Bible -- Commentaries; Bible -- Feminist criticism; Women in the Bible
The critics say that our title should have been "Commentaries on the
Bible." That would have been misleading, as the book simply contains
short comments on the passages referring to woman. Some say that it
should have been "The Women of the Bible;" but several books with that
title have already been published. The Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage says:
"You might as well have a 'Shoemakers' Bible'; the Scriptures apply to
women as we'll as to men." As the Bible treats women as of a different
class, inferior to man or in subjection to him, which is not the case
with shoemakers, Mr. Talmage's criticism has no significance.
"There's nothing so becomes a man,
As modest stillness and humility."
Another clergyman says: "It is the work of women, and the devil." This
is a grave mistake. His Satanic Majesty was not invited to join the
Revising Committee, which consists of women alone. Moreover, he has
been so busy of late years attending Synods, General Assemblies and
Conferences, to prevent the recognition of women delegates, that he
has had no time to study the languages and "higher criticism."
Other critics say that our comments do not display a profound
knowledge of Biblical history or of the Greek and Hebrew languages. As
the position of woman in all religions is the same, it does not need a
knowledge of either Greek, Hebrew or the works of scholars to show that
the Bible degrades the Mothers of the Race. Furthermore, "The Woman's
Bible" is intended for readers who do not care for, and would not be
convinced by, a learned, technical work of so-called "higher criticism."
The Old Testament makes woman a mere after-thought in creation; the
author of evil; cursed in her maternity; a subject in marriage; and all
female life, animal and human, unclean. The Church in all ages has
taught these doctrines and acted on them, claiming divine authority
therefor. "As Christ is the head of the Church, so is man the head of
woman." This idea of woman's subordination is reiterated times without
number, from Genesis to Revelations; and this is the basis of all
church action.
Parts I. and II. of "The Woman's Bible" state these dogmas in plain
English, as agreeing fully with Bible teaching and church action. And
yet women meet in convention and denounce "The Woman's Bible," while
clinging to the Church and their Scriptures. The only difference
between us is, we say that these degrading ideas of woman emanated from
the brain of man, while the Church says that they came from God.
Now, to my mind, the Revising Committee of "The Woman's Bible," in
denying divine inspiration for such demoralizing ideas, shows a more
worshipful reverence for the great Spirit of All Good than does the
Church. We have made a fetich of the Bible long enough. The time has
come to read it as we do all other books, accepting the good and
rejecting the evil it teaches.
"There lives more faith in honest doubt,
Believe me, than in half the creeds."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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