Much to the relief of the entire Lent Madness global public, the Supreme Executive Committee has reconciled -- temporarily -- which means the Saintly Smackdown will proceed after Saturday's all-t00-real April 1st scare. Yes, there WILL BE a 2017 Golden Halo winner.
So let's get back to the holy business of saintly competition! Today, we continue with the final matchup of the Saintly Sixteen as Amelia Bloomer faces Fanny Crosby. To get to this round, Amelia dispatched Philipp Melanchthon while Fanny got the best of G.F. Handel. The winner will join seven other saintly souls to make up the Elate Eight. Who will Amelia or Fanny be joining? Just to refresh your memory, that would be Stephen, Augustine of Canterbury, Franz Jaggerstatter, Mechtild of Magdeburg, Raymond Nonnatus, Martin Luther, and Florence Nightingale. One of this group will, soon enough, be crowned in (extra special) glory.
Amelia Bloomer
Amelia is remembered in the church as a woman who saw women as equal and valued members of the body of Christ. She worked tirelessly in her life to invite the Church and the State to recognize the dignity of women. She was a journalist, voting rights advocate, and temperance leader, among her many roles.
Amelia Bloomer began her prophetic ministry in the temperance movement. She saw the results of alcohol consumption -- violence, men squandering their pay on alcohol instead of food, and health issues. She wanted it eradicated from all aspects of society, including food. She responded to criticism made by a prominent wife of an elected official that one could not bake holiday treats without the addition of brandy, saying, “That lady must be a wretched cook indeed who cannot make apple dumplings, mince pie, or cake palatable without the addition of poisonous substances.”
She advocated for less-restricting fashions for women, seeing the style of the day as oppressive and damaging. When criticized by men for advocating for women wearing the style of pants that would bear her name, bloomers, she quipped, “Let men be compelled to wear our dress for awhile and we should soon hear them advocating a change.”
Amelia worked tirelessly for suffrage, and she pushed for the right of women to hold elected offices. Her mind and wit, quick and sharp, frequently pointed out the absurdities of the arguments for the continued disempowerment of women in government. Women, argued the majority of elected male leaders of the day, were created to submit to laws, not to make them. She countered, “It will not do to say that it is out of woman's sphere to assist in making laws, for if that were so, then it should be also out of her sphere to submit to them.”
She added, to the clergy who argued gender discrimination was God’s holy will, “Man represents us, legislates for us, and now holds himself accountable for us! How kind in him, and what a weight is lifted from us! We shall no longer be answerable to the laws of God or man, no longer be subject to punishment for breaking them.”
In her newspaper The Lily, Amelia created a forum addressing serious issues concerning women, and gave them a voice. Bloomer said of her paper, ”It is woman that speaks through The Lily. It is upon an important subject, too, that she comes before the public to be heard.”
The forum she gave to women to speak, to be heard, and to be empowered continues to nurture all who demand dignity. Her words still ring true, and still challenge us.
-- Laurie Brock
Fanny Crosby
Fanny Crosby is easily given the appellations of “mother of modern American congregational singing” and “Queen of Gospel Song Writers.” Her more than eight thousand hymn texts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries make her among the most prolific hymn writers of all time. More remarkable than her myriad compositions is that she wrote all of her hymns while blind.
Far from seeing her blindness as a burden and affliction, Crosby noted that “it seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me." Indeed, her faithfulness required no sight: “if I had a choice,” she said, “I would still choose to remain blind… for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed savior.”
Hymn-writing for Crosby wasn’t a matter of making money, or earning a living. She noted that she always began her work in prayer: “I never undertake a hymn without first asking the good Lord to be my inspiration.” Evidently the work of working and re-working lyrics didn’t burden Crosby, either. “It is not enough to have song on your lips,” she said, “you must also have a song in your heart.” Crosby’s prayerfulness was not without practicality, though – and while her hymns have often been criticized for being overly sentimental, one can’t deny the honesty she brought to her own life of prayer: “God will answer you prayers better than you think,” she wrote. “Of course, one will not always get exactly what he has asked for....We all have sorrows and disappointments, but one must never forget that, if commended to God, they will issue in good....His own solution is far better than any we could conceive.”
