The National Reform Association (NRA), formerly known as the National Association to Secure the Religious Amendment of the United States Constitution, is an organization that seeks to introduce a

Christian amendment Christian amendment describes any of several attempts to amend a country's constitution in order to officially make it a Christian state. In the United States, the most significant attempt to amend the United States Constitution by inserting ex ...

to the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

in order to make the United States a

Christian state A Christian state is a country that recognizes a form of Christianity as its official religion and often has a state church (also called an established church), which is a Christian denomination that supports the government and is supported by ...

. Founded in 1864, the National Reform Association included representatives from eleven

Christian denomination A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity that comprises all church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadership, theological doctrine, worsh ...

s as well as the official support of a number of Churches. It publishes a magazine called ''The Christian Statesman''.

History

The National Reform Association was founded in 1864 by representatives from eleven Christian Churches in the United States. It sought to, and continues to advocate for the following

to be introduced to the

: This movement soon gained the support of several Churches. For example, the Wesleyan Methodist Church, in its 1896 ''Disciple'' contained a section on National Reform, which continues to be retained by its successor, the

Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (AWMC), originally the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Allegheny Conference), and also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church (WMC), is a Methodist denomination within the conservative holiness movement pri ...

in its most recent 2014 ''Discipline'' that contains the following statement: As such, the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Church advocates for Bible reading in public schools, chaplaincies in the Armed Forces and in Congress,

Sunday blue laws Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, Sunday trade laws and Sunday closing laws, are laws restricting or banning certain activities on specified days, usually Sundays in the western world. The laws were adopted originally for religious reasons ...

(reflecting historic Methodist belief in

Sunday Sabbatarianism Sabbatarianism advocates the observation of the Sabbath in Christianity, in keeping with the Ten Commandments. The observance of Sunday as a day of worship and rest is a form of first-day Sabbatarianism, a view which was historically heralded ...

), and amendments that advance the recognition of God. The National Reform Association desired for reverence for the

Sunday Sabbath Sabbath in Christianity is the inclusion in Christianity of a Sabbath, a day set aside for rest and worship, a practice that was mandated for the Israelites in the Ten Commandments in line with God's blessing of the seventh day (Saturday) making it ...

, opposing the distribution of newspapers on the

Lord's Day The Lord's Day in Christianity is generally Sunday, the principal day of communal worship. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is said in the canonical Gospels to have been witnessed al ...

as Sunday newspapers became popular in the 1880s. In 1895, the

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

(WCTU), which was at that time the largest women's organization in the United States, proclaimed its solidarity with the National Reform Association "whose efforts are parallel to ours on many lines." To this end, the WCTU passed a resolution "God in Christ is the King of Nations, and as such should be acknowledged in our government; and His Word made the basis of our laws." In the early 1900s, the National Reform Association supported the aims of the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

, which was supported by many Christians at that time.

Notable people

Sara Jane Crafts Sara Jane Crafts (, Timanus; pen name, Mrs. Wilbur F. Crafts; August 15, 1845 – May 2, 1930) was an American social reformer, author, lecturer, and teacher. She lectured and taught at Chautauquas, as well as a lecturer at State and International ...

, editor-in-chief of the ''Christian Statesman'', the official organ of the National Reform Association *

Ella M. George Ella M. George (, Martin; December 4, 1850 – March 31, 1938) was an American teacher, lecturer, and social reformer. For 25 years, she was a teacher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A long-time leader in temperance and other moral reforms, George se ...

References

External links

National Reform Association (Official Website)

{{American social conservatism 1864 establishments in the United States Christian ecumenical organizations Conservative organizations in the United States Dominion theology Political organizations based in the United States

History

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading

External links