The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-25
A THE0SOPHIC VIEW.
THE PURPOSE OF THE WISDOM
RELIGION As To WOMAN.
Justice for the Gentler Sex One of
the Purposes of Theosophy-Wo-
man Must BE Redeemed Through
the Divinity of Woman-Man's
Responsibility for Wrong Cannot
He Shirked.

Il IS claimed tina. Theosophy offers a
complete philosophy az nature and OF life.
II this claim can be fully justified. then
TIE ethics Of Theosophy must cover the
whole range OF human conduct. and not
only furnish just basis OF action. but
point out a reconciliation aud the Ugh;
principles OF reconstruction OF both inci-
yidual Efc and social relations
The test OF any theory OF social ethics
must be its logical application 10 both ia
dividual and social life. Its principles
mrst be based on exact justice 10 every
individual, and must Dc self-evident Its
working hypothesis must not De a sub
ttrfGge or a compromise. TIE greatest
coed 10 the greatest number. upon which
thc best known governments have been
based, will not answer the require Haents
OF AT ide Al social state. Tire se4ueStra-
ton or the execution of the individual for
the protection OF society Is not a sGff-
cent reason, TO matter what the indi-
vIdrais crime may De. TX such punish
rlent overiooks and ignores thu best in
te-ests Of the criminal himself. \ just
code OF ethics must therefore be based,
not On the greatest good 10 the greatest.
number. but on the greatest good 10 the
whole
These ethical principles cannot he put
down by a sheer and the cry of '-senti-
mentality" so long as IL can be shown
that the criminal Injuries himself in many
cases more than he Injuries others, and
that reformation is a duty paramount TO
mere punishment. The duty of protecting
the criminal from himself must be logical
ly and justly included in the duty of pro-
tecting society. When the nature OF
man is fully understood. together with the
invisible though potent forces that gov
ern human life on all planes, ii becomes
at once apparent that the execution OF
criminals saturates the very air We
breathe with crime. and that a suppress
SIGN OF life on the visible pla0e is the
strongest promoter OF crime in that in
visible realm OF causation from which
crime proceeds. Hypnotism is rapidly
demonstrating this principle. ana ii can
not be much longer ignored.
1t will doubtless be urged that com.
plete code of ethics already exists in the
Christian dispensation. and yet We may
point TO the fact that neither crime nor
prostitution has been thereby prevented
in Christian lands. Neither is the moral
code OF protested Christians equal 10 that
In vogue among heather nations" On
the contrary, IL often falls below IT, The
strictly Christian ethics have been ig-
rored and are fast becoming hopelessly
ooscured by ritualism on the one hand
and by materialism on the o.her; the
first has killed out all sense of right and
Justice; the second aims TO destroy the
existence of the soul. Together these
twin destroyers are doing their best TO
reduce man TO the plane of animal life
The destroying blight of mater!alism
would nave been impossible without the
paralyzlng effect previously wrought by
rtuaism, where mere form and lin SER
wee are allowed TO usurp the place OF
truth and heart service. While therefore,
Tneosophy calls a halt to both ritualism
ana materialism, and while it frankly ad-
mits that its code of ethics Is both Chris
tan and pre-Christian and no more new
tnan 1t Is confined 10 the Christian origl-
haIs, II claims to point out not only the
need. but the basis OF reform
IL the Christian ethics are ba sed on ms
tlce and charity, the Christian theology
and practice have entirely los. sight Of
their originals, and this is nowhere more
apparent than In the treatment: OF women
The Impeachment has been too often pre-
scented in detail to require restatement
mere. one illustration only. bearing 10 m
our subject. need be mentioned II might
seem on all principles of Justice. decency-
or humanity that the mother. who bears
the pains and trials OF maternity. involv-
ing all her life forces. has better right to
the possession OF her offspring than the
rather. whose participation In these trials
Is Insignificant al most, and is usually in
stigated by and comprised in a moment of
animalism
Yet the law In Christian lands usually
assigns the possession of the child 10 the
father where the child Is born in wedlock
and forces its possession on the mother il
born out Of wedlock. In other words this
nan~made Christian law" makes the
natural instinct OF the mother shield TO
the injustice and brutality Of the father
Ihe money damages and constrained sup
port OF the child sometimes legally wrung
hA e. 49,
the principles under discussion.
We have already shown that anv -,rin
ciple or ethics must be tested by its apoli-
cduoh ana It's results. This aDnlication
ana It's results, however, must tiepend on
the conditions or the thing 10 which the
principle is applied. For example If the
soul is an eDItome Of the physical fun~-
t'ohS OF me body; II 1t arises from and is
evolved with the body. only 20 perish with
H. then the application OF our prircIn,a
can be only temporal. its highest aim
tifns-ssrVine. its method A corno-on,{se.
ana Its results selfish and sensuous az hest
III. on the other hand the BODY is bu, th.,
tabernacle OF the soul: II IL is the soul that
p"llos me BODY. dwells in IL. uses II. and
a. last iorsakes Il FOR other bodies. then
the application OF our principle has a very
different bearing indeed We are Indebted
10 theological rtuallsm seconded M, ..s-i
Fhtlnc ma'erlaiiS-n. for the actual Don9i
lions first supposed. and the result hea~.
as all social abuses do. NOS. heavfl,- -,
conan he average man in his ans.{sl -
Lat'ohs utterly diSreSards the rights ana
ete ptS' interests or woman. He IS SUI
premeiy selfish. and through this salesb-
ness ami the laws and customs ~. base-.
a&'e1 10 foster and protect IL 90 pn~ns-
trates In another form tba, hsr
! tarism which held tha wo,,,,
aas no soIi. When saners,.t,sn
'eF- fuH sway in the ~eieshreee e
man was greatly exercised over ~. s,,,.,
non OF soul. she possession or 7rbtob -,
~"hie' - woman Having esq ma go,
t1e t'onfsage % superstition. ana as,,s--
- - 'saliN ignored or sclentlncarv eero-
sIs.'"'FTl that he soul $ nothing. AMI ne
heay everything. he c,,mnfs-sr,f,. -
the soul business th-osIgl, ~ 80, -
",H'l@h ana i11tscrtn:natal and fav-1sS.s5,-
taxes Possession of her BODY a ,e'~a,.e- -
csh mus man n general c,an NJ t--,s..,
e"Vash MS salnsh0eSs 70 take rh,. -
e'iSfNeFs 70 D. the best -hluEs to h,vose,r
utterly regardless 81 The he's. f-.o~-.-
woman. since he no longer cares g. 70
'sFoh Ne has Ersc.ousy RELOCATED me, d.
fs4ftsnent - woman. co-,en, % A,,14 ~
purse ana me bodies % woman. And rsavy
'oeA a the result Man may ~ stear.,s -
me very lips IN sin and r0ttenre.ss "a 80
NJ MS head IN society AMI re welcomed -.
nc mothers and daughters % a,r..s-v "a
s4tS@ie mate 70 n pure ard vi-~1v-,,s
woman. particularly - his graap % .ra
ptsTssssirznSs has been Hryn AMI s,1s,,ssa
F1L In sact. IL Is though. unite tta -hs--~
20 reform ore Of tneSe moral la-ers
oF marry tnE him 10 vlrtuols fr-c~e~7t
an iEvc-a1t SIR, W-1ea. however this
esle Is a2sie1 % woman. y is corHple..lv
reversed Let bsss a breath - go,
- h-eAs Aei srsfrs. q ys-,-.-s- -