On The Chick Track "Just One More"

 I was at the laundromat with my brother, and this gentleman came by and offered us some Chick tracts. I told the gentleman, “No thanks.” I have heard that Chick tracts preach false doctrine. The one that my brother took, and eventually left behind, was called “Just One More”, a tract preaching against drunkenness. Mind you, neither of us are regular alcohol users, that particular tract was just given at random.

On the Chick website, you are actually able to see the entire contents of all the tracts, and this is what I found concerning this particular tract:

• It references William Booth, a gentleman who founded the Salvation Army. (p. 7-9)
  
  In it, Booth and his “Army” was said to have “brought hope of escape from that demon, alcohol”. In order to “prove all things” (I Thessalonians 5:21), I had to check whether it was true that Booth condemned alcohol in and of itself. In “The Training of Children: How to Make the Children into Saints and Soldiers of Jesus Christ, 2nd edn, Ch. 27: ‘Strong Drink’.”, Booth says:
  
  Make the children understand that the thing is an evil in itself. Show them that it is manufactured by man—that God never made a drop of alcohol. To say that alcohol is a good creature of God is one of the devil’s own lies fathered on foolish and ignorant people.

  There are many lies here. Firstly, alcohol is NEVER an evil in itself. Did not Paul prescribe alcohol to his hearers Timothy*(see side note) in the following passage:
  
  1Ti 5:23  Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. 

  Why would Paul say this if wine was evil in itself? Would Paul not be causing others to sin? Paul was very careful not to do this to others, as I Corinthians 8:13 says, and that was in the context of mere food!
  
  Secondly, God created all things (John 1:3, Acts 17:24, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:11), including alcohol. Even if it appeared to be made by man (indeed many brews are works of art), it was ultimately through the hand of God (Romans 11:36).
  
  Finally, don't most of us know the account of Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-12)? Scripture never mentions any sin being committed, even by the Lord Himself for causing the wine to be made (for if wine consumption was a sin, would He not be in hypocrisy of the words of Matthew 5:29-30 and similar?)
  
  
  

  While drunkenness is indeed a sin (as says Ephesians 5:18), and to say that “no drunkard shall enter the kingdom of God” is correct (I Corinthians 6:10), drinking alcohol in and of itself is never a sin (to say it is violates Proverbs 30:6 which condemns adding to the Word of God).
  
  
  

• It references Carrie Nation, a famous prohibitionist who smashed saloons with a hatchet. (p. 9-13)
  
  Chick says:
  
  “Between 1900 and 1910 she was arrested 30 times. She paid her own fines.”
  
  Now, it is no sin to break the law of man (in this case, mass vandalism) in order to not break the law of God (Acts 5:29). However, if any law of man is no sin in the eyes of God, it is to be obeyed (Romans 13:1-7), lest it is sin. It is no sin to operate a saloon or a bar, even today! In non-Prohibition times, as long as you had the proper licenses, running an alcohol establishment is perfectly fine in the eyes of God! Carrie Nation had no business destroying these establishments. Now yes, such establishments do serve drunkards, and often, and it is clear that the drunkards are in sin. However, Scripture tells us how to deal with such people:
  
  Pro 31:6  Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. 
  
  No bartender sins by offering more alcohol to a drunkard headed for Hell. Not even Matthew 5:29-30 applies here, for the bartender is not the cause of the sin here.
  
  

• It also references Billy Sunday, who preached against liquor trafficing, as if liquor itself was the enemy. (p. 13)
  
  

• However, the most damnable thing this tract preaches, is that the way to Heaven is to “just believe Jesus died for your sins, and that He rose from the dead, and receive Him as your personal Saviour.” (p. 21)

  Note, the damnable thing is the “JUST”, not at all believing that Jesus died for your sins, rose from the dead, and receiving Him as Savior. However, all of this is merely a part of trusting Jesus HIMSELF.
  
  In Acts 16:30, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas:
  
  Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 
  
  And what was their response?
  
  Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 
  
  Note that Paul and Silas never said to “just believe the work of the Lord Jesus Christ”, but simply to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”. That is, believe ON Christ. That is, put your trust in HIM.
  
  Side Note: *I crossed out "his hearers" because it implies that Paul was speaking to a church in the letters to Timothy.  He was not.  The letters were addressed to just Timothy (I Timothy 1:2, II Timothy 1:2).  Paul was directing the advice to "use a little wine" to just Timothy.  Yet, this still is proof that alcohol in and of itself is not a sin.