This essay is an attempt to illustrate and analyze whether Elizabeth Cady Stanton's arguments are compatible with Christian principles.
One of the best known nineteenth century women’s rights activists is Elizabeth Cady Stanton. “When, in the early part of the Nineteenth Century, women began to protest against their civil and political degradation, they were referred to the Bible for an answer” (page 8). This is exactly what Stanton did; she set out to disprove the age old belief that women are inferior to men. New movements, or sects, within Christianity all turn to the Scriptures to justify their “new” beliefs and these interpretations of the inherent “Word of God” provide a strong foundation to the evolving sect. The Women’s Bible is a collection of interpretations and comments by women on all passages in the Bible which refer to women and the findings are usually in direct opposition to the interpretations made by the Church. This essay is an attempt to illustrate and analyze whether Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s arguments are compatible with Christian principles.
The Women’s Bible analyzes both creation stories in the Book of Genesis. In the first creation story, God creates man and women in his own image. Most Christians believe in the Trinity; God is three persons in one – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Stanton replaces the Orthodox idea of the Christian Trinity with a new Trinity – Father, Mother and Son. After acknowledging that until mankind conceptualizes the Godhead (Elohim) in terms of male and female, females will be considered inferior to men forever. She emphasizes the inherent equality of male and female be highlighting her representation of the female nature of God, the simultaneous creation of man and woman as well as the consent for all of humankind to take dominion over the world. “The masculine and feminine elements, exactly equal and balancing each other, are as essential to the maintenance of the equilibrium of the universe as positive and negative electricity” (page 15). Furthermore, Stanton turns her attention to the second creation story in the Book of Genesis. Elizabeth Cady Stanton believes that “the second story was manipulated by some Jew, in an endeavor to give ‘heavenly authority’ for requiring a woman to obey the man she married” (page 18). She repeats her analysis of the true creation story in Genesis 1 and reinforces her argument by quoting St. Paul, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (page 156). She regards the first creation story as true and the second creation story as an allegory or myth.
