The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-31


exhibition of family chastity and af-
lection more excellent than is seen
in the Jewish race. This is even to
day an object lesson to Christians.
1t may lack the larger sentiment of
broader Christianity, because so ex-
clusively racial, yet the home life of
the average Hebrew is exemplary.
The relation Of Christianity to the
home is vital. From this source we
have derived a commanding empha-
sis in favor of monogamy; and prin-
ciple promoting purity among men
and women. In spite of phrases
quoted from Paul suggesting the in
ferior place of woman, the general
voice of Christianity is toward the
equality of man and woman. They
are members of family. What is
best for each is beneficial to both.
The excessive development of one at
expense of the other is general i'm
poverishment of the home and of
society. Christianity has both fos-
tered the ideal and promoted the &C.
complishment of development of
each member along the line of his or
her particular capacities, to the end
of mutual improvement. But this
Christian home is product of the ex-
preston of principles of Christianity
rather than the dogmatism of special
texts. Christianity teaches love,gen-
tleness, purity, reverence and equality
belonging to human beings irrespect-
i've of sex. These elements applied to
the family in all its relations produce
the ideal home. The position of
woman is an index of social life, and
nowhere is woman's place so high as
where Christianity is expressed in in
telligent form. And this statement
is itself plea for high expression
of Christianity. If broader Chris
tianity makes woman's position bet
ter, and woman's position marks
the speed of human progress, then
the pushing ahead of human life lies
in the fuller expressing of broader
Christianity. The true advance of
woman is hindered in two ways. On
the one side by few who would
have woman occupy mans place.
These would assume all of mans Of
fees and fling off all of woman's nat
ural duties. On the other side delay
is caused by many who are utterly
Indifferent to all improvement of
woman and wholly content with the
inequalities of law and custom. Re-
garding that one disputed point of
woman's suffrage, there can be but
one issue. Woman will one day have
full suffrage, as a matter of simple
justice and equity. But with the
privilege she will get the duty which
is to exercise her right. While we
allow Negroes, Italians, Irishmen,
etc., to vote, we can, with no justice,
deny the franchise to woman, since
she is large property holder with
unrepresented rights, and possessing
an intelligence OF business matters
equal with man. Personally l be-
lieve in a qualified ballot based on
intelligence and possibly on prop
erty rather than on sex. But though
woman should be given the general
ballot there would follow little change
in politics. Even then, professional
politicians, whether men or women,
would be as now, and the great intel
ligent, poised mass would keep ST.
| lence. There is need of an improved
action of men as well as of women.
All of this is to emphasize the
fact that Christianity teaches COM
mon responsibility resting on men
and women as parts of the family
and thus as parts of society. The
office of religion is to develop the
home on the side of morals and truth.
Christianity has not two standards
of morality for men and women, but
one for both. Nor has it two stand
ards of punishments, a light one for
men and harsh one for women, but
for each penalty that will cause
full cessation from evil. Christianity
has only one principle for men and
women and that is, each should be
as kind, as loving, as chaste, as self
sacrificing as possible. The problem
is not for each member to see how
much he can get out of his home
and how little he can put into it, but
wherein each can add to the happi-
ness of the whole.
The home as the ideal of love is in
the realm of poetry still. Yet we
ought to think more of the possibil-
tiles of home. To live good life is
a great undertaking for anyone. For