Temperance Honor

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

  1. Memorize and sign the Temperance Pledge: "Aware that the use of alcohol and tobacco and the use of drugs not recommended by doctors is not compatible with healthy living, I commit not only to abstain from the use of these substances and to live according to the principles of Christian Temperance, but also to help others understand and accept this healthier lifestyle"; or create your own pledge.

    Answer: You must memorize the official pledge: 'Aware that the use of alcohol and tobacco... I commit to abstain from these substances and help others accept this healthy lifestyle.' Or create a personal version with the same commitment. — The Adventist Church has more than 150 years of a temperance movement. Studies by the American Cancer Society show that Adventists live on average 7 to 10 years longer than the general population, in part due to abstinence. The pledge is a public commitment that reinforces the personal decision.

  2. Memorize 3 quotations in each of the categories: Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.
    • Bible
    • Spirit of Prophecy

    Answer: Bible: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (the body is the temple of the Spirit), 1 Corinthians 10:31 (everything for the glory of God), Proverbs 23:31-32 (do not look at the wine). Spirit of Prophecy: excerpts from Counsels on Diet and Foods, The Ministry of Healing, and Mind, Character, and Personality. — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is a foundational Adventist text for temperance. Ellen White wrote more than 5,000 articles on health and temperance, considered Spirit of Prophecy. Memorizing the quotations literally provides a tool for evangelistic conversations and strengthens personal conviction.

  3. Choose and carry out 3 of the activities below:
    • Write and present a 5 to 8 minute speech on temperance.
    • Write a 150 to 200 word paper on alcohol, tobacco, drugs or physical fitness, and on your commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
    • Write a verse on the topic of drug prevention.
    • Draw/make a poster talking about the harmful effects of drugs, tobacco and alcohol.
    • Hold an exhibit about the danger of drugs at a mall, library or school.
    • Make a notebook of at least 20 pages, with anti-drug ads pasted onto its pages.
    • Share with at least 5 people what you were able to learn from the list above, and convince them to sign the Temperance Pledge (closest family members cannot be included).

    Answer: You must choose 3 of the listed activities and carry them out completely: for example, write a speech and present it, make a poster with the effects of drugs and share it with 5 people (non-family members) to sign the Pledge. — The variety allows each Pathfinder to develop different skills (public speaking, writing, design, evangelism). Getting 5 signatures on a Temperance Pledge requires a clear and respectful approach — a skill transferable to any missionary or Christian witnessing work.

  4. About Cigarettes, Drugs, and Alcohol:
    • Know and explain the reason behind the warning contained on cigarette packs: "Smoking is harmful to your health"
    • What is a passive smoker?
    • Research how many people die annually in your country as victims of cigarettes and how much the government spends on patient health care.
    • Research 4 of the following ingredients of tobacco smoke:
    • Research 2 of the diseases related to cigarettes:
    • Research how many people die annually in your country as victims of alcohol, from accidents or as a result of excessive use.
    • Research the effects of tobacco, alcohol and drugs during pregnancy.
    • Read section 12, page 222 - Stimulants and Narcotics - in the book The Ministry of Healing (by Ellen White). Be able to discuss with your Pathfinders (or unit) what you learned.

    Answer: Cigarettes carry a warning because they cause cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases. Secondhand smoker: someone who inhales another person's smoke. In Brazil, 161 thousand deaths/year from tobacco. Ingredients: nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde. — Data from INCA (the National Cancer Institute) shows 161 thousand annual deaths in Brazil from tobacco, costing R$56 billion in public health. A secondhand smoker has a 30% higher risk of lung cancer. Nicotine reaches the brain within 7 seconds after the first puff, creating rapid dependence.

  5. Study the sources below:
    • Temperance, p. 139, 1st paragraph.
    • Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 406, 1st paragraph.
    • Temperance, p. 140, 2nd paragraph.
    • Temperance, p. 143, 3rd paragraph.
    • Counsels on Health, p. 127, 4th paragraph.
    • Temperance, p. 148, 2nd paragraph.
    • List 3 things that contribute to temperance and good health, in addition, of course, to abstaining from harmful things. Make a brief summary.

    Answer: Three positive contributors to good health: 1) a natural and balanced diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains); 2) regular physical exercise in the open air; 3) adequate rest and trust in God. — Ellen White proposed the '8 Natural Remedies' (NEWSTART): Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and faith/trust. The Adventist health program is today at Loma Linda University (CA), one of the 5 'Blue Zones' (regions with the greatest longevity in the world).

  6. Dramatize, at a club meeting, camp, or event the club participates in, what you would do if:
    • Your best friend asked you to try a cigarette?
    • A classmate offered you money to sell marijuana?
    • An older relative offered you a sip of beer?
    • A stranger's cigarette smoke was bothering you?
    • A friend invited you to smoke marijuana?
    • You went to a party with a friend, he got drunk and insisted on driving when it was time to go home?

    Answer: In all cases, refuse firmly and courteously, explaining your commitment to health. For a drunk friend about to drive, ask for the keys, call an Uber/taxi, or call a responsible person. — Research at Stanford shows that teenagers who practice responses to peer pressure resist 3x more. Short phrases such as 'no, thank you, I don't use it' work better than long justifications. For a drunk driver, the Uber app has an emergency button, and stopping a drunk person saves lives — 30% of fatal accidents in Brazil involve alcohol.

  7. Research the anti-smoking and anti-alcohol laws created by your country's government. Write a brief report on your research.

    Answer: In Brazil: Law 9.294/96 (bans cigarette advertising), Law 12.546/11 (bans smoking in enclosed public spaces), Law 11.705/08 (the Dry Law, zero alcohol while driving). — The Dry Law reduced traffic deaths by 24% in 5 years, according to the Ministry of Health. The ban on smoking in enclosed spaces (2011) reduced hospitalizations for heart attacks by 13% in São Paulo. Brazil is a world reference in anti-tobacco policy — a model replicated by the WHO.