The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-12-15
THE WOMAN'S BIBLE.
RELIGIOUS CIRCLES WORKED r
OVER THIS REMARKABLE
PUBLICATION.
is A HANDBOOK OF lkFlOELITY

Written in Most FIippant Style, il Ridi'
cuies the Biblical story of Creation,
.iencances Moses as Common
"sskir.'' Abuses the Patriarchs and
Denies That e.ed Ever Talked Dire ct-
ny With Amy Man--Some Character
astic Quotations From Ii.
NEW YORK, Dec 14-Religious
and social circles are much worked up
ever part of the woman's bible, which
was published last week. An inspec-
hon of this very remarkable work
shows it to be little less than hand
seek of infdelity. 1t ridicules the bib
heal story of the creation, denies that
Sed ever talked directly with any man,
strips the patriarchs of their halos,
and denounces Moses as n common
fakir." Indeed, Moses could not have
Jared worse in the book if Colonel In
gersoH had written it. The style is
act SO fippant as he would have used.
out it is none the less irreyerent and
siasphemous. As an example of the
leenoclastic tendencies of the new ,yo-
MAN, it is something awful to contem-
plate. Mrs. Elizabeth 3. Grannis says
the book will be a decided detriment
20 the cause of woman suffrage Mrs.
Anna IT. Shaw says it is the brilliant
eHnsion of prejudiced women. Dr.
Joseph II. Rylance says the very title
of the book is ridiculous and is "a mere
cloak for bitter attack upon Chris
tianity.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton is the head
and front of the woman's bible enter
prise. Joined with her in the produc-
tion of this first part, which consists of
comments on the pentateuch, are Lille
Devereaux Blake, Rev. Phoebe Hama
ford, Clara Bewick Colby. Ellen Bat
telse Dietrich, Ursula N Gestefeld
Mrs. Louisa Southwark and Frances
EiaeR Burr. The method Of work
adopted by these leaders of the new
woman movement is described by Mrs
Stanton in the preface as follows:
cash person purchased two bibles.
Tan through them them from Genesis
10 Revelations, making all the texts
that concerned women. The passages
were cut out and pasted in a blank
seok and the commentaries then writ
tea underneath
WILD DASH INTO PRINT
'Fhe feminine audacity of this plan
is nut UpI 10 COlikHltflU itSEtI 10 tiRtO-
logical students. The international
committee on the revision of the bible
labored twenty years before their work
was anywhere near completion. Upon
that committee were the most eminent
Hebrew and Greek scholars of the
wsgid Doubtful or obscure passages
we're gone over scores of times and
the text as printed passed the critical
81
CLANS OF Great Britain and the United
State.. Mark the difference between
their method of work and that of this
committee of new women. Not one of
the latter, it is said, is either a Hebrew
or Greek scholar, and instead of deyo-
ting years to their self-imposed task
they merely rushed through the bible
last summer. wrote commentaries on
such passages as excited their interest,
and rushed them to the printer.
Why such product should be called
a woman's bible is mystery. 1t is
equally surprising that well-known
Christian women should aid in the I'M
.lertaking Even if it were meant mere
" as a protest against woman's status
as defined in the bible the plan was i'll
advised and presumptuous. From the
SCty Et<it a ioNA Va AhiaNAita -
struck which cannot but ALLEVIATE
thousands of women from the social
ed emancipation movement with which
Mrs. Stanton has long been associated.
MllE. STATIONS INTRODUCTION.
Here is what this female Ingersoll
says in introduction to part /:
why is it more ridiculous for woman
TO protest against her present status
Ri ,f.st,a in ha
ordinances and discipline OF the church
than In the statutes and constitution
of the State? Why is il more ridicu
lous 10 arraign ecclesiastics for their
false teaching and acts of injustice to
women than members Of Congress and
the house of commons Why is it
more audacious to review Moses than
Blackstone, the Jewish code of laws
than the English system of jurispru-
dence?
'The sentimental feeling We all have
sor those things we were educated TO
believe sacred do not readily yield to
pure reason | distinctly remember
the shudsier that passed over me on
seeing a mother take our family bible
to make a high seat Tor her child at
table. 1t seemed such Dissertation |
was tempted to protest against its use
for sHeh purpose, and this, too, long
after my reason had repudiated its
divine authority.
Bible historians claim special inspi-
ration for the old and new testaments
containing most contradictory re-
cords of the same events, OF miracles
opposed 10 all known laws. of customs
that degrade the female sex of all hui
man and animal life, stated in most
questionable language that could not
be read in a promiscuous assembly
and call all this 'the word OF God
90 aot believe that any man ever
saw or talked with God: ! do not be-
iieve that God inspired the Mosaic code
or told the historians what they say
he did about woman, for all the reli-
gions on the face of the earth degrade
her, and SO long as woman accepts the
position that they assign her her eman-
cipasion is impossible.
GENESIS TAKEN Up.
The first twelve chapters in the book
deal with Genesis. Here Mrs Stanton
makes the startling discovery that the
Holy Trinity is composed Of Heay-
emily Father, mother and son. She finds
her authority in the passage which
saws
''So(tod created man in his own image
in the image Of God created he him;
male and female created hethem." !.
Mrs. Stanton's commentary on this
reads.