But of the words all the words Fanny Crosby may have written, it is her hymns that have stirred the hearts of millions of Christians in the United States and around the world. Her best known hymn, “Blessed Assurance,” speaks of the promise found in following Jesus:
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
-- David Sibley
[poll id="196"]
204 comments on “Amelia Bloomer vs. Fanny Crosby”
Tough choice today.
I was having trouble voting and reviewing results. Might be my computer but have not had trouble before.
I gave Fanny kind of short shrift in the Round of 32 in her contest with Georgie Fred, so I'm giving her another chance this time. Bloomer's advocacy of women's rights is certainly commendable, but her categorical condemnation of any use of alcohol whatsoever is a little too draconian.
Been annoyed by temperence rules for years, and the prohibition spawned gangsters and violence in the same way that anti Marijuana laws have created drug cartels and murder.
I very much appreciate Amelia proving American clergy wrong in their interpretation of Scripture regarding women's place in church and society, but the alcohol crusade was a bad move.
I'm not a teetotaler, but I've seen families suffer and people die from alcohol abuse, so I do understand Amelia Bloomer's vehemence. The brandy-in-pie remark might go too far, but if you've seen the face of a man whose son drank himself to death, you can imagine being a bit extreme.
I'm no teetotaler, but there was a tremendous level of alcohol abuse in the 19th century that puts the temperance movement in perspective.
Amelia was a tremendous fighter for justice, but a saint???. That's why I voted for Fanny.
Amelia for me! You GO Girl! I can imagine the punishment she took from both men and women for her pursuit of The Right and Just Way!
As an aging choir boy...must vote for Fanny...her achievement a lasting one. While Amelia had a way with words, they were more political than poetic...had the uneasy sensation she would have served well on the editorial board of the Globe
Love both of these ladies but I had to go with Amelia for
her logical arguments for women's equality. My paternal
grandmother was a seamstress and was very much for
women's equality, too. I bet she would have loved bloomers.
Lastly, she and I share "Amelia" as our middle name!
Gina in Central NY
So very hard to make this choice -- I would have rather voted for a tie. That said, I had to go with active doer as opposed to blessedly gifted writer.
"What does the Lord require of you ... to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Only God knows the true nature of someone's relationship with Him. But we all can see if someone is fighting for justice. So it's Amelia for me.
Amen, and thank you for this comment!
Two good candidates today so I will not be disappointed with either winner. That being said, I voted for Amelia because of her activism and wit for women's equality. As a woman I am grateful to her and other women who have made it easier for me!
I was in a quandary on this one. I am 76 and spent almost half of my life teaching at a college for women. On the other hand, I was raised on Fannie's hymns. It came down to this: in my later years I have come to question some of the theology in the hymns, the one cited in particular. Is Jesus mine? Do I somehow own him? Shouldn't it be "I am His"? So because of the theology, and my wife's strong opinion, I am going with Bloomer.
Phil, you raised an interesting question. Thinking about it sent me into the question of relationship which sent me to a camp song. The lyrics go "I'm my beloved and he is mine; his banner over me is love." Jesus gives himself to us in every way, including in Holy Communion, in prayer, on the Cross. At the same time we belong to Jesus, which FC celebrated: "Praising my Savior all the day long". It's one of the most incredible realities we celebrate as Christians - this all out Grace that enables a two-way relationship. Would be interested in your further thoughts on this.
I am sad that Fanny is lagging behind. I grew up singing her hymns and still they drift in and out of my spiritual landscape like dear friends, always there at the right time. Physically blind, but spiritually a true visionnary.
As a former journalist and a lover of bloomers, Amelia got my vote today and I honestly can't remember if she did before or not ....
Impossible choice! Amelia and her bloomers!
According to: Amelia Bloomer, a Biography by Louise Noun (published in The Annals of Iowa (State Historical Society of Iowa) Volume 47 | Number 7 (Winter 1985) pps. 575-617): [Elizabeth Cady] Stanton and [Amelia] Bloomer traveled in different social circles and their interests diverged significantly. Stanton was a member of the social elite of Seneca Falls; Bloomer was not. Stanton was a freethinker who disregarded the Sabbath; Bloomer was a devout Episcopalian who attended church twice each Sunday.
