Many might be surprised to learn that the feminist movement actually has deep roots in Spiritualism. A fascinating book has been written recently with a telling title, “Radical Spirits – Spiritualism and Women’s Rights in Nineteenth-Century America” by Ann Braude.  Quoting extensively from her book will give us a window into the America that gave birth to the feminist movement.

“The only religious sect in the world …that has recognized the equality of woman is the Spiritualists, claimed the History of Woman Suffrage, edited by…Susan B. Anthony.  Written in the 1880’s….it described a religious group whose beliefs and practices committed it to fostering female leadership. ‘They have always assumed that woman may be a medium of communication from heaven to earth,’ the History observed, ‘that the spirits of the universe may breathe through her lips.’”pp2-3

 

 “Like the woman’s rights movement, Spiritualism dated its inception to 1848 in upstate New York.  The two movements intertwined continually as they spread throughout the country.  Not all feminists were Spiritualists, but all Spiritualists advocated woman’s rights, and women were in fact equal to men within Spiritualist practice, polity and ideology.” p3

 

  “At these events, women’s rights were not presented as just another reform.  Rather, Spiritualists believed, as one advocate put it, that ‘woman’s freedom was the world’s redemption’. As investigation of the manifestations swept the nation, Spiritualism became a major-if not the major-vehicle for the spread of woman’s rights ideas in mid-century America.” p57

 Why would Satan be so interested in promoting feminism?  What does he have to gain?  We know that Spiritualism has far broader meanings than attempts to contact the dead.  The scope was actually voiced by the serpent to Eve in the Garden of Eden recorded in Genesis 3:4-5.

3:4          And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

3:5          For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

‘Ye shall not surely die’ encompasses the attempts to reach the dead and refutes any penalty for sin.  ‘Ye shall be as gods’ encompasses the more sophisticated manifestations of Spiritualism.   It promotes the philosophy that desire is the highest law; god is within and only needs discovery and development, human potential is continually evolving to higher and more enlightened states. (1)  This is the form of Spiritualism we see most ardently promoted in our time.  The Joel Olsteins and Opray Winfreys of the world are its modern evangelists.

Through these dual deceptions one will be lead to an entirely new religion unknown to the Bible.  The need of a Savior, salvation, faith, grace, judgment and heaven are meaningless and may be discarded by its adherents.

However, one might note that these phenomenon are actually a fulfillment of Bible prophecy as revealed in the book of Revelation.  Bible prophecy predicts that one of the major goals of the beast of Revelation 11 was the destruction of the Bible and its influence in the world. (2)

Revelation 11:7-12 describes a time in history when a “beast from the bottomless pit” would arise to destroy the influence of the “two witnesses”.  Though a thorough explanation of these prophecies is beyond the scope of this venue, but further study is certainly encouraged.  From the book The Great Controversy (GC) please take the time to read the chapter entitled “The Bible and the French Revolution”.  In GC pages 268-269 we understand that under the influence of this “beast” the Bible was banned during the period of the French Revolution which occurred from 1793 to 1797.  This revolutionary movement was characterized by atheism, licentiousness, and interestingly enough the worship of the Goddess of Reason.  Though the actual time-frame of the Bible ban was only 3 ½ years, the effects of this movement have reached far beyond the 18^th century and find a disturbing resonance in our own tumultuous times.  The philosophies of atheism, licentiousness and the worship of godless reason have nearly compassed the entire world.  But more startling is the fact that these are the very principles of the modern feminism.

In the book Education (Ed) we are warned that scenes similar to those of French Revolution will again be enacted, not merely nationally but on a worldwide scale.  Ed 228, “At the same time anarchy is seeking to sweep away all law, not only divine, but human …. the world-wide dissemination of the same teachings that led to the French Revolution–all are tending to involve the whole world in a struggle similar to that which convulsed France.”

This fearful period in earth’s history would also be characterized by Spiritualism.  A ‘stately’ leader would emerge to speed our entire world on a fast train into eternal darkness.  In the book Early Writing (EW) pages 86-89, Supplement, #4, ‘Spirit Manifestations’ we may read an excerpt which elucidates the times in which we live.

“I saw the rapidity with which this delusion (Spiritualism) was spreading. (3) A train of cars was shown me, going with the speed of lightning. The angel bade me look carefully. I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed that the whole world was on board, that there could not be one left. Said the angel, “They are binding in bundles ready to burn.” Then he showed me the conductor, who appeared like a stately, fair person, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced. I was perplexed and asked my attending angel who it was. He said, “It is Satan. He is the conductor in the form of an angel of light. He has taken the world captive. They are given over to strong delusions, to believe a lie, that they may be damned. This agent, the next highest in order to him, is the engineer, and other of his agents are employed in different offices as he may need them, and they are all going with lightning speed to perdition.”  (EW88)

 

“It is fondly supposed that heathen superstitions have disappeared before the civilization of the twentieth century. But the word of God and the stern testimony of facts declare that sorcery is practiced in this age as verily as in the days of the old-time magicians. The ancient system of magic is, in reality, the same as what is now known as modern spiritualism.” AA 289

We know that Spiritualism is not just another religion, but will be the primary means of uniting the world before the final events. By the means of a “threefold union” Spiritualism along with other powers will be used by Satan to bring people under his absolute control. (4)

So again this leads me to wonder – ‘What did the Spiritualism of the 1800s have to gain by promoting feminism?  Why would Satan be so interested in promoting the feminist movement?’  Answering that question is one of the purposes of this blog and I hope to develop the answer as we progress.

Ellen White warned women to stay away from the woman’s movement because of its connection with spiritualism and its distortion of women’s roles. (5)  Solemn words for us to consider today as well.

References

1)      See Acts of the Apostles p. 474. “By spiritualism, multitudes are taught to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself.”

2)      As I understand it the period of time spoken of in Revelation 11:7-12 is also described in Revelation 11:9-11 as time period of the sixth head of the scarlet colored beast.

3)      The explanatory word “Spiritualism” in italics is mine, but is referenced by the preceding paragraphs if you read the entire section entitled ‘Spirit Manifestations’ from EW 85-89 .

4)      See The Great Controversy pg 588.   “Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of Spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of Spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.”

5)      See Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1 p 421. “Those who feel called out to join the movement in favor of woman’s rights and the so-called dress reform might as well sever all connection with the third angel’s message. The spirit which attends the one cannot be in harmony with the other. The Scriptures are plain upon the relations and rights of men and women.”