CHRISTIANITY AND WOMEN.

Evening Star, Issue 19891, 13 June 1928, Page 1

CHRISTIANITY AND WOMEN.

TO THE EDITORSir, —I see by “E.W.F.V letter, reading between the lines, a young man of about twenty-throe or so, of the controversial type, one who has not fully studied the classics of literature and has not understood the laws ami agencies which govern this universe of ours. Theology and good literature are blanks to him, yet with this horrible vacuum in his mentality ho sets out to deride Christianity. Has your correspondent ever read James Donaldson’s book on ‘ Women: Her Position and Influence in Ancient Greece and Rome ’ P If he has he will remember these lines: “Women have almost no rights; they are entirely under the power of man, and they live in continual uncertainty ns to what their destiny may be. Tho woman may be a princess brought up in a happy, wealthy home, but she knows that strangers may come and carry her off to be a slave in another man’s house. This uncertainty seems to have produced a strong impression on their character;, and was the inevitable result of the times.” Now, this happened when Homer was alive, about 800 B.c. Greece was in her prime; she was unchristian, yet stood as the most cultured country of the world. Of course, even in pagan lands we hear or read of love and devotion given by man and wife. There is a Roman legend to the fact that an elderly man called Tiberius caught two young snakes in his bed, and on applying to tho horuspices or divines found that he must not kill, but let both go. Should he kill tho male singly ho would die, and if the female succumbed his wife, Cornelia, would die. Ho did not hesitate long. He loved his wife, ana ho was an elderly man, while she was young. So that ho killed the male snake, and soon after died. Pagan Rome, but touched with a spark of the Divine!

But think, “ E.W.F.,” not of this legend only, but of those poor slave women compelled to marry slaves, aliens, and diseased Romans that their masters might benefit by the issue. These free Roman women, so previously exalted by your correspondent, are not what they seem to be. In the year 331 B.c. 170 matrons were summoned to tho Senate and found guilty of poisoning their husbands. They did this for no other reason than that of being badly treated! Again, in 186 8.c., we find parts of Rome going mad over _ the_ worship of Bacchus—women going into tits of madness who wore the cream of culture and refinement, One could go on and quote legend after legend, fact after fact: but space forbids, “ E.W.F.” will notice all the dates are before Christ. Now let him compare that which was with that which is about him. True and loving wives, lady social workers among the poor and needy, women doctom and nurses, and hosts of other examples. He will bo led to tho conclusion that a break must have occurred somewhere in history whereby woman has risen from a plane of horrible degeneracy to one of beautiful self and community efficiency Concluding, let mo quote from a Grecian legend: Hyperides, an orator, was defending Hetaira Phryno before a court of justice. His arguments were useless, and the case was going against him. But au idea struck him. Tearing open tho garment of his client, he revealed to the judges a bosom perfectly marvellous in form. The judges, knowing she was guilty, acquitted her, and I think the whole Greek sentiment agreed with their decision. Women today are not judged like that. It is not logic to say, because tho body is beautiful, the mind must be beautiful. Women to these people, these Greeks and Romans, were mere beings filled with life of a higher order than tho beasts of tho fields. 1 would strongly advise “Mr E.W.F.” to read tho classics, rfhd, more so. the Bible. Should he do so he will see these words:— “That aged women be reverent in demeanour, not slanderers, nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good, so that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be solemn-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being subject to their husbands, that the' word of God he not blasphemed.”—l am, etc . 11.L.H. June 13.

TO THE EDITORSir, —It is with the greatest of interest that one reads “ E.W.F.’s ” letter proving tho statement of the Bishop of London on file above subject to bo erroneous. The century which your correspondent calls sceptical is also undoubtedly selfish. Hence it gives one’s faith in human nature a decided stimulus to encounter an individual who bothers to correct a ridiculous statemeat so that “many be not deceived.” People _ should bo warned against Christianity lest, in their ignorance, they produce offspring who in manhood will emulate Raskin, Gladstone, Shaftesbury, or Lord Roberts. By the way, was not Borne the nation whose people left unwanted infants to perish in tho cold? And is not the sceptical century tho ono whoso churches have built orphanages?—l am, etc;., Content tc be Deceived. June 13