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PowerPoint presentation. Below
Below the notes relation to freethought
freethought and feminism. those unfamiliar with
with the movement. that decisions should
should be made reason, not irrational
irrational ones like with non-theistic groups
groups such as the early feminist
feminist movement. Many freethought movement. Prominent
Prominent among them at the 1885
1885 meeting of Women’s Suffrage.
— You
You may go has breathed upon
upon this earth woman burn herself
herself upon the woman in the
the harem? Her of polygamy? By
By their religion. the Lord,’ of
of course he do it.
— -Elizabeth
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Bible, an exhaustive
exhaustive work of Bible. Such criticisms
criticisms are well have the rapist
rapist and raped a woman’s participation
participation in public religious life.
— “Let
“Let your women to speak; but
but they are will learn any
any thing, let to speak in
in the church.”
— 1
1 Corinthians 14:34-5 supporting patriarchy. Pharr
Pharr attempted to the word “homosexual”
“homosexual” does not argument, for while true
while true, it ignores as seen in
in this passage.
— “If
“If a man committed an abomination:
abomination: they shall upon them.”
— Leviticus
Leviticus 20:13
Pharr or mistranslated. Perhaps,
Perhaps, but given that the psychopath
psychopath who wrote Control of children
children is an in patriarchy.
— “If
“If a man his father, or
or the voice not hearken unto
unto them: Then out unto the
the elders of the elders of
of his city, is a glutton,
glutton, and a that he die:
die: so shalt and fear.”
— Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 21: 18-21 text of religious
religious scriptures, but For an example
example of the link here to
to a recording
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubJ011RYy-I
Skip to 0.40 mark.
Lyrics: http://www.christymoore.com/lyrics_detail.php?id=119
which the Catholic
Catholic Church would seen as threatening
threatening the moral what year the
the last such conflict with Susan
Susan B. Anthony, women’s suffrage were
were to be like their NAWS
NAWS to form the Women’s Christian
Christian Temperance Movement. to be increasingly
increasingly marginalized within the movement she
she had been was Ernestine L.
L. Rose. As a study in
in intersectionality in own time as
as a leading A typical example
example of her of children into
into religious beliefs, religious households.
— “…
“… a child and therefore there
there can be in Christendom, among
among the Jews, world, that children
children are made up …”
— Ernestine
Ernestine L. Rose, this are two-fold.
two-fold. Although civil secular Jews in
in the 20th wary of political
political activism, lest society. For this
this reason, the to the Hebrew
Hebrew race (unquote), her memory. The
The 19th century with the atheist
atheist Rose could and so feminist
feminist historians working being a freethinker
freethinker she was the late 19th
19th century freethought freethought movement was
was the observation and hence appeared
appeared to display woman like Elizabeth
Elizabeth Cady Stanton within the freethought
freethought movement. One were inherently predisposed
predisposed towards irrationality of rising interest
interest in genetics, the historical constructionists,
constructionists, held that social conditioning going
going back centuries. of gender as
as socially constructed, between the two
two camps raged largely won by
by the close view within freethought
freethought evolved towards often a thorny
thorny matter for freethinker debates over
over women’s suffrage. it seemed that
that the pro-suffragist for the problem
problem of the put, women’s suffrage
suffrage was seen maintaining the freedom
freedom and safety suffragist organizations only
only acted to Majority or Focus
Focus on the also mandatory Sabbath
Sabbath observance and the late 19th
19th century, the women’s suffrage. To
To fully appreciate Comstock laws banning
banning “obscene” materials of freethought leaders,
leaders, that atheists had blasphemy laws
laws (never mind freethinkers saw women’s
women’s suffrage as freethinkers who found
found themselves torn as freethinkers.
— “I
“I am a that govern me.
me. Before me serpent ready to
to crush me to vote yet
yet a little greater evil.”
— Mrs.
Mrs. R.H. Schwartz, to believe that
that whatever the women’s suffrage represented
represented an intolerable that increased political
political participation might although they conceded
conceded that the the emancipation of
of woman from of a past
past age, and any human beingbeing.
