Communities sometimes vote on whether or not to allow Sunday alcohol sales. Or they vote on whether to overturn old laws prohibiting any sale of alcohol. That is, on whether to become “wet.” In virtually all cases, opposition to such change is organized by local ministers. They who contend that drinking is prohibited by the …
Alcohol and the Bible is an important subject. As with many religious matters, it is controversial. Here we look some of the evidence. Ultimately, you must decide. I. Traditional Christian Theology The Bible makes it clear that Jesus drank wine (Matthew 15:11; Luke 7:33-35). It also documents that he approved of its moderate consumption (Matthew …
Wilbur F. Crafts was a self-styled “Christian lobbyist.” He formed the International Reform Bureau in 1895. Crafts led it for 28 years until his death in 1922. I. Wilbur F. Crafts Best known as a prohibition leader, Crafts also opposed movies and promoted their heavy censorship by government. The motion picture industry feared his Reform …
The Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America was formed following the work of Father Mathew (Theobald Mathew) in the U.S. Visited U.S. Father Mathew came to the country in 1849. He spent two and one-half years in the U.S. promoting temperance. During that time he traveled 37,000 miles. That included visiting 25 of the 30 …
A Temperance Leader The Methodist Board of Temperance, Prohibition, and Public Morals. It was a powerful force in the temperance movement. In 1920, it built the Methodist Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. This was to increase even more its power in the nation’s capital. After Prohibition was imposed, the Methodist Board of Temperance pushed …
The Church Temperance Society. That’s the short name of the Temperance Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America. The society was established in 1881 to promote temperance, ‘rescue’ the intemperate, and eliminate the perceived causes of intemperance. In promoting temperance, the Society considered the moderate consumption of alcohol and the …
Irish Beginning The Knights of Father Mathew was a Catholic temperance society that originated in Ireland. It promoted complete abstinence from all alcohol. The Knights was formed in 1838 by Theobald Mathew (generally known as Father Mathew) in Cork, Ireland. Branches of the group spread throughout Ireland. Father Mathew also traveled in England and Scotland …
A National Leader Claude A. Watson was a national leader of the prohibition movement. He was Prohibition Party candidate for vice-president of the US in 1936. Next, he was the Party’s presidential candidate in both 1944 and 1948 During the 1944 election he asked why the president denied him approval for wartime air flight. After …
Rolland Fisher: The Prohibitionist Rolland Fisher was the Prohibition Party candidate for vice-president of the US in 1968. His running mate Harold Munn. They received 14,915 of the 31,783,783 total votes. That was 0.000046 percent of the total vote. Prohibition Party candidates do not run for high office expecting to win. They run to build …
Temperance leader Aaron Watkins (1863-1941) practiced law with his brother. He was later ordained as a Methodist minister. Watkins held Ohio pastorates in the Methodist Episcopal Church. They were in Cairo, Cincinnati, Columbus Grove, Continental, Delta, Edgerton and Germantown. Also in Lima, Linwood, North Baltimore, Ottawa, Van Wert, Waynesville, Wesley, and Winton Place. Prohibitionist Aaron …
