Dare
To Question
Though we have passed beyond
the Inquisition, the stake, the rack and the thumb screw, yet those who
dare publicly question the popular theology, are as effectually
persecuted to day, as ever. Though in different ways, from the coarse,
brutal modes of the past, we have more refined methods of torturing the
spirit rather than the flesh. Go into any community, and if there is a
person or family who does not belong to some one of the leading sects,
who expresses doubts as to the truth of any of the dogmas, traditions,
and superstitions of the popular theology and you will invariably find
such a person or family, ignored, ostracized, slandered, unless by great
wealth, and genius they conquer by power, the positions denied them by
right.
Hence Liberal Leagues are
needed to make all forms of religion, all shades of thought equally
respectable. We occasionally hear, even in our country at this late day,
of physical inflictions for opinion's sake, as the recent case in Texas
proves. It was stated in the leading Journals that a respectable
physician who was supposed to entertain liberal theological opinions,
was taken from his home, severely beaten, tarred and feathered: -- the
assailants declaring that all infidels in that state should be similarly
dressed and treated.
When Col. Robert Ingersoll
lectured in the chief cities of New York last winter, the press, the
pulpit at once put him in the pillory of abuse and denunciation. Bishop
Doane of Albany wrote a protest against him as a dangerous man unfit to
be heard! and tried to secure the signatures of all the leading clergy.
None declined. The people crowded to hear him, were enchained with his
eloquence and in spite of Bishop Doane's protest [Ingersoll] was invited
there a second time. The clergy throughout the state attacked him
fiercely, and treated him with as much arrogance as if the constitution
of the United States had not said in its first amendment, "Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of
speech." The question naturally arises, shall the clergy in this
land be permitted to do by clamor, what Congress is forbidden to do by
law? It may be a small matter to denounce one man in every pulpit from
Maine to Texas, but if the principle of free speech and free thought be
questioned and religious persecution tolerated, we have rung the death
knell of American liberties. We cannot watch with too jealous an eye the
slightest aggression on individual rights by the church, remembering
that the moral wrongs, oppressions and persecutions inflicted on
humanity through the centuries have all been in the name of religion. .
. .
The preference is invariably
given to those who sustain the popular faith. With all his resources in
himself, he [the freethinker] is often made to feel painfully conscious
of his isolation from human sympathy. One of the most touching chapters
in the Autobiography of Theodore Parker is that in which he describes
his sense of loneliness. While conscious of his own unflinching
integrity to principle, his lofty aspirations for all that is good, true
in a noble mankind, his devotion to the best interests of humanity, he
was traduced and shunned; almost to the end of his life, beyond human
sympathy. Many who read his great thoughts now, would not have dared to
listen to the living voice that first uttered them.
I recently met a young woman
just ordained in the Universalist Church and installed over a
congregation. She is as grand a type of womankind as I ever met. Well
developed in body and mind, beautiful to look upon, a charming
companion, and effective preacher, a woman whose influence in any
community must be most desirable. In expressing for her the enthusiasm I
felt to the wife of a clergyman, a very inferior type of womanhood,
narrow, bigoted, morose, ah! she replied, "Miss K. is a very
dangerous woman. She does not believe in the personality of the Devil,
in hell and eternal punishment. She is a Universalist, and my one regret
is that she is so ladylike, so charming, so unexceptional in thought,
word and deed; for that only makes her the more dangerous." And
thus everywhere we find character, influence, development, all made
secondary to belief in unimportant dogmas. A mere speculative faith of
what lies beyond our earthly horizon of which no mortal can possibly
know anything, is made primal to all the great facts of existence which
we do know, and for the right use of which we are responsible. When we
sum up all that the generations have lost in development, and suffered
through fear of the power of the Devil, and the torments of Hell, we
feel that the Canons of Westminster have been far too slow in rolling
back the huge iron gates of the bottomless pit, and letting the
oppressed go free. Seeing that with all their learning they have been so
lamentably tardy in lifting humanity out of such gloomy depths, it would
be well for us now one and all to begin to do our own thinking, and not
to blindly henceforward trust to the leadership of those no wiser than
ourselves.