It is resolved to support
support women’s suffrage between oppressed groups:
groups: concerns within their own. Examples
Examples included the way the feminist
feminist movement sought the widespread concerns
concerns within the rights and possibly
possibly even their of the more
more unfortunate aspects in their arguments,
arguments, saying that while denying it
it to white should not be
be granted citizenship own enfranchisement as
as a bulwark the abolition of
of slavery while supporting it might
might have undermined and condemnation, but
but a humanistic to fully support
support the struggles are particularly good
good explorations of and interactions of
of freethought and
{Feminism and Atheism.docx}

{FeminismThe following is the text of the comments I read to accompany my PowerPoint presentation. Below the notes is a document containing a more extensive discussion of this topic.
Greetings. Tonight I’m going to be speaking briefly about selected topics in relation to freethought and feminism. Before I begin, I’d like to define freethought for those unfamiliar with the movement. Freethought is basically the philosophical standpoint that decisions should be made on the basis of rational processes such as science and reason, not irrational ones like tradition and religion. Freethought is generally associated with non-theistic groups such as atheists and agnostics, though it is not exclusive to these groups.
In the first section, I am interested in exploring the role that freethought played in the early feminist movement. Many of the early feminists shared ideas with the freethought movement. Prominent among them was Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who made the following remarks at the 1885 meeting of the National Association for Women’s Suffrage.
— You may go over the world and you will find that every form of religion which has breathed upon this earth has degraded woman…. What power is it that makes the Hindoo woman burn herself upon the funeral pyre of her husband? Her religion. What holds the Turkish woman in the harem? Her religion. By what power do the Mormons perpetuate their system of polygamy? By their religion. Man, of himself, could not do this; but when he declares, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ of course he can do it.
— -Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1885
Continuing her criticism of religion, in 1895 she began publication of The Women’s Bible, an exhaustive work of biblical scholarship in which she dissected the sexism in the Bible. Such criticisms are well grounded in Christian scripture.
In Deuteronomy 22:28-29 we learn of the Bible’s rather disturbing answer to rape: have the rapist and raped marry each other. The woman’s opinion of the union is of no concern.
In this verse we learn of the Apostle Paul’s decidedly un-feminist attitude towards a woman’s participation in public religious life.
— “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”
— 1 Corinthians 14:34-5
Earlier in this course we learnt of the role that homophobia plays in supporting patriarchy. Pharr attempted to acquit the Bible of supporting homophobia, arguing that the word “homosexual” does not appear in the text. This is a rather disingenuous argument, for while true it ignores the fact that homosexual activities clearly are referenced, as seen in this passage.
— “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
— Leviticus 20:13
Pharr may attempt to say that the passage is being misinterpreted or mistranslated. Perhaps, but given the evidence of Jewish law from the time, it appears likely that the psychopath who wrote this passage probably meant exactly what he appears to.
In the next passage we see the emphasis placed on obeying the parents. Control of children is an important element in patriarchy.
— “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”
— Deuteronomy 21: 18-21
Of course, Stanton’s arguments encompassed more than just the literal text of religious scriptures, but also the practices of religions in the real world. For an example of the harm religion can do to women, I ask that you follow the link here to a recording of Irish singer Christy Moore’s Magdalene Laundries:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubJ011RYy-I
Skip to 0.40 mark.
Lyrics: http://www.christymoore.com/lyrics_detail.php?id=119
As Moore explains, the Magdalene Laundries were institutions in which the Catholic Church would virtually imprison and enslave young women seen as threatening the moral fabric of society. Would anyone like to guess what year the last such institution in Ireland closed?
Unfortunately for Stanton, her criticisms of religion brought her into conflict with Susan B. Anthony, who shared many of her views, but felt that if women’s suffrage were to be achieved, it was necessary for secular feminist organizations like their NAWS to form alliances with religious women’s movements, such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement. As time went on, the aging Stanton came to be increasingly marginalized within the suffragist cause, betrayed by the movement she had been so instrumental in forming.
Another early feminist who spoke out against the iniquities of religion was Ernestine L. Rose. As an atheist feminist of Polish Jewish ethnicity, Rose was practically a study in intersectionality in 19th century America. She was quite well known in her own time as a leading feminist speaker and close friend to Elizabeth Cady Stanton. A typical example of her rhetoric is the following passage concerning the indoctrination of children into religious beliefs, a common practice in religious households.
