The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1903-04-17

which we call marriage, be 1t civil or
religious, is the most important con-
tract which human beings can make.
The eminent French writer and
scientist, Emile de Lander, declares
that marriage is more serious than
death: death, he continues, is not
even a blow, not even Pulsauon1 1t
il pause in the work of the physical
organism, the cessation of material
energy. But marriage unrOllS the lot
of numberles> generations, and upon
the physical condition and mental
embodiment of the individuals asSum-
ing the marriage relation depends the
veal or woe Of countless human be-
ings ami the upbuilding or downfall
Of the social structure
Civilization is dependent upon
marriage; therefore marriage, like
civilization, is subject To the law of
evolution, for it contains the prob
lem OF human progress and the s0lu
ton of ali the problems OF life.
THE EVOLUTION OF MARRIAGE
DrummOnd in his ascent Of Man"
declares that marriage ia not late
arrival, nor is it al afterthOught in
the plan Of creation. 1t did not begin
with Adam aud Even, in the tabled
garden Of Eden, nor was it waiting
through long aeOns of ages for the
pious word OF religion To render it
sacred and complete. 1t is part of
the constitution of the eternal cosmos,
the result of the electric affinity Of
the first cells Of sex life found upon
the earth. The union of male aud
female in mineral, plant and animal
life is a. great as God, a. OLD a. the
universe, and a. inevitable and uu-
swerving a. the law of life. From the
very first moment of time il has been
an eternal part of time. It l. the
manifestation or expression of that
divine creative energy or intelligence
which because of our limited kuOWl-
edge We call God. it is the founda-
ton Of the world, the progress Of
social evolution and the scientific
basis of biology. Until it il recognis-
ed as such, sociology can only beat
the air, theology will continue to toe n
failure, orthodoxy "A gigantic pretence
and All reform superficial and futile.
srlY of I'M IN
life upon the earth till the present
hour, marriage, like civilization, has
passed through every stage OF evOlu
ton; from the slavery of the woman
to the more cOngenial partnership OF
souls found in the relation of husband
and wife. The influence OF the mar.
ted by the confines of the globe, and
it must of necessity be the most inn
portant problem of eur complex civil
lizatiOn.
The agitation of the divorce ques-
ton il of greater Importance than Is
generally supposed, for it can not be
considered in any light that will
make secondary the all-important
question of motherhood. As the
altar lights Of superstition grow dim
the beautiful form of Justice becomes
dIScernible. Man is the builder in
the material realm, woman is the
builder in the spiritual realm OF the
Ia
ing progress for the race must begin
with the progress of embTyOtic growth.
The beautiful flower OF an enlightened
civilization can not ripen into perfect
fruit till the burdens OF legal disabili-
ty, marital subsection and ecclesissti-
cally assigned inferiority be lifted
from the motherhood of the world.
THE INJUSTICE To WOMANHOOD.
The teachings of Paul in regard to
marriage are responsible for the spirit
which permeates the church, pervades
our laws, cOrrupts our thought and de-
grades our customs. The church in
declaring marriage a sacrament is
not at one with itself, for Paul regard
ed and recommended marriage not as
a sacrament, not as divine institu-
ton. but as q remedy for those who
were enslaved TO the lusts of the flesh.
His teachings are not edifying to his
followers, and clearly emphasize the
Unreasonable distance between Christ
the teacher and Paul the preacher.
Initiating the folly of Paul, the early
fathers of the church very logically
took degrading view of woman.
Theological sbsurdity placed human
ity under a curse, and nature shared
in the disgrace. Men diseased by a
false, unlovable conception of God,
having no beauty within, and there
fore incapable of recognizing beauty
without, shut themselves up in cells
| behind bare walls, crucified the flesh,
stultitied the laws of being, violated
and set aside natures laws aud puts
| Gods green fields and matcbless