1914
Mrs. Gilman Asserts at Feminist Gathering Eve Came First In Garden of Eden
New York, Feb. 20 — Adam, not Eve, was the rib. That is, instead of woman springing from the rib of man it happened the other way — man was fashioned from the rib of woman, who came first in the Garden of Eden. So declared Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a leader of the feminist movement.
Elaborating on her address delivered before 100 women, Mrs. Gilman brought out these tenets of her belief:
First, the highest form of life is the female of the species — any species. Woman has progressed, while man has failed to develop physiologically speaking.
Woman's sphere is motherhood and the growth of the race, while man is but a hunter and fighter. Only as she serves man in motherhood is woman considered useful and protected.
Showing posts with label gender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gender. Show all posts
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Men Object to "Sissy" Religion, BISHOP SAYS
1907
Men Object to "Sissy" Religion
By Bishop WARREN CANDLER of the Methodist Episcopal Church South
A "SISSY" RELIGION DELIVERED BY A "SISSY" PREACHER IS DRIVING MEN FROM THE CHURCH. NO WONDER THE MEN DON'T GO TO CHURCH WHEN THEY ARE FORCED TO LISTEN TO A LOT OF "SISSY" TALK. THERE IS TOO MUCH OF THIS EFFEMINATE RELIGION.
I have often thought. What does the average man think of this EFFEMINATE RELIGION AND DAINTY LULLABIES? I don't mind telling you what I often do when I go to a church like that. I get into some comfortable place and GO TO SLEEP. When a man trifles with religion it's a good thing to do. BUT YOU MUSTN'T SNORE.
There must be virility in religion if the men are to be held.
—Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Dec. 28, 1907, p. 2.
Note: Another editorial on the same page had a lot of strange capitalization, too. So it might not have been the Bishop's style but the editor's for emphasis.
Men Object to "Sissy" Religion
By Bishop WARREN CANDLER of the Methodist Episcopal Church South
A "SISSY" RELIGION DELIVERED BY A "SISSY" PREACHER IS DRIVING MEN FROM THE CHURCH. NO WONDER THE MEN DON'T GO TO CHURCH WHEN THEY ARE FORCED TO LISTEN TO A LOT OF "SISSY" TALK. THERE IS TOO MUCH OF THIS EFFEMINATE RELIGION.
I have often thought. What does the average man think of this EFFEMINATE RELIGION AND DAINTY LULLABIES? I don't mind telling you what I often do when I go to a church like that. I get into some comfortable place and GO TO SLEEP. When a man trifles with religion it's a good thing to do. BUT YOU MUSTN'T SNORE.
There must be virility in religion if the men are to be held.
—Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Dec. 28, 1907, p. 2.
Note: Another editorial on the same page had a lot of strange capitalization, too. So it might not have been the Bishop's style but the editor's for emphasis.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Sex and Sin — Gender Differences and Morality
1902
Sex and Sin
An Interesting Discussion of an Old, Old Subject
"The woman thou gavest to be with me tempted me and I did eat." Such was the plea of Adam — and Adam has always been regarded by civilized people as a bit of a sneak for thus attempting to shift the burden of responsibility upon the sex which the highest development of chivalry demands that the male should protect. Bishop Spaldlng of Peoria is hardly to be classed with Adam when he characterizes the women of America as the source of three-quarters of the crime committed in this country, for he has no personal motive in making the accusation. He seems to be animated, rather, by a broad spirit of philosophical inquiry.
His impressions are evidently gained largely from the confessional and from the intimate observation of the details of family and social life permitted to a priest of his church. Physicians who, in a way, often serve as father confessors to the unfortunate, draw facts from their own experience which would lead to a similar conclusion. But in saying that women are the source of a large percentage of the crime we would not understand either the priest or the physician as saying that the women were culpably so. Eve may have had no intention of tempting Adam to sin. Manlike, he may have followed the lure of her beauty and her charm on his own responsibility, and resolved to tread the path of disobedience in her company, though it led to death.