— “… a child may be made to believe a falsehood and die in support of it, and therefore there can be no merit in a [mere] belief. We find in the various sects in Christendom, among the Jews, Mohammedans, Hindoos, in fact, throughout the entire world, that children are made to believe in the creed in which they are brought up …”
— Ernestine L. Rose, 1853
Following her death, Rose became a largely forgotten figure. The reasons for this are two-fold. Although civil rights activism would become a common pursuit of secular Jews in the 20th century, in the late 19th century American Jews were by and large wary of political activism, lest they jeopardize their position in an unusually tolerant society. For this reason, the Jewish community of the time did not see her as (quote) a credit to the Hebrew race (unquote), and Jewish archivists made little effort to preserve her memory. The 19th century suffragist movement was also wary of how an association with the atheist Rose could affect its ability to form alliances with Christian suffragists, and so feminist historians working after her death largely ignored her. Like Stanton, for being a freethinker she was betrayed by the movement she had devoted herself to.
For the second section of my talk I’ll be exploring how women were viewed within the late 19th century freethought movement. The fundamental problem for the freethought movement was the observation that women made up the bulk of the church-going public, and hence appeared to display a greater propensity for irrational behavior, clearly rational woman like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Ernestine L. Rose notwithstanding.
To explain the perceived greater irrationality of woman, two primary camps arose within the freethought movement. One camp, the biological determinists, held that woman were inherently predisposed towards irrationality due to largely immutable biological factors. In an age of rising interest in genetics, it is easy to see the appeal of such thinking. The opposing camp, the historical constructionists, held that female irrationality was the result of traditions of social conditioning going back centuries. In essence, the social constructionists were proposing a notion of gender as socially constructed, in which thinking they were ahead of their time. The debates between the two camps raged through freethought publications with social constructionists having largely won by the close of the century. With social constructionists triumphant, the consensus view within freethought evolved towards seeing women as an oppressed group deserving of justice.
The application of this consensus to contemporary political challenges, though, was often a thorny matter for postbellum freethinkers, as illustrated in the rancorous freethinker debates over women’s suffrage. As a means towards granting women the justice they deserved, it seemed that the pro-suffragist standpoint would be the obvious viewpoint for freethinkers, were it not for the problem of the greater religiosity of 19th century women in relation to men. Simply put, women’s suffrage was seen as a threat to the separation of church and state, a vital pillar in maintaining the freedom and safety of freethinkers. The fact that the WCTU acted as a key ally of suffragist organizations only acted to augment such fears. The 19th century equivalent of such organizations as Moral Majority or Focus on the (Patriarch’s) Family, the WCTU advocated not only prohibition of alcohol, but also mandatory Sabbath observance and censorship of “immoral” literature. As the largest women’s organization of the late 19th century, the WCTU was seen by many freethinkers as a harbinger of the dangers of women’s suffrage. To fully appreciate the degree of anxiety for freethinkers, one should remember that the Comstock laws banning “obscene” materials were frequently used as a pretext for the arrest and imprisonment of freethought leaders, that atheists were unable to testify in court in several states, and that several states had blasphemy laws (never mind the clear First Amendment violation). Given such an environment, some freethinkers saw women’s suffrage as literally endangering their lives.
The tensions of the freethought community are perhaps best illustrated by those female freethinkers who found themselves torn between their interests as women and their interests as freethinkers.
— “I am a woman and long to be recognized as man’s equal. I want to help make the laws that govern me. Before me I see the opportunity of gaining my desires, but right at the polls is a serpent ready to crush me in its deadly coils; that serpent is religion. I am willing to remain minus my right to vote yet a little longer to escape a greater evil.”
— Mrs. R.H. Schwartz, 1894
Nevertheless, as the debates on women’s suffrage wore on, a clear majority of freethinkers came to believe that whatever the danger to the separation of church and state, the continued denial of women’s suffrage represented an intolerable injustice to women. Some optimistic freethinkers even proposed that increased political participation might lead more American women to free themselves of the church, although they conceded that the initial impact of women’s enfranchisement would likely be detrimental to secularism.
1894 American Secular Union resolution: “the Freethinkers of America are committed to the emancipation of woman from the bondage, degradation, and infamy imposed upon her by the barbarous theologies of a past age, and would endow her with every right possessed by any human being
It is a great credit to the integrity and principles of the freethought movement that its members resolved to support women’s suffrage despite the risks it created for their own well-being.
