The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-01
THE WOMAN'S BIBLE
WHAT 1T Is AND WHY ITS COM
PLIERS HAVE DONE THE WORK.
Claim the Bible Has Been Woman's
Greatest Enemy and that Its Teach
ings Must Be Overcome.


joyed rights and privileges of value and
distinction, which, under another regime
were taken from them. History declares
that the ancient Teutonic tribes treated
women with respect, great respect. Women
sat in the halls Of state, were consulted in
affairs of government and their opinions
were sought in matters OF war; in settling
disputes and in all important questions re-
lating to the management of human bust
ness. These ancient pagans were monoga-
mists, marrying but one wife and &C
knowledging the equality Of women in re-
ligious, political and secular matters gener-
ally.
And so it was in pagan Rome. The
women were educated, respected and hon.
ored in the family and in the government.
Hortensia, daughter of Hortensius, was a
student at law with her father. and when
she was admitted to practice at the bar
won many plaudits for her mastery ex-
position of the Roman laws So happy
were the conditions Of the family under
pagan rule that divorce was not known
in Rome for five hundred years, and thus
the river Of life flowed peacefully and hap
PLY.
Among other ancient nations women were
with the rulers guiding and conducting af-
fairs. They acquired property and when
married kept their own names, their chill
dren bearing the same.
The advent Of Christianity has been gen.
orally supposed to have brought more light
into the world, especially to have lifted
woman into a wider sphere, to have given
her prominence and crowned her with a
nObler grace.
The majority of people believe this to-
day. Women themselves who have been
brought up in the Church do not doubt it.
They have not asked, Is 1t true? but have
accepted as fact that which little ex-
animation would have revealed as pure
fiction.
The accepted authorities, the makers OF
Christian theology, brought no message OF
hope to the women of that other PERIOD
or to the women of any period. There was
no uplift for woman in anything they had
to say-not one word of hope, encourage
ment or good cheer, not one.
THE FIRST ISLANDER.
The Book Of Genesis portrays how sin
got into the world, how misery fastened
its fangs upon us. How then was it:
Does it not tell woman that she did it?
that she is responsible for all the distress,
sorrow and agony of life? that she brought
sin into a world of happiness and bloom?
1t is a dreadful charge, cruel and humili-
ating beyond expression.
There is the record, the foundation, upor
which is built the yoke of inferiority which
was fastened upon the neck of woman
Read it, and tell me IL there ever was OF
could be anything in the universe more t.
the hurt and injury of woman, NOR. dam
ming to her progress, more detrimental tC
her best interests, than the accusation
brought against her In the book that is the
superstructure of the prevailing fashion
able folly of Christian countries to-day.
iG a
sidered the peers politically of their broth
ers in this free land of ours? Why are
they in the same Category POLITICALLY ai
and the insane? Why are they not found
in the council chambers framing the law.
by which they are governed. and to which
Is it that they are indeed inferior, i'm
mature. lacking in good sense. reason OF
Judgment? Nay, nay, friends, such is no
the case. The real reason that woman
occupies a position inferior to that of mar
| is due wholly, solely and altogether to tn
| ban put upon her by the great religion
| count of the alleged Original Sin Of the al
legged Original Woman. 1t is that, and tina
| only.
According to the accepted authority II
Genesis relative to the advent of woman
| she was simply an addendum. an after
| thought. a supplement, spare-rib.
We know, of course, that woman existe
thousand years, but we will simply trac
| the account Of her miraculous coming &C
| cording to Scripture. Made from bon
| dowed with life, she appears on the seen
| of action. The first thing she did was I
| bring knowledge to the surface. Bless he
! for that. knowledge went by the name O
| sin in that olden day, and there are thos
| living who give it the same name now
knowledge was below par and very un
| fashionable.
| FIRST TO LEARN SOMETHING.
was first in the transgression," that Is
she had learned something. The canon la,
emphasized with almost paralyzing fSrc
| the Biblical statements concerning WON
| ans part and lot as chief actor in the stor
/: of the fall Of man.. Never were there NOR
scathing words against woman than tn
sentence uttered and written by Christia
saints and rulers and which have con
spired to keep her in the valley of humilia
/ ton and despair
Among the old Latin fathers of the churc
| was Tertullian, a lawyer, who became
Christian priest in the year 100. He wrot
| several books, and one, telling women hoy
they ought to dress, and that they Shout
hide their features behind veil wheneve
| quote some of his compliments to the sis
| terhood. Woman" he says, thou shoulds
ever be clothed in rags, and in mourning
appearing only as a penitent, drowned i
| tears, expiating thus the sin OF havin
| caused the fall of the human race" n
| goes on to say: Women, thou art tn
| gate Of the devil. 1t is thou who hast cor
rupted those whom Satan dare not attac
| face to face"
1t was, probably, Tertullian's books an
letters that helped Milton when he drew tn
| portrait of woman, making her a woman I
| the waist and the rest of her body seal
| serpent. representing her as the embed
ment of sin and doorkeeper Of the bottom
less pit.
serpent armed with mortal sting.
Among the many atrocious cruelties pei
| petrated by the early friends Of Christianit
is the murder of the beautiful and accom-
| plished Hypatia, in the year AS.
Why, at the great Christian Council q
| Macon, in $751; the good old saints solemn
| debated whether woman was a beast or
human being. ST. Jerome said she was
| wild beast OF dangerous species. The cor
| clusion. however. was that. being the moth
| er of men, she must be human because me
did not like to think themselves the of
| spring of beasts. They let her take com
munion, but not in her naked hands; oh. nc
She was considered too vile although he
hands had made the bread
Read Lecky's History of European MOI
| ais" He says: ''She was represented a
| the mother of all ills. She was taught tina
she should be ashamed of the very though
that she was born a woman-that sh
should live in continual penance on accour
of the curses which she had brought int
the world"
The ecclesiastical lawmakers seemed
take a fiendish delight in trampling woma
in the dust. Augustine declared that a hui
band had a perfect right to slap his Wi
in the face. John Wesley did not doubt
| The old English statutes say ii STILL bl
the stick must not be bigger than man
thumb. What sort of a cudgel il was afor'
time no one knows-probably a cordwoc
| stick or a birchen log. Does IL seem IL
credible? Go into the city courts to-morro