The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-24


ton OF the inspired account Of the creation
by some rather pert criticisms about Noah
and his ark She would rave built II differ
entity. had she happened around that way
The paucity of light and air In this an
Gent vessel shows that woman had no part
would nave been deemed Indispensable"
Mrs Colby also endeavors to show thai
woman's obedience did not enter into the
divine plan. In the two instances in which
Sarah obeyed Abraham, she says:
GOD had to interfere with a miracle tc
save them from the result of that obedience
and both Abraham and Sarah were re-
proved. While twice, once by direct com
mand of God. Abraham obeyed Sarah.
You cannot find a direct command of God
or Christ for the wife to obey the husband
Abraham and Sarah afford Mrs Stanton
an opportunity in the next chapter to make
a suggestion to Congress on the currency
question This is how she does it;
1T is seldom that the age and death OF
any woman are recorded by the sacred his.
torian, but Sarah seems to have been spe'
cialiy honored. not only in the mention o.
her demise and ripe years, but in the tender
manifestations of grief by Abraham and his
painstakiug selection of her burial place
That Abraham paid for all this in silver
current money with the merchant NIGH
our commercial relations might be adjust
ed with the same coin. especially as We
nave plenty of it. If our bimetallists In
the halls of legislation were conversant
with sacred history they might get fresh
inspiration from the views or the patriarchs
on good money"
Further on Mrs. Blake expresses her con.
tempt for Abraham as a man. She sees
nothing grand or poetical in his character
On the other hand, she thinks he Is a bad
pattern for the other patriarchs. She says
on this score:
Like many a modern millionaire, he was
not a but a wife-made man
dangerously beautiful wife he is described
as being rich in cattle, in silver and in
gold but II is a little curious that the man
who thus gained wealth as the price of his
wife's dIshonor should have been held up
as a model of all the patriachal virtues"
Rebekah and Rachel are somewhat rough
~ handled by Mrs. Stanton. She says it was
a good test of the formers patience and hui
mflity Ito draw water for an hour, with a
dozen men looking on at their ease and
none of them offering help" She sums up
her opinion of the Pentateuch as follows:
Indeed, the Pentateuch is a long, painful
record of war. corruption, rapine and lust.
Why Christians who wished to convert the
heather to our religion s.lould send them
these books passes all understanding. It is
most demoralizing readino for children and
the unthinking masses, giving all alike the
lowest possible idea of ~womanhood, having
no hope nor ambition beyond conjugal
unions with men they scarcely knew, for
whom they could not have had the slightest
sentiment OF friendship. to say nothing OF
affection"
SAVAGE ATTACK ON MOSES.
Tic DOOh u hAOQuS - IedCUeC
Moses is attacked very savagely by Mrs
Stanton. Moses, indeed, has not a single
good trait from her point of view. She
charges that he deluded an ignorant and
superstitious people in order to gain as.
c~endancy over them. She declares that wom-
ans inferior place in civilization is directly
attributable to him. She asserts. moreover
hat the tables of stone containing the
Commandments were not given to Moses by
Jehovah. but were faxed by that unscrup-
ulous prophet. Neither has there any great
respect for the Commandments them.
selves. "A critical reading of Them" she
declares, will show that they are chiefly
for men," The following are some OF the
on the Mosaic law:
Women were always considered sufficient
ly clean TO beg, work n give generously
for the building and decoration of churches,
and the support of the priesthood. They
might always serve as interiors, but never
receive as equals.
sons in the thirteenth verse and many
in the fourteenth we cannot conjecture.
We notice. however, that where the sons
eat alone is called a holy place" where
simply a clean place" We are thankful
however, that in the distribution Of meats
the women come in occasionally for a sub
stantial meal in a clean place.
THE interesting fact here is that a
woman is dignified by a name, the only one
so mentioned in the book of Leviticus.
lIilo - piODdDly "a " Tic 1dCt bhdt llN
sons character was so disreputable that he
would reflect no luster on his fathers
family, and so on his maternal ancestors
rested his disgrace.
IF Miriam had helped to plan the journey
to Canaan ii would no doubt have been
accomplished in forty days instead of
cabinet the people might have enjoyed
peace and prosperity, cultivating the arts
and sciences, instead of making war on
other tribes and burning offerings to their
gods
TT chief point of interest in this para
BILE of Balaam and his ass is that the latter
has been one of the most remarkable
characters in literature. Her virtues have
been quoted in the stately cathedral, in the
in EI bofb 0 eeddv and t com edlto on ths stage
TO point a moral and adorn a tale.
IF women have been faithful to any class
of the human family IL has been to the
Levite. The chief occupation of their lives
next to bearing children has been to sus-
tain the priesthood and the churches. With
continual begging, fairs and donation par
ties. we have helped TO plant religious tenn
pies on every hilltop and valley, and in
the streets Of all our cities, so that the
doleful church bell is forever ringing in our
ears.
This is certainly a very effective way OF
strengthening religious faith. Most people
would assent TO any religious dogma, how
ever absurd, rather than be stoned TO
death"
One of the most startling declarations
comes near the close of Part !. 1t sums UP
Mrs. Stanton's views of the pentateuch as
a whole. She says:
This utter contempt for all the decencies
CT life and al the neutral personal rights
Of women as set forth in these pages should
destroy in the minds of women at least
all authority to superhuman origin and
stamp the pentateuch at least as emanat-
ing from the obscene minds of a barbarous
age
Just how many parts there are TO be In
this WOman'S Bible has not vet been told
If the succeeding parts bear any resem.
blance to Part /, there will assuredly be
an upheaval in the new woman movement
Already there are signs of revolt among
the Christian womel who lent their coun'
tenance to the new Bible without being
thoroughly informed as to the plan OF the
active workers. But the harm that this in
stanment may do is beyond estimation. AS
DR.. Rylance said when interviewed on the
subject: 1T is quite likely that many
women who swear by the names of some OF
the projectors OF the work will abjure Chris
tianity on account Of it."