In the two sections on this lecture we saw a recurring theme within relations between oppressed groups: concerns within a group about how supporting another group’s cause may threaten their own. Examples included the way the Jewish community turned its back on Ernestine Rose, the way the feminist movement sought to downplay the role of atheists in its development, and the widespread concerns within the freethought community that women’s suffrage would imperil their own rights and possibly even their lives. Other examples abound in the history of various civil rights causes. One of the more unfortunate aspects of suffragist history is the fact that some feminists employed racism in their arguments, saying that it was unacceptable for America to grant the vote to black men while denying it to white women. Ernestine L. Rose found that several of her feminist allies believed she should not be granted citizenship on account of her Eastern European ethnicity, and saw their own enfranchisement as a bulwark against the electoral influence of recent immigrants. Henry Stanton advocated the abolition of slavery while avoiding any need to take a clear stand on women’s suffrage, as openly supporting it might have undermined abolitionism. In all such cases it is tempting to pass judgment and condemnation, but a humanistic approach requires that we confront the unfortunate fact that it can be very difficult to fully support the struggles of one group against oppression when you yourself are in a position of vulnerability.
In closing, I would like to point out two books I encountered in my research that I believe are particularly good explorations of the subjects I’ve discussed.
Before Thursday’s session I will be posting a more extensive exploration of the intersections and interactions of freethought and feminism to the CarmenWiki site. My full bibliography will be contained in that document.
{Feminism and Atheism.docx}

Body Image
{body_image.jpg}
to improve themselves
themselves by any Heidi Montag, she
she virtually destroyed have any surgery.
surgery. It doesn't and my image.
image. I don't very early age.
age. Human infants years old. Female
Female humans begin The latest surveys
surveys show very fat and unattractive.
unattractive. In one dieted at least
least once. A dieted to lose
lose weight – distortion', estimating themselves
themselves to be have found that
that 41% of too fat. Even
Even normal-weight and
{beauty-instructor.jpg}
is natural and
and not some years. One of
of my favorite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Qob2VKPAI – with lyrics
I don't. Sometimes
Sometimes I comb my toes. It
It really just women to take
take control of
References
Staff, UsWeekly. "Hills Ratings Plummet 30 Percent - UsMagazine.com." Celebrity News, Celebrity Gossip and Pictures from Us Weekly - UsMagazine.com. Us Weekly. Web. 02 Nov. 2011. <http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/the-hills-ratings-plummet-30-percent-2009110>.

{body_image.jpg}
Women have been unhappy with their bodies and are constantly trying to improve themselves by any means possible.
Female dissatisfaction with appearance – poor body-image – begins at a very early age. Human infants begin to recognize themselves in mirrors at about two years old. Female humans begin to dislike what they see only a few years later. The latest surveys show very young girls are going on diets because they think they are fat and unattractive. In one American survey, 81% of ten-year-old girls had already dieted at least once. A recent Swedish study found that 25% of 7 year old girls had dieted to lose weight – they were already suffering from 'body-image distortion', estimating themselves to be larger than they really were. Similar studies in Japan have found that 41% of elementary school girls (some as young as 6) thought they were too fat. Even normal-weight and underweight girls want to lose weight.
Society tells us as women that we are fat and unattractive. For example, Heidi Montag, she virtually destroyed everything about her that was natural to be “perfect.”
"Obviously I wish I didn't do it," Montag says. "I would go back and not have any surgery. It doesn't help. I got too caught up in Hollywood, being so into myself and my image. I don't regret anything, but if I could go back, I wouldn't do it."
Female dissatisfaction with appearance – poor body-image – begins at a very early age. Human infants begin to recognize themselves in mirrors at about two years old. Female humans begin to dislike what they see only a few years later. The latest surveys show very young girls are going on diets because they think they are fat and unattractive. In one American survey, 81% of ten-year-old girls had already dieted at least once. A recent Swedish study found that 25% of 7 year old girls had dieted to lose weight – they were already suffering from 'body-image distortion', estimating themselves to be larger than they really were. Similar studies in Japan have found that 41% of elementary school girls (some as young as 6) thought they were too fat. Even normal-weight and underweight girls want to lose weight.
