From Vice to Vision

Nineteenth-century American Christians were strongly influenced by the melding of popular theories with Christian beliefs. The early Adventist Church, in its formative years, drew inspiration from many ideas propagated by vitalist writers. We now recognise that not all these ideas were credible.

Sylvester Graham, the inventor of the Graham Cracker wielded significant influence over Americans, and spearheaded a “healthy living” movement when the causes of many illnesses were unexplained . He believed in a vegetarian diet and vehemently opposed the use of alcohol. Graham’s health reform movement aimed to empower individuals to take control of their well-being through an holistic approach. Graham’s long lasting crusade began in 1830, drawing large audiences.

Graham’s teachings on health significantly influenced the early Adventist mindset, and the church founders adopted many of his reforms. While physicians existed, medical practices were archaic, and drugs were limited, and often dangerous. Additionally, Graham ardently spoke against “self-abuse” (A derogatory euphemism for masturbation). His teachings were not always grounded in scientific evidence, and views he exhorted on masturbation were based on moralistic beliefs and assumptions rather than empirical evidence.

Ellen G. White in her first book on health, “An Appeal to Mothers” relied on Graham and other vitalist writers. In the early stages of scientific child-rearing, a major cause of disease was considered to be “solitary vice” or “self abuse“. This “vice‘ created a moral panic amongst church authorities, and for over a century it had been associated with mental illness, permanent disfigurement, disabling diseases and premature death.

White describes a vivid description of a vision as follows, “The state of our world was presented before me, and my attention was especially called to the youth of our time. Everywhere I looked, I saw imbecility, dwarfed forms, crippled limbs, misshapen heads, and deformity of every description.” (APM 18)

White also gave an example of a man she claimed to have been shown in vision, and described him as fallen victim to the unhealthy behaviour.

She explains, “His case was shown me in vision.“, and continues further, “I saw that he was deceived in regard to himself, that he was not in favor with God. He had practiced self-abuse until he was a mere wreck of humanity. This vice was shown me as an abomination in the sight of God. No matter how high a person’s profession, those who are willing to be employed in gratifying the lust of the flesh, cannot be Christians. As servants of Christ, their employment, and meditations, and pleasure, should consist in things more excellent.” (APM 18)

Up to a century before White’s writing on health, religious and social reformers had already promoted the harms of “solitary vice” or “self-abuse“. There are many similarities between their writings and White’s portrayal.

Some writers, including White, seem to have taken on the task of unraveling the mysteries of the topic below. They all took a rather scenic route to get there, but it reflects the underlying sentiment of the time.

Sylvester Graham (1795-1851): “It is generally commenced very early in life… whatever may be the of puberty in which our country rarely takes place in males earlier than about the fourteenth or fifteenth year of life certain it is… Yet it is generally previous to this time, and frequently many before before it, that the debasing and ruinous practice of self-pollusion is commenced” (Graham’s Lectures on Chastity, p. 17, 1834).

This Evil Spreads from Child to Child

Ellen White (1827-1915): “Children who are experienced in this vice can impart their vile knowledge to others… even teaching very young children this practice” (An Appeal to Mothers, p.11, 1864).

Sylvester Graham (1795-1851): “It is, however, more frequently communicated from one boy to another; and sometimes a single boy will corrupt many others” (Graham’s Lectures on Chastity, p. 17, 1834).

Diseases Resulting from Self-abuse

Ellen White (1827-1915): The disease caused by self- abuse (secret or solitary vice): 1. Headache, 2. Catarrh, 3. Dizziness, 4. Nervousness, 5. Pain in the shoulders and side, 6. Loss of appetite, 7. Pain in the back and limbs, 8. Wakefulness, 9. Feverish nights, 10. Tired feelings in the morning, 11. Great exhaustion after exercise, 12. Sallow countenance, 13. Imbecility, 14. Dwarfed forms, 15. Crippled limbs, 16.  Misshapen heads, 17. Numerous pains in the system, 18. Affections of the liver, 19. Lungs, 20. Neuralgia, 21. Rheumatism, 23.  Affections of the spine, 24. Disease of the kidney, 25. Cancerous humors, 26. Drops, 27.Loss of memory, 28. Loss of sight, 29. Great weakness in the back and loins, 30. Insanity, 31. Glassy appearance of the eyes, 32. Early grave. – An Appeal to Mothers, pp. 5, 17, 18, 24, 27, 1864.

William A. Alcott (1798-1859): The diseases mentioned by Ellen White had already been known and confirmed by Dr. Alcott in 1833, 31 years earlier. Here is his list: 1. Insanity, 2. Chorea, 3. Epilepsy, 4. Idiotism, 5. Paralysis, 6. Apoplexy, 7. Blindness, 8. Hypochondria, 9. Phthisis of the spinal marrow, 10. Great weakness of the small part of the back, 11. Fever with flushing of the face, 12. Wrinkled face, 13. Sight grows dim, 14. Pain in the head, 15. ringing in the ears, 16. Loss of memory, 17. Legs become weak, 18. Kidneys am d stomach suffer, 19. Acute fever, 20. Feebleness in extreme, 21. Pain in every part of the body particularly in the  22. shoulders and chest, 23. Painful eyes, 24. Constant cold, 25. Diseased joints or bones, 26. Numbness of toe or finger; or hand, leg or arm and  27. Premature death. – The Young Man’s Guide, pp. 312-316, 1833.

