The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1895-01-12
No Longer Accepts Mans Inter.
pretation of Scriptures.
Has Been to School and Learned to
Think for Herself.
so SAYS MRS NEERlWETHER IN RE.
PLY TO FIR. KIELTY'S LETTER.
They Have Got Tired of Accepting All III.
Priests Say About the bible
And They Get Precious Little Religion,
instruction From Poker
Playing Hushanats.
From st. Louis Post Dispatch Jan. 81

Playing Husbands.
From st. Louis Post Dispatch. Jan. 81
Rev. F.. Kielty's Interpretation of
St. Paul's instruction to the Corinthian
women to keep silent in the churches
has provoked far greater Indignation
among that class of the gentler sex
who delight in being called "the new
woman" than was probab bly, contempla-
ted by the reverend gentleman. In
yesterday Post-Dispatch the Rev. Ella
Bartlett, pastor of the St. Louis Uni
vers;slist Society, sharply criticised Fr.
Kielty's Interpretation and quoted the
newer translations of Greek text to
prove that Paul's command referred to
women who chatter nonsense in places
of worship, and should not be construed
as an injunction against women preach
ers or class leaders. Mrs. E. A. Mer-
riwether, a prominent w. c. T. L.
worker, has also been stirred by Fr.
Kielty letter. and has sent to the Post
Dispatch the following reply to Fr.
Kielty:
AS Father Dielty seems to think St.
Paul's command to the women of Cor
inth should apply to the women of all
ages and countries, I beg little space
in your paper for a few words on the
subject. Priests of nearly all Chris
tian sects are strong sticklers for this
much mooted order OF silence laid on
woman, and for long time women
obeyed, quietly accepting priestly in
depreciation of Scripture: but of late
years women have heen going to school
and have learned to think for them
selves. They now read the Bible and
put on holy writ their own construc-
tion, considering that God gave them
brains to be used for that purpose, AS
we'll as other things.
= Women are ouriOus, ,siu#opes rpoin>..
namely: Why do priests of all sects
harp SO mnch on St. Paul's silence
command and so strenuously urge
women to obey it, at the same time ut
terly ignoring other commands found
in the New Testament? If ST. Paul's
silence command must be obeyed
simply because St. Paul gave it land no
othe: good reason be given), VIII are
not other good orders from the same
high source equally obligatory?
Was it not St. Paul who said. "Greet
one another with a holy kiss?" Why
has this fallen into desuetude?
Was it not S.. Paul who said, "If
will learn, let them ask their
husbands at home?" The Inference
from this is that women ought to stay
vt home and get their religious
and other instructions from their hus-
bands. venture to say there is not a
or Protestant priest in all
who will advise women to
obey this order. Priests know we'll
that too many husbands of this age
spend their Sunday in dram shops, and |
hose not in dram shops read the Sun
lay papers. Precious little instruction
If religious nature will any wife in
,hese days get from her husband. If
women may set aside St. Paul In this
Ease, why not in the other?
Was it not St. Paul who said that "a
bishop should be the husband of one
yife?' If St. Paul is to be literally
'beyed, why do not all Catholic Blsh-
'ps make haste and get themselves one
wife each? To my mind any command
'iven by Christ himself is more worthy
# unqucstioning obedience than that
t any of his diciples. Was it not
'hrist who said, "Be ye not called
rabbi, for one is your master, even
'hrst, and all yc are brethren. And
all no man your father upon earth,
Or Que is your father which is in
eaven?"
Is not the inference from this that
Christians shall be equal as are BROTH
rs-that one shall hold no higher
ank than others? Botn Catholic and
'rotestant priests seem utterly to for
ct this plain and purely democratic
>mnand Of our Savior. | hold that
esus was tn. first who taught
lual rights. Theologians have not
1T accepted Christ's teachings on this
,bject. When they do they will cease
orrying so much about women keep
g silence in the church.
James, the apostle, said, "Of truth
do perceive that God is no respecter
persons. The inference from this
that God does not approve of rank
'iviliges; that in his eyes one person
only the eAal Of another. Had God
'omed one.half Of the human race to
'rpetual subsection to the other half. |