Doesn’t the feminist speak for the formerly “oppressed woman”, claiming that she only wants to free her from the sad, miserable life society once forced her to live? Does feminism not want us to believe that the “woman of old” was repressed, uninfluential, powerless?
I submit to you that mostly women were viewed quite the opposite. Many understand exactly how a woman’s role affects society. Modern feminism is tainted with a dishonest agenda that, underneath it all, actually seeks to make women less powerful, less influential than they have ever been.
Consider this excerpt, taken from a well-known ladies magazine, written by a man, printed in 1852:
WOMAN.
BY EDWARD D. MANSFIELD
“THERE is a beautiful parallelism between the condition of woman in her domestic life, and the character of a nation. She is the mother of men, and the former of their minds, at that early age when every word distils upon the heart, like the dew-drop upon the tender grass. There is to that young mind no truth or falsehood in the world but that whose words flow from the mother’s lips. There is no beauty in character, nor glory in action, which has not been concentrated by her praise. There is to that climbing child no path where the mother’s feet has not trod. Her mind is to his the supernatural pillar of fire which illumines his mid-night ignorance, and the silvery cloud which at mid-day precedes him in every highway to the world. And, even when science has conducted her pupil through the highest walls of knowledge; or when art has polished him into the accomplished citizen; or when power has dignified him with the memorials of office, she still lives in his soul, which she has imbued from her heart’s “pictured urn, With thoughts that breathe, and words that burn.”
It is thus that society is formed in its social and moral ideas, and thus that its condition must ever present, on a large scale, a parallelism in its moral life, to the condition of woman. It is not matter of fancy, but a great social fact.”
Blessed is the nation who reveres its women, understanding the powerful role they have in society.
7 comments
I have been taught to believe (I am not surely not alone in this) that women from the old days, even as early as the 1950’s were nothing but slaves that they were beaten by their husband. I was also taught to believe that women only got married because society threw them away otherwise, forcing them to prostitute themselves or die from starvation being that society had no use for women outside of what her male captor selfishly deemed appropriate.
It’s not easy trying to de-brain wash, and part of me is built on this notion I have learned all my life. So anyhow, you go Kelly! The fight you are fighting here is an important one.
Thanks, Catherine.
I better say it, before someone jumps in wagging a finger 🙂
I’m not suggesting that a woman has never been oppressed, or treated badly, or considered insignificant. Certainly there were times and cultures who treated women badly.
But people should know that it has not been perpetual and universal…and that Jesus was the greatest Emancipator of women, and that previously in the history of America, particularly, women were highly esteemed and recognized for their tremendous influence on society…just wanted to eliminate any charge of being naive 🙂
There is actually more physical abuse to women now than ever before in America…interesting, isn’t it? When a nation turns away from God, evil ensues.
I have noticed that as a whole feminism has CLAIMED to seek equality. But they’ve already achieved that in most areas…so what’s left? Becoming superior to men and that’s what they’re pushing for now, I’ve noticed. Its not enough for them to be equal.
Good post!
What a beautiful picture of how influential mothers can be (when they are dedicated to their calling, of course!). Unfortunately I fear there are many mothers who don’t wield even a fraction of the influence over their children that is described here. Thanks for sharing this.
I pray that my life can become that which he speaks of in the quote.
There was some scorn, depending on the source, like Knox, Calvin, and Augustine.
Who is the author of the D.L. Moody biography you are reading?