I would have been happy for either of these women to move into the Elate 8, but I did vote for Amelia.
"Let men be compelled to wear our dress for awhile and we should soon hear them advocating for change. " This is my thought annually, having my mammogram.
Looks like the Bloomer is covering the Fanny.
It was waiting to be said! Thank you! Hahahaha!
MWAHAHAHAHAA!! Thanks, I needed that after a very long, arduous day. I'm leaning toward Amelia, but I respect the hell out of Fanny. We'll see, I still have a few more hours to decide...
For more of Fanny Crosby's hymns check out: http://www.hymnary.org/person/Crosby_Fanny
Oh, come on people! What self-respecting Whiskipalian could vote for an advocate of temperance? As much as I admire Amelia's political truths, the long-lasting hymnody of Fanny rings true. Fanny for the win!
I went with Amelia Bloomer, even though I believe God is OK with our having cake with brandy in it. Today's parallel to the alcoholism Bloomer was striving against would be opioid addiction. We need both music and healthcare in our world, and universal enfranchisement.
As a lover of wine, and a history major who knows of the horrors of brought on by prohibition, I can't vote for Amelia bloomer. Just because something is abused, does not mean you get rid of it. Besides, Jesus did turn that water into grape juice. Fanny seems like a more positive person. I am a Lion; and Lions are Knights of the Blind. So, Fanny, you got my vote
Correction: didn't
I find it helpful in this second round to go back and reread the first round discussion of the two candidates. For instance, today several folks have questioned whether Amelia Bloomer had Christian motivations for her advocacy of women's rights. The first round description makes it clear that she did: "Amelia was a devoted Episcopalian, challenging clergy who opposed women’s rights. Her Christian faith was fuel for her commitment to moral and social change...."
Having voted for Amelia in the first round I am sticking with her. She sounds as if she would be immense fun, witty and opinionated, an ideal dinner guest.
Both are strong women with deeds and achievements to recommend them, and both have a documented history of firm-grounded faith. This choice is difficult.
I do think alcohol has its place in some recipes. We make coq au vin, not coq au eau, and fruitcake keeps better (and tastes better IMHO) with a slug of brandy in the batter and more sprinkled over the cake. However, it's not that difficult to cook without it if you are cooking for someone who can't or won't consume alcohol. Amelia was right on that count.
While I don't much agree with the temperance movement, I'm going for Amelia. If American winemaking had been then what it is now she might have changed her mind! I remember being allowed to wear pants to school only in the winter, so the fight for pants was not yet won even during my lifetime. And Handel's loss to Fanny still stings!
When I was a college student, more than 50 years ago, I was allowed to wear pants to class one time in four years, when the Dean of Women decreed that because the temperature was minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit that morning, women could wear pants instead of a skirt that one day. Although I have a sentimental attachment to Fanny's hymns and voted for her the first round, I voted for Amelia today. I just happen to feel especially feisty today, and her remarks about women's equality resonated with me. I did remember that she was a devout Episcopalian. Sometimes people have to take extreme positions, such as no booze in the recipes, in order to be heard and to achieve something.
I wouldn't be surprised. 🙂
LOL Peggy. 😀
Fantastic idea!
Well said regarding dress. Until I was a junior in high school, girls were not allowed to wear pants to school. Hard for younger women to imagine this. Also, I agree the comment that opiate addiction addiction is today's comparison for alcohol use.
fanny please it for my school
"A gift of song is a gift of love." Those old hymns are a gift to my soul. So I voted for Fanny J Crosby. I think Ms Bloomer was pretty uptight (no brandy in plum pudding?), so I vote for JOY over stern austerity.
I could not vote for Fanny first round as not even the best of gospel hymns could outweigh the Messiah. And music is a very important part of worship for me. But I did vote for Fanny this time. Amelia fought for social changes, but if we choose saints for spirituality, then I would had to go with Fanny. Blessed Assurance is fine, but she wrote some other hymns which I like much better and might not be as annoying to those who express a distaste for gospel hymns. Check out Near the Cross and especially the beautiful To God Be the Glory.
I really like them both! But Fanny gets my sentimental vote today.