There is nothing in this meme to debunk: this analogy attributed to Henry Ward Beecher is most likely his. This quote appears in a book called Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, first published in 1887, a collection bits of wisdom culled from his numerous sermons, speeches, pamphlets, lectures and letters.
What astounds me -- and makes this meme worth discussing -- is the context in which I found it. If you look closely t the bottom of the meme, you can see the name of its creator: Heterosexuals Inspiring Pride. I found the meme on the Facebook page of a group called Heterosexual Pride.
Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent 19th century clergyman, one of the most gifted, sensational orators in American history. He was exceptionally charismatic. In his day there was perhaps no man in America more famous than he -- and certainly there was no one more liberal in his social views. He took a radical view of Christianity which shocked many Americans, describing his theology as "The Doctrine of Love", and portraying God as a loving parent rather than an exacting judge.
He was an ardent and extremely outspoken abolitionist, as well as a supporter of women's suffrage and the temperance movement. He spoke out loudly against all forms of bigotry and advocated for the rights of Chinese immigrants. In the years leading up to the Civil War, he raised money to send firearms to Kansas and Nebraska to fight against slavery. Those firearms were known as "Beecher's Bibles". His sister was Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
In 1875, Beecher became embroiled in an adultery scandal which resulted in one of the most notorious trials of the 19th century. The outcome seems a lot like many of our modern day morality scandals: he was not found guilty in court, but neither was he found innocent. The jury was unable to reach a verdict, despite a preponderance of evidence -- not because the jurors or the public were deceived, but because it was too demoralizing to admit that a man as virtuous as Beecher had such feet of clay.
Despite Beecher's high-flown words from the pulpit, I am not sure that he is as good an example of "morality" as the members of Heterosexual Pride would like him to be. Since they are quite vocal about denying gays the right to marry on the grounds that marriage means one man and one woman, I presume their ideology also includes the precept that adultery is immoral.
I must confess that Henry Ward Beecher is a man I admire. To me, he's right up there with the likes of John Brown, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Lloyd Garrison and Abraham Lincoln in terms of 19th century American heroes. When it comes to matters of intellectual enlightenment and civil rights, I consider him a giant in the American landscape. He was human and certainly not without flaw, but his influence on our society cannot be denied, and in my opinion, it was a positive influence.
Besides this well-known morality scandal and trial (as well-publicized in its day as the O.J.Simpson trial), there is another reason that I was shocked to find Beecher being quoted by Heterosexual Pride: the greatest and most enduring love of his life (excepting of course his love for God) was a man named Constantine Fondolaik.
Consider these words Beecher wrote about his friend:
"He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. He was like a Greek god. When we boys used to go swimming together, I would climb out on the bank to watch Constantine swim, he was so powerful, so beautiful."
At one point, young Henry changed his middle name to Constantine, and after three years of friendship, the two of them formalized their romantic relationship in writing.
". . . As formerly we were connected by nothing save voluntary friendship, which could be broken off, so now are we connected by a love which cannot be broken; and we have pledged ourselves before God and his angels to be as written above. . . . we have not done this thoughtlessly, but being convinced by three years' friendship that we mutually love one another; and from this time are now assumed new duties and obligations . . . and now may God bless us in this our covenant and in all our future ways, and receive us both at last in heaven."
Don't the words of this lovely compact sounds much like the words of traditional wedding vows? And isn't it clear that the couple was looking for a way to solemnize and celebrate the depth of their love and devotion? And isn't that marriage?
It is interesting that this same-sex relationship -- unlike his later affair with the wife of a friend -- seems not to have caused any scandal, though Beecher seems not to have taken pains to hide it.
Do you think someone should tell the people at Heterosexual Pride that Henry might not be an appropriate spokesperson for their cause? If they were told would they listen? Would they change from holding Beecher up as a quotable figure to casting him down in derision and disdain? Perhaps a miracle would ensue. Perhaps they would learn about his principles, his work, his words, his theology and his loves and feel moved to reconsider their definition of morality. Who can say what might happen, right?
Since we're quoting Beecher, though, I think I'll leave you with one of my favorites:
"The ignorant classes are the dangerous classes."
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