"The whole tone of Church teaching in regard to women is, to the last degree, contemptuous and degrading"

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a popular 19th-century suffragist and social activist, made substantial contributions to the females's rights motion in the United States. This quote from Stanton critiques the stance of spiritual organizations towards ladies, highlighting her perception of systemic issues within Church mentors.

At the heart of Stanton's statement is the assertion that spiritual teaching, as propagated by the Church during her time, dealt with females with disdain and lessened their value. The expression "to the last degree" recommends that this contempt was not a separated concern but rather a prevalent attitude deeply deep-rooted within the organization. By utilizing strong adjectives like "contemptuous" and "degrading", Stanton highlights the level of the imbalance and the seriousness of the issue as she saw it. It is clear that she thought that these mentors not just misrepresented females's roles however actively added to their injustice.

Stanton's review is positioned within a broader context of 19th-century feminist thought, where religion was often inspected for keeping traditional gender roles that confined ladies to secondary positions. Throughout history, lots of religious mentors stressed ladies's roles as loyal helpers to males, relegating them mainly to the domestic sphere. Stanton and her contemporaries challenged these ideas, arguing for ladies's equality in all aspects, including spiritual and ethical authority.

Her declaration requires a reevaluation of the teachings and their ramifications on the lives of ladies. Stanton's usage of stark language serves both as a denunciation and a rallying cry, urging society to acknowledge and rectify the oppressive structures supported by religious institutions. By pointing out the Church's function in perpetuating inequality, Stanton intended to influence reform not only in spiritual circles but also in the broader social fabric that intertwined with these beliefs.