Bible -- Commentaries; Bible -- Feminist criticism; Women in the Bible
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave
to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh:
9 what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
The question of marriage was a constant theme for discussion in the
days of Moses and of Jesus, as in our own times. The Pharisees are
still asking questions, not that they care for an answer on the highest
plane of morality, but to entrap some one as opposed to the authorities
of their times. Life with Jesus was too short and his mission too stern
to parley with pettifoggers; so he gives to them a clear cut,
unmistakable definition as to what marriage is: "Whoever puts away his
wife, save for the cause of unchastity, which violates the marriage
covenant, commits adultery." Hence, under the Christian dispensation we
must judge husband and wife by the same code of morals.
If this rule of the perfect equality of the sexes were observed in all
social relations the marriage problem might be easily solved. But with
one code of morals for man and another for woman, we are involved in
all manner of complications. In England, for example, a woman may marry
her husband's brother; but a man may not marry his wife's sister. They
have had "a deceased wife's sister's bill" before Parliament for
generations. Ever and anon they take it up, look at it with their opera
glasses, air their grandfather's old platitudes over it, give a sickly
smile at some well-worn witticism, or drop a tear at a pathetic whine
from some bishop, then lay the bill reverently back in its sacred
pigeon-hole for a period of rest.
The discussion in the United States is now in the form of a
homogeneous divorce law in all the States of the Union, but this is not
in woman's interest. What Canada was to the Southern slaves under the
old regime, a State with liberal divorce laws is to fugitive wives. If
a dozen learned judges should get together, as is proposed, to revise
the divorce laws, they would make them more stringent in liberal States
instead of more lax in conservative States. When such a commission is
decided upon, one-half of the members should be women, as they have an
equal interest in the marriage and divorce laws; and common justice
demands that they should have an equal voice in their reconstruction. I
do not think a homogeneous law desirable; though I should like to see
New York and South Carolina liberalized, I should not like to see South
Dakota and Indiana more conservative.
Mark xii.
41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people
cast money into the treasury; and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she thew in two mites,
which make a farthing.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I
say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in than all they
which have cast into the treasury:
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