A new thought in morals and
religion is as important as in art, science, discovery and invention,
and instead of persecuting those who utter it, we should encourage the
expression of individual opinion, resting in the faith that truth is
more powerful than error and must conquer at last. In estimating the
character of the noble men and women identified with the Liberal
movement compared with their assailants, I am forcibly reminded of the
morality and religion of the Fejee Islands. The United States Exploring
Expedition in their reports of uncivilized nations compare the Samoans
and Fejians. While the Samoans have no religion, no Gods, no rites, they
are kind, good humored, desirous of pleasing and very hospitable. Both
sexes show great regard and love for their children, and age is much
respected. The men cannot bear to be called stingy, and disobliging. The
women are remarkably domestic, and virtuous. Infanticide after birth is
unknown.
Their cannibal neighbors the
Fejians are indifferent to human life; they live in constant dread of
each other: shedding blood is no crime but a glory, they kill the
decrepit, maimed and sick, and treachery is an accomplishment.
Infanticide covers one half the births and the first lesson taught the
child is to strike its mother. A chief's wives, courtiers, and
aides-de-camp are strangled at his death. Cannibalism is rampant. They
sometimes roast their victims alive. When Gods have like characters,
they live on the souls of those devoured by men and yet these Fejians
look with horror at the Samoans, because they have no Gods, no rites, no
religion. What better are we who measure men by their creeds rather than
character? . . .
I am often asked what do those
Liberals mean by a complete secularization of the government? surely we
have no established church in this country. We have not in theory: --
but we have practically, so long as all church property is exempt from
taxation, so long as the Protestant Bible is read in our schools, and
the state enforces by law the observance of the Holy days of any one
religion in preference to all others. If the Seventh-day Baptists and
the Jews prefer to observe Saturday as holy time they should not be
forbidden to work on Sunday and the masses compelled to toil six days
should be protected in all rational amusements on the seventh. Yet in
more of our towns and cities there is no provision whatever for the
amusement and instruction of the masses.
We must guard with vigilance
all approaches at union of church and state . . . Though we see its
[theocracy's] crippling power in France, and Italy, the enemy of
science, and liberal ideas in both politics and religion, yet we imagine
we have no danger to apprehend from that quarter, forgetting that even
in our republic the clergy are a privileged order, and all church
property exempt from taxation.
. . . But mothers give their
sons no lessons on these great questions because they are not yet awake
to their importance themselves. And yet the position of woman is the
great factor in civilization to day. During the discussion on
Catholicism a few years ago in England Gladstone said in one of his
pamphlets that most ready converts to this religion as might be expected
are women, through them the men are made victims of priestcraft and
superstition. A recent writer on Turkish civilization says the great
block to all progress in that nation is the condition of the women, and
their improvement is hopeless, because they are taught by their religion
that their position is ordained of heaven. Thus has the religious nature
of woman been played upon in all ages and under all forms of religion
for her own complete subjugation, and our religion in the republic of
America is no exception. See how many Liberal clergymen we have seen in
the last two years brought before Synods and General Assemblies, tried
and condemned for preaching the doctrine of woman's equality and
admitting women to their pulpits. Our scriptures, and our religion as
taught by the majority of our ordained leaders, assign woman the same
subject position as under all other forms, and it is through the
perversion of her religious element that she is held in that condition.
As the son always reaps the
disadvantages suffered by the mother, we need not wonder that the man
who dares to think, reason, investigate, and protest against the
traditions, and superstitions of our popular religion is considered the
marvel of this day and generation. How many men have we who dare to
stand up in Congress, or the state legislature, and talk on the real
interests of the people, to tell what he knows to be the absolute truth
in any subject? We shall never have brave men until we first have free
women. . . .
Let the rising generation of
young men learn that justice, freedom and equality are principles of
which it is safe to build alike the state, the church, and the home, and
that it is impossible for them to ever realize a full, complete, noble
mankind, until their mothers, wives and sisters are recognized as equal
factors in the progress of civilization.
Elizabeth Cady
Stanton
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