For what reason did Protestant Christians promote PROHIBITION (of alcohol) through the 18th amendment?

Question

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Was this a good idea or a bad one?

Why or why not?

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Were it not for the support from Protestant Churches (the Methodist Church, chief among them), Prohibition would never have passed.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 1

There were many reasons. Early feminists got caught up in it, too--they saw alcohol's role in domestic violence. Alcohol was cheap, and a *lot* of drinking went on in the 1800s.

I think it was basically a bad idea, of course. They thought they were doing something about social ills. They caused worse ills that they couldn't foresee, such as the rise of gangs that controlled the illegal alcohol trade. Banning a product that there's still demand for isn't the same as eliminating the product--all it does is drive trade underground and remove all oversight for safety. It was also anti-freedom, and leaders admitted that they told lies to make Prohibition happen later.

I saw a striking little parallel when I was looking for a link. Children were taught very misleading and horrific-sounding things about alcohol in school. It reminded me so much of today's call for "abstinence-only" sex education. Sex can't be stopped, either, only driven underground. Sex is an even stronger appetite than alcohol.

Answer 2

The catholic church made a great deal of its money off of alcohol production. Many say prohibition gave gangsters money and power, and that it hurt the nation. The truth is that a huge percentage of Americans were always drunk before that. For centuries alcohol had been the only available drink because many times the local water was bad. Because of this, many people became alcoholics. If you look at America before prohibition, people just sat around drank. They still drank alcohol most of the time, even with clean water to drink, old habits stuck. Prohibition got many Americans off of alcohol, and helped others understand moderation. Prohibition did more good than harm. If it had not been undone, it would have hurt the nation. Because it did not last long, it could not do much harm, but it was around long enough to help.

Answer 3

Many Protestants promoted Prohibition because they were interested in preventing drunkeness, which is warned against in the Bible. They thought that by prohibiting the consumption of alcohol they would also lessen the effects of foolish decisions on society.
Personally, I think that it is inorrect for a Christian to hold everyone to a commitment that they themselves didn't make. I believe that they are responsible for their own decisions, and how they line up to the Bible, as well as fellow Christian's decisions, because they claim the same faith. I can't hold someone to a measuring stick that they didn't sign up for- especially since there is nothing wrong with drinking moderately/responsibly.

Answer 4

It was a bad idea, and still is. My take on Prohibition was a bunch of loud-mouthed religionists were afraid that somewhere, someone might be enjoying themselves and not thinking about Jesus.
The fact is after Prohibition was repealed, alcohol use actually dropped. It wasn't fun anymore, because the thrill of getting away with breaking the law was gone.
It's a bad idea because you can't legislate morality. It's the same with drug prohibition today. I spent 17 years working as a psychiatric nurse, and many of our patients were substance abusers, of all types. The one thing I learned is people are going to be addicted to stuff whether it's legal or not; the fact is most drug addicts are addicted to PRESCRIPTION drugs. The pharmaceutical companies have a major financial stake in the current prohibition of recreational drugs. If you smoke enough dope, you won't need Prozac, Xanax, Effexor or Valium. Until the pharmaceutical companies can grow marijuana in secret and sell it to us themselves, it will never be legal, regardless of it's benefits to patients with cancer or chronic pain.
We, as a society, have to stop obsessing about behaviors we disapprove of. And we won't be able to do that until we strip religion of its power to influence lawmaking.

Answer 5

Considering the violence caused by bootlegging, and the mob activity surrounding it, I would say it was a pretty bad idea.

Everything in moderation is a great credo to live by, but the attempt to control something's overuse (or what one group deems overuse) by legislation not only doesn't work but seems to have the opposite effect.

Answer 6

It was actually mostly women that promoted this, I suspect because they had been abused or seen the negative side effects of drunkenness.

Was it a good or bad law? Hard to say - it was barely enforceable, not too fair to responsible drinkers. But I got to admit I like how at the time organized crime concerned itself more with booze than harder things like cocaine.

Answer 7

I have no Idea. Although it is a sin to be drunk, it is not a sin to drink! In fact; Jesus encouraged us to drink wine in remembering him and his blood, which was shed for our sins. Red wine made from real grapes. The fruit of the vine! Drink wine for thy stomach's sake!

Answer 8

The same reason Baptists dont believe in dancing.

The freedom of Jesus' salvation is too easy for them, so they have to encumber it with man made rules.

Answer 9

A little control would be sufficient. protestant?

Answer 10

A lot of people died to enforce those ridiculous laws.
Sad.