Sylvester Graham (1795-1851): “Lectures on Chastity”, 1834, written thirty years before Ellen White’s visions. They are: 1. Hypochondria, 2. Insanity, 3. Nervous system [affected], 4. Retarded digestion, 5. Disease of the brain, 6. heart, 7. lungs, 8. liver and 9. skin, 10. Muscles become exceedingly feeble, 11. Headache, 12. Hysterics, 13. Feebleness of all senses, 14. Pulmonary consumption, 15. Disorders of the kidneys, 16. Spinal diseases, 17. Weakness of the brain, 18. Loss of memory, 19. Epilepsy, 20. Apoplexy, 21. Abortion, 22. Early deaths of the offspring, 23. Impaired vision, 24. Loss of sight [blindness], 25. Dyspepsia, 26. Shrivelled skin, 27. Paralysis, 28. Degraded idiot [idiocy], 29. Shrivelled countenance, 30. Dwarfed and crooked bodies, 31. Restless and disturbed sleep with dreams, 32. Diabetes, 33. Rheumatism, 34. Ulcerous sores of a cancerous character, 35. Glossy appearance of the eyes And  36. premature death. – Graham’s Lectures on Chastity, pp. 17-30, 1837 [1834].

Self-abuse is Suicidal

Ellen White (1827-1915): “They sacrifice physical strength and reason upon the altar of lust…Such are just as surely self-murderers as surely as though they pointed a pistol to their own breast and destroyed their life instantly” (An Appeal to Mothers, p. 26, 1864).

Peter L. Allen: “In a 1697 Latin tract against fornication, an obscure author named Adriaan Beverland warned that self-abuse was both sinful and – what was new – suicidal” (Wages of Sin, p. 87, 1957).

This Evil that Destroys Thousands

Ellen White (1827-1915): “Secret vice is killing thousands and tens of thousands” (4T, p. 97, 1881).

William A. Alcott (1798-1859): “If the ordinary diseases slay their thousands, consumption [resulted from this vice] slays its tens of thousands” (The Young Man’s Guide, p. 314, 1833).

L. B. Coles (1803-1856): “Self-indulgence is another low-lived, contemptible vice, which has destroyed its thousands and tens of thousands annually, both of males and females” (The Philosophy of Health, p. 87, 1848).

J. C. Gunn (1800-1863): “Another vile and vicious habit which destroys nervous strength, and is ruinous to the constitution, is self-indulgence, called masturbation; this secret sin is doing a great amount of injury to the human race” (New Domestic Physician, p. 597, 1857).

John Duffy:  Quotes from New Orleans Medical Surgical Journal (1854-1855) “In my opinion, neither the plague, nor war, nor, smallpox, nor a crowd of similar evils have resulted more disastrously for humanity, than the habit of masturbation: it is destroying element of civilized society” (Clitoridectomy: A Nineteenth Century Answer To Masturbation, 1989).

These several brief comparisons may raise questions about the source of White’s divine communications. Unknowingly she may have been guided by the books, pamphlets, and newspapers that were available to her. She recognised her own limitations, relying on secretaries and editors to guide her writing.

Some church historians have posited that she was much influenced by the moral hysteria of her time, interpreting her visions through the lens of religious fervour. It is also possible she felt under pressure, surrounded by men in a misogynistic world, with her, a mere woman of little education but a significant following. This pervasive gender dynamic may well have influenced her decisions and interactions. The cultural context of the 1850s, including both religious and health concerns, also played a significant role in shaping White’s perspectives of the perceived “dangers” faced by children, and the responsibility of mothers towards them.

In the late 19th century, female disorders such as nymphomania, masturbation, moral insanity, hysteria, and neurasthenia were widely perceived as serious health risks. (Studd, 2007) William Acton, a 19th-century physician and writer on women’s sexual and reproductive health, described a modest woman as someone who seldom desires sexual gratification for herself and submits to her husband’s desires, emphasising the societal belief that women were inherently less sexual than men in his time. Acton claims, “She submits to her husband’s embraces, but principally to gratify him; and, were it not for the desire of maternity, would far rather be relieved from his attentions.‎” (Crozier, 2000)

As we reflect on the shifting focus of our church leaders over time, it becomes evident that the issues prevailing in our news cycle not only shape our daily thoughts and conversations but also play a role in shaping our identity and worldview. It is a relief to acknowledge the progress made for women (and men!), since the 19th Century. Given the context of their time, it is understandable why Ellen White and church leaders were led to emphasise the perceived connection between morality and health.

In today’s society, some of White’s remarks may be viewed as overly critical, and a product of their time, while some of her views are left unspoken so as to not cause controversy. Our church today may benefit from adoption of a more open and collaborative approach, honouring her contributions while recognising that prophets are only human. It remains important to celebrate our remarkable history as a church.

References:

• Graham, S. (1839). Lectures on the Science of Human Life. Boston: Marsh, Capen & Lyon.
• White, E. G. (1864). An Appeal to Mothers: The Great Cause of the Physical, Mental, and Moral Ruin of Children. https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/6.14
• John Studd (2007) A comparison of 19th century and current attitudes to female sexuality, Gynecological Endocrinology, 23:12, 673-681, DOI: 10.1080/09513590701708860
• Ivan Crozier, William Acton and the history of sexuality: The medical and professional context, Journal of Victorian Culture, Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2000, Pages 1–27,