I would like to talk to all of you about the dangers of drinking alcohol. I know from experience, because I lost my only two children, both teenagers, to alcohol.

Timmy was almost 19 when he drowned. Normally, he was a good swimmer -- when he was sober. Patrick was 16 years and 7 months old when he had a car accident. Normally, he was a good driver -- when he was sober. He and several of his friends decided to skip afternoon classes at school and go to Columbia Lakes to have a drinking party.

I am certain that when he took that first drink, it never entered his mind that this would be the last day of his life; nor did such a thing enter the minds of the other teenagers who were there that day.

I'm writing this letter because I don't want what happened to Patrick to happen to you. Don't give up your dreams for the future because of alcohol or drugs.

Patrick had dreams for the future. He was looking forward to summer so he could get a job and start saving money to become a game warden in two years, after he graduated. So, please, before you take that first drink, think about it, and say to yourself, "this could be the last day of my life."

Signed, Linda Baker (West Columbia, TX)

This letter was written by a mother who lost two sons to the evil of alcohol. It appeared in a local newspaper in September of 1993. How sad that Patrick didn't learn a lesson from his older brother who lost his life to alcohol earlier. Why do so many learn life's lessons at such high costs? God's word is very clear about the danger of this sin. Read Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 1 Peter 4:1-4. What is even sadder? There are many brethren in the body of Christ who try to justify this type of conduct! Not long ago, a brother at another congregation told me (and this brother appeared to be quite knowledgeable about the scriptures) that the Bible does not condemn drinking alcohol. This brother, like many others before him, was quick to point out John 2:1-11, where Jesus turned the water into wine. Does giving men 180 gallons of wine on which to become drunk fit the character of our Lord? Jesus came to "seek and save" the lost, not to help them get further down the road to Hell!

Not only is such thinking dangerous, it is not in accordance with the divine instructions given in the Scriptures. God warns us to stay away from anything that can cloud our ability to reason and make godly decisions. Ask any doctor about what alcohol does to your brain cells. Ask any police officer who has notified parents that their child is dead due to driving while under the influence of alcohol. Am I missing something? How can anyone who wears the name of Christ try to uphold an evil that has brought so much death, pain, and suffering to this world? This type of conduct is not fitting for Christians at any time. Social drinking does not correctly define this action. It would be more correctly called "social sinning." --KG