The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 11, July, 1835Various
General
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 11, July, 1835
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
If we turn from the Polytheistic religion of the ancient world, to the
Monotheistic religion of the Mohammedan, we shall find the whole of
this system more gloomy, more revolting, and more repugnant to woman's
feelings, than even the Polytheistical. The fiery warlike character of
the prophet, the propagation of the religion by fire and sword--the
total degradation of the female character--the seraglio and the
attendant eunuchs, and the low and sensual offices of the black-eyed
Houris in Mohammed's paradise, are all too revolting to the women of
christian countries, to be even contemplated with composure for a
moment. We are not to wonder at the implacable hostility of christian
females all over the world towards the moslem. Women have always
attended in considerable numbers the armies of Europe, when it was
threatened with invasion by the devastating armies of the Turks.
D'Israeli in his very interesting collection of the curiosities of
literature, has a chapter on "events, which have not happened," and
gives us some speculations on the fate of Europe, if the Saracens
under Abderam had beaten Charles Martel at Tours. What woman now
moving with freedom and grace in the social circles of christendom,
but shudders at the bare idea of such a result.
Let us now turn to the _religion of Christ_, and contemplate its
character for a moment. And here shall we find a religion in every
respect suited to the character of woman. It has been truly and
emphatically pronounced to be a _religion of love_. The very scheme of
salvation was conceived by the Almighty in a spirit of love. God is
represented as so loving the world, that he gave his only begotten Son
to save it. And when that Son came into the flesh, and was asked by
the Pharisees for the most important commandments of the law, Christ
answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with
all thy soul, with all thy mind; and the second is like unto it. Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets." Now I have already shown in my first
number, that woman loves more tenderly, more devotedly, and constantly
than man. This religion of Christ, then, above every other, is fitted
for that deep abiding love which woman feels so much oftener than man.
It is eminently and peculiarly adapted to that being whose whole
history has been pronounced to be a history of the affections. "There
is nothing surely on earth (says Mrs. Butler,) that can satisfy and
utterly fulfil the capacity for loving, which exist in every woman's
nature. Even when her situation in life is such as to call forth and
constantly keep in exercise the best affections of her heart, as a
wife and a mother; it still seems to me as if more would be wanting to
fill the measure of yearning tenderness, which like an eternal
fountain gushes up in every woman's heart; therefore, I think it is,
that we turn, in the plenitude of our affections, to that belief which
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