The philosophic statement of the broad truth would be that the sex motive is at the bottom of seventy-five per cent of the crime in the world. Next to alimentiveness, amativeness is the strongest instinct in human nature. The race first seeks the means of continuing the individual existence, and next the means of continuing the species. Woman is at once the tempted and the temptress. The lawless passions of man wreak themselves on her, and she in her weakness protects herself with subtlety, oftentimes with deception. The consequences of common sin are more fearful to her than to the man, and she is taught from her childhood to protect her virtue at the sacrifice, if necessary, of other noble qualities — or that failing to do so she is utterly lost. Hence the reckless abandon of impure women. The boy, on the other hand, is taught that truth, courage, honor are of more importance than bodily purity. As society is largely constituted, the man violates the law of purity lightly, but holds to his other standards of honor, while the woman who shares his sin is dragged to utter degradation. The man perhaps recovers his balance; finds his standing in society not impaired, and leads a useful and honorable life, as worldly honors go. Thus the contrast between the two classes of sinners becomes accentuated to the disadvantage of the woman and the advantage of the man.
The scientist Lombroso accounts woman the immoral sex, because she has not the same standards of truth and honor and courage that men have. If she has not, it is the fault of her education and not of nature. Under existing standards she has not a fair chance in the world. But in spite of this a large percentage of the sex rise to moral heights of which men are incapable. Bishop Spalding's arraignment at first blush excites indignation; but when properly construed it is in reality more an arraignment of men and the false standards of education and morality, than of women as women. The fair sex may be the source of crime, through their attraction and fascination, without being themselves the responsible sinners. If the reader will keep this fact in view he (or she) will he able to appreciate the force of the bishop's observation without mentally accusing him of either false diagnosis or intentional slander. — Minneapolis Tribune.
—The Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, June 11, 1902, p. 3.
Sex and Sin
An Interesting Discussion of an Old, Old Subject
"The woman thou gavest to be with me tempted me and I did eat." Such was the plea of Adam — and Adam has always been regarded by civilized people as a bit of a sneak for thus attempting to shift the burden of responsibility upon the sex which the highest development of chivalry demands that the male should protect. Bishop Spaldlng of Peoria is hardly to be classed with Adam when he characterizes the women of America as the source of three-quarters of the crime committed in this country, for he has no personal motive in making the accusation. He seems to be animated, rather, by a broad spirit of philosophical inquiry.
His impressions are evidently gained largely from the confessional and from the intimate observation of the details of family and social life permitted to a priest of his church. Physicians who, in a way, often serve as father confessors to the unfortunate, draw facts from their own experience which would lead to a similar conclusion. But in saying that women are the source of a large percentage of the crime we would not understand either the priest or the physician as saying that the women were culpably so. Eve may have had no intention of tempting Adam to sin. Manlike, he may have followed the lure of her beauty and her charm on his own responsibility, and resolved to tread the path of disobedience in her company, though it led to death.
The philosophic statement of the broad truth would be that the sex motive is at the bottom of seventy-five per cent of the crime in the world. Next to alimentiveness, amativeness is the strongest instinct in human nature. The race first seeks the means of continuing the individual existence, and next the means of continuing the species. Woman is at once the tempted and the temptress. The lawless passions of man wreak themselves on her, and she in her weakness protects herself with subtlety, oftentimes with deception. The consequences of common sin are more fearful to her than to the man, and she is taught from her childhood to protect her virtue at the sacrifice, if necessary, of other noble qualities — or that failing to do so she is utterly lost. Hence the reckless abandon of impure women. The boy, on the other hand, is taught that truth, courage, honor are of more importance than bodily purity. As society is largely constituted, the man violates the law of purity lightly, but holds to his other standards of honor, while the woman who shares his sin is dragged to utter degradation. The man perhaps recovers his balance; finds his standing in society not impaired, and leads a useful and honorable life, as worldly honors go. Thus the contrast between the two classes of sinners becomes accentuated to the disadvantage of the woman and the advantage of the man.
The scientist Lombroso accounts woman the immoral sex, because she has not the same standards of truth and honor and courage that men have. If she has not, it is the fault of her education and not of nature. Under existing standards she has not a fair chance in the world. But in spite of this a large percentage of the sex rise to moral heights of which men are incapable. Bishop Spalding's arraignment at first blush excites indignation; but when properly construed it is in reality more an arraignment of men and the false standards of education and morality, than of women as women. The fair sex may be the source of crime, through their attraction and fascination, without being themselves the responsible sinners. If the reader will keep this fact in view he (or she) will he able to appreciate the force of the bishop's observation without mentally accusing him of either false diagnosis or intentional slander. — Minneapolis Tribune.
—The Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, June 11, 1902, p. 3.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
