New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
WOMEN's RELIGIOUS FADS
HONORARY PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL
COUNCIL OF WOMEN TALKS ON
'ISMS" AND "OLOGIES"

Some one questions if women are more given
to religious decisions 'fads' than and if
why?' says Mary Lowe Dickinson, honorary presi
dent of the National Council Of Women. AN old
definition of the word fad Is "a bundle of straw.
Not very dangerous thing, unless. indeed spark
fall upon it from something already abaze. If the
blazing thing be woman's opinion, a woman's
conviction. well founded or unfounded. even fad
becomes torch that leads miseads, scintillates
radiates, dazzles, scorchcs. smirches warns.
so long the glowing thing may be made to seem
something other and of value than straws.
The French language gives to our various hob
bes and whims, our inspid fiddle-faddle ideas and
fancies. the fadaise. In Macauay's Life
and Letters we find the great writer declaring his
sympathy with Jeffrey in his contempt for the
tadaise of the bluestocking literature Notwith-
standing these contempt from the
sea, our own dictionary exats the word to place
of some dignity when it admits that fad may be
than "a trivial matter pursued with irrational
zeal. and calls it an important matter imper
fecty understood, often urged with more zeal
than sense
Now, since the imperfect understanding and the
jealous senseless pursuit do belong to the fad
at ALL but to the person espousing it. have
sifted out of the various definitions the fact that
fad, however understood or misunderstood, however
unwisely defended. may be an important thing.
IT, then. our questoner had asked. Are women less
keen in discriminating between the important and
the unimportant than mem it might be diff
cult to say. But our question is: Are women more
query no careful observer of the various religious
movements that have claimed recent attention in
our own and other countries hesitate to answer
Yes We have only to let the mind follow along
the procession of believers in every ism and
ology' and 'osophy'' under the sun, from those
who gave heed to the utterances that crept from
under the poke bonnet of the early Shaker Ann to
| those who hung the words of wisdom issuing
| from the yellow turbaned monks of the Orient. tC
know that the long ranks are largely feminine, not
! in numbers only but in loyalty and zeal
| FOLLOWERS OF EXTREME PHASES
1T would he foolish to deny that extreme phases
| of religious teaching have always found many de-
| voted followers among women. In every abnormal
| movement they not only outnumber men. but out
| rank them In advocacy and Guido them I'm sacrifice
! for whatever cause has their allegiance. But
| not necessarily admission OF her greater weak
ness and credulity. The very qualities which make
| women victims and defenders alike OF new and I'M
| popular ideas make them also faithful wives TO
i unucky men, devoted mothers to aing children
and loyal supporters OF unfortunate friends. A
| good womans hunger to give her best TO the best
| she knows keeps her ever on the alert for some
thing better than she has yet discovered. Her dis
content with much of her religious teaching is not
! always unworthy; indeed, 1t is sometimes a divine
| discomfort If she fails enjoy the mild essays
frequently offered In the guise OF instruction
| and admoniton. she may not openly rebel her
portion OF spiritual food; she may even blame her
self for her lack OF assimilation. yet she knows