{beauty-instructor.jpg}
I admire the few stars that are out there trying to show that true beauty is natural and not some fake plastic that you have to get augmented every ten years. One of my favorite artist artists is India Arie has a song called “Video.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Qob2VKPAI – with lyrics

"Obviously I wish I didn't do it," Montag says. "I would go back and not have any surgery. It doesn't help. I got too caught up in Hollywood, being so into myself and my image. I don't regret anything, but if I could go back, I wouldn't do it."
I admire the few stars that are out there trying to show that true beauty is natural and not some fake plastic that you have to get augmented every ten years. One of my favorite artist artists is India Arie has a song called “Video.”
http://youtu.be/Mq86e4Fhja0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Qob2VKPAI – with lyrics
The lyric that speaks out to me the most is when she says, “Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won’t. Depending how the wind blows I might even paint my toes. It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul.” This excerpt from her song is empowering women to take control of their bodies and stop worrying about if they have nail polish on or not.
References
Staff, UsWeekly. "Hills Ratings Plummet 30 Percent - UsMagazine.com." Celebrity News, Celebrity Gossip and Pictures from Us Weekly - UsMagazine.com. Us Weekly. Web. 02 Nov. 2011. <http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/the-hills-ratings-plummet-30-percent-2009110>.
Nov. 2011. <http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/heidi-montag-and-spencer-pratt-how-fame-destroyed-our-lives-201128>http://youtu.be/Mq86e4Fhja0<http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/heidi-montag-and-spencer-pratt-how-fame-destroyed-our-lives-201128>

"Obviously I wish I didn't do it," Montag says. "I would go back and not have any surgery. It doesn't help. I got too caught up in Hollywood, being so into myself and my image. I don't regret anything, but if I could go back, I wouldn't do it."
I admire the few stars that are out there trying to show that true beauty is natural and not some fake plastic that you have to get augmented every ten years. One of my favorite artist artists is India Arie has a song called “Video.”
http://youtu.be/Mq86e4Fhja0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Qob2VKPAI – with lyrics
The lyric that speaks out to me the most is when she says, “Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won’t. Depending how the wind blows I might even paint my toes. It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul.” This excerpt from her song is empowering women to take control of their bodies and stop worrying about if they have nail polish on or not.

References
Staff, UsWeekly. "Hills Ratings Plummet 30 Percent - UsMagazine.com." Celebrity News, Celebrity Gossip and Pictures from Us Weekly - UsMagazine.com. Us Weekly. Web. 02 Nov. 2011. <http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/the-hills-ratings-plummet-30-percent-2009110>.
Nov. 2011. <http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/heidi-montag-and-spencer-pratt-how-fame-destroyed-our-lives-201128><http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/heidi-montag-and-spencer-pratt-how-fame-destroyed-our-lives-201128>http://youtu.be/Mq86e4Fhja0

Body Image
{body_image.jpg}
Women have been unhappy with their bodies and are constantly trying to improve themselves by any means possible.
Female dissatisfaction with appearance – poor body-image – begins at a very early age. Human infants begin to recognize themselves in mirrors at about two years old. Female humans begin to dislike what they see only a few years later. The latest surveys show very young girls are going on diets because they think they are fat and unattractive. In one American survey, 81% of ten-year-old girls had already dieted at least once. A recent Swedish study found that 25% of 7 year old girls had dieted to lose weight – they were already suffering from 'body-image distortion', estimating themselves to be larger than they really were. Similar studies in Japan have found that 41% of elementary school girls (some as young as 6) thought they were too fat. Even normal-weight and underweight girls want to lose weight.

Body Image
http://youtu.be/Mq86e4Fhja0
Women have been unhappy with their bodies and are constantly trying to improve themselves by any means possible.
Female dissatisfaction with appearance – poor body-image – begins at a very early age. Human infants begin to recognize themselves in mirrors at about two years old. Female humans begin to dislike what they see only a few years later. The latest surveys show very young girls are going on diets because they think they are fat and unattractive. In one American survey, 81% of ten-year-old girls had already dieted at least once. A recent Swedish study found that 25% of 7 year old girls had dieted to lose weight – they were already suffering from 'body-image distortion', estimating themselves to be larger than they really were. Similar studies in Japan have found that 41% of elementary school girls (some as young as 6) thought they were too fat. Even normal-weight and underweight girls want to lose weight.