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Billy Sunday Speech: God's Worst Enemy?

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Is consuming alcohol evil? Today alcohol is almost regularly consumed like water but we do take the necessarily precautions in order avoid disasters. Such as the age of consumption which is 21 and over, and we have laws against driving under the influence. Although tragic accidents have occurred because of the consumption of alcohol yet most American citizens would not necessarily call alcohol evil. However, during the 1920’s alcohol caused a stir mostly to religious leaders and groups. This led to the prohibition, a time period when alcohol was banned and viewed as sinful. Billy Sunday an Evangelical preacher, gives a speech titled God’s Worst Enemy. Through the speech Billy Sunday is unsuccessful in persuading that alcohol is sinful and it is god’s worst enemy. By using pathos, anaphora, and personification to support his claims. A rhetorical appeal that Billy …show more content…

He states the following “Its cocks the highwayman’s pistol. It puts the rope in the hands of the mob… Yes, it is a murder.” Sunday does not want his audience to believe that a saloon kills people but to believe that alcohol is much of a sin as murder. And at the time, Sunday was known for being a major league baseball player and a successful preacher. Hence Billy Sunday was viewed with authority making his religious supporters believing in him.
As previously stated Billy Sunday combines the use of Christian beliefs and personification to convince his audience. Specifically, in the following sentence uses symbolism as well. “The only interest it pays is red eyes and foul breath and the loss of health.” This sentence makes his audience visualize what the saloon can cause to someone. The words red eyes and foul breath can make you picture a man who has excessively been drinking. However, it can also symbolize the devil since he is a preacher, red eyes can give the image of a monster like

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