Men, Women, and Gods; and Other LecturesGardener, Helen H. (Helen Hamilton)
Religion
Men, Women, and Gods; and Other Lectures
Gardener, Helen H. (Helen Hamilton)
Free thought
It is not strange that Columbia College, with its corps of clergymen,
"fails to see the propriety" of opening its doors to women. The few
clergymen who have for some little time past taken the side of fair-play
in this and like matters have simply deserted their colors and come over
to the side they are worldly-wise enough to see is to be the side of the
future. When it comes to diplomacy the Church is always on deck in
time to gather in the spoils; but she stays safely below during the
engagement, and simply holds back and anchors firm until she sees which
way it is likely to end.
The moment there is an understanding on the part of women of what they
owe to Church Law, that moment will educational clerical monopolists,
such as the champion anchor of Columbia, be compelled to earn an honest
living in some honest business pertaining to this world. It will be a
great day for women when they refuse to longer support these pretenders
to divine knowledge, who are willing, at so much a head, to tell what
they do not know at the expense of the pale, tired needlewoman, who
is in want of almost every comfort that money can buy in this world,
together with the surplus gold of the fashionable devotees who minister
to the vanity of the clergy, and give to the coffers of the Church that
which would save thousands of young girls from degradation and crime,
and put the roses of health on the cheek of innocence.
Every dollar that is paid to support the Church is paid to degrade a
woman. Every collection that is made to spread "revelation" is used to
suppress enlightenment and retard civilization. Every dollar that is
invested in "another world" is a dollar diverted from useful purposes in
this. Every hour that is spent mooning about "heaven" is that much time
taken from needed labor here.
If our energies were wanted in another world we should most likely be in
another world. Since we are in this one it is a pretty strong hint that
we are expected to attend to business right here. We can't do justice to
two worlds at the same time; and since we are assured that we shall have
the whole of eternity to arrange matters in the next one, it leaves very
little time by comparison to devote to our duties in this.
There we are to have nothing to do but sing and be happy--twang a harp
and smile.
Here we have pain to alleviate, ignorance to dispel, innocence to
protect, disease to master, and crime to restrain and prevent. Here we
have the helpless to shield and guard and protect. Here we have homes to
make happy, the hearts of husbands and wives to make glad, the light
of love and trust to kindle in the eyes of children. Here is old age to
cheer and console. Here are orphans to educate and protect, widows to
comfort, and oppression to uproot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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