work solely for our own people, but should bestow
labor also upon noble minds outside of our ranks. We should be
at the head in the temperance reform.—
The Review and Herald,
October 21, 1884
.