Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
Tell me if Christianity has not ever held the reins in this
country; and what has it done for woman? I am talking now of the
popular idea of Christianity. What has Christianity done for
woman for two hundred years past? Why, to-day, in this Christian
nation, there are a million and a half of women bought and sold
like cattle; a million and a half of women who can not say who
are the fathers of their children! I ask, are we to depend on a
Christianity like that to restore woman her rights? I am speaking
of your idea of Christianity--of Dr. Nevin's idea of
Christianity--I shall come to the true Christianity by and by.
One of two things is certain. The Church and Government deny to
woman her rights. There is not a denomination in this country
which places woman on an equality with man. Not one. Can you deny
it?
Mrs. MOTT: Except the Progressive Friends.
Mr. FOSTER: They are not a denomination, they have broken from
all bands and taken the name of the Friends of Progress. I say
there is not a religious society, having an organized body of
ministers, which admits woman's equality in the Gospel. Now, tell
me, in God's name, what we are to hope from the Church, when she
leaves a million and a half of women liable to be brought upon
the auction-block to-day? If the Bible is against woman's
equality, what are you to do with it? One of two things: either
you must sit down and fold up your hands, or you must discard the
divine authority of the Bible. Must you not? You must acknowledge
the correctness of your position, or deny the authority of the
Bible. If you admit the construction put upon the Bible by friend
Barker, to be a false one, or Miss Brown's construction to be the
true one, what then? Why, then, the priesthood of the country are
blind leaders of the blind. We have got forty thousand of them,
Dr. Nevin included with the rest. He stands as an accredited
Presbyterian, giving the hand of fellowship to the fraternity,
and withholding it from Garrison and others--he could not even
pray a few years ago in an anti-slavery meeting. Now, either the
Bible is against the Church and clergy, or else they have
misinterpreted it for two hundred years, yes, for six thousand
years. You must then either discard the Bible or the priesthood,
or give up Woman's Rights.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account