Dear Editor:

As my pastor so eloquently stated in a recent sermon, the Bible neither prohibits nor encourages the consumption of alcohol. Even though I don’t consume alcoholic beverages, I do not believe that this issue is a moral one.

We are saved by God’s grace through the blood of Jesus Christ, and anything we do or don’t do does not make us better Christians or more spiritual (See Paul – “works are as filthy rags”).

Some of the finest Christian people I love and admire will occasionally consume an alcoholic beverage.

Having said this, the question for Brookhaven residents directly, and Lincoln county residents indirectly, is will it benefit our community to become a “wet” city? Will the increase in availability and the assumed increase in consumption of alcohol be, on balance, positive or negative for the community?

No one has a crystal ball to tell the future, and, therefore, we are left with opinion. My impression is that one or two restaurants “might” open with the addition of alcohol sales, but for every restaurant that opens there would be two or three bars or liquor stores.

I believe that the negatives would easily outweigh the positives and for these reasons, I do not support the legalizing the sale of alcohol in Brookhaven.

Two things about the future I do know for sure. If we go down the road of alcohol in the city, there will be no turning back. And since I don’t live in the city, and even though this issue will affect me and my family, I won’t get to vote.

Sincerely

Steve Mills, MD