“Women”
One of the most controversial aspects of William Branham's ministry were his teachings about women. Because of the great deal of time he spent speaking against women, he was regarded to have been a women hater (i.e. a misogynist). As he stated himself,
“And everybody’s always accused me of being a woman hater.” “Abraham” (60-0803).
When his views below about women are considered, it is easy to understand why he was given such a label.
According to him, women are “the very lowest creature on the earth” and no other creature is capable of stooping lower than them despite the countless atrocious acts of sin and evil that have been committed by men throughout history (including horrific acts of murder and genocide). As he stated,
“And we, not knowing it, turns right straight back to heathen worship again to women, the very lowest creature on the earth: woman worship. She'll sway men any way she wants to. And not knowing, all that beauty on the outside, a hell's on the inside.” “Marriage and Divorce” (65-0221M).
“There is no hog, no dog, or no other animal, designed like her or can stoop as low as she can stoop. Now, that is true.” Ibid.
“Now, there is nothing designed that can deceive, and be deceived, as easy as a woman. There is nothing designed or can stoop as low as a woman can. Think now. There is nothing designed, in all creation, that can stoop as low as a woman can.” Ibid.
And notwithstanding the fact that men have committed all matter of vile and filthy acts throughout history, William Branham also claimed that only women were “designed” by Satan for “filth and unclean living”, as follows,
“You may question me about Satan being her designer, but that's the Truth. Satan designed her. He still does it.” Ibid.
“She is designed, alone, for filth and unclean living. A dog can't, and no other female can. It's just the woman that can.” Ibid.
William Branham's apparent antipathy toward women did not stop there. He also taught that only immoral women (and not immoral men) are “human garbage cans” and every sin that occurred was caused by a woman, as follows,
“She is nothing but a human garbage can, a sex exposal. That's all she is, an immoral woman, is a human sexual garbage can, a pollution, where filthy, dirty, ornery, low-down filth is disposed by her. What is she made this way for? For deception. Every sin that ever was on the earth was caused by a woman..” Ibid.
He even went so far as to refer to women who wear make-up as “dog meat”, as follows,
“But there was only one woman in the Bible that ever painted her face, and that was Jezebel. That's right. The Bible said she painted her face. And do you know what God did to her? He fed her to the dogs. That's exactly right. So when you see a woman with painted face, you can say, "It's God's dog meat." That's exactly what God said it was. Now, you know that's true.” “Hear Ye Him” (58-0324).
“And only one woman ever painted her face, and that was Jezebel. That’s right. That’s exactly right. Listen, you know what God did to her? He fed her to the dogs. So if you see a woman with a lot of paint on and calling herself a Christian, say, "Good evening, Miss Dog-Meat."” “I Will Restore Unto You, Saith The Lord” (54-0809A).
“There was only one woman in the Bible that ever painted her face. Her name was Jezebel. And God fed her to the dogs. So if you see a woman wearing paint, you know she’s dog-meat in the sight of God. So that He… That’s what He’s going to do with her, feed her to the dogs.” “Behold, I Stand At The Door And Knock” (58-0617).
“Listen. There was only one woman in the Bible ever painted her face, and that was Jezebel. God fed her to the dogs for doing it. Now, when you see a woman with a lot of paint on, say, “How do, Miss Dog-meat?” That’s exactly what it was in the Bible. God fed her to the dogs, so He just made dog-meat out of it. It’s exactly right.” “Abraham's Covenant Confirmed” (61-0210).
He concluded that the reason why women are lesser creatures and inferior to men is because the first woman, Eve, was not in God's original creation, but was merely a “by-product” of a man. As he stated,
“She is not in God's original creation. She is a by-product.” Ibid.
“A woman cannot do what she wants to do. The Bible says not. A woman is a byproduct of a man. She’s not even in the original creation.” “Jehovah-Jireh #2” (62-0706).
Based on all of the above claims of William Branham, it is evident that his views and attitudes towards women were disproportionately made without him likewise condemning men for their “filthy and immoral living.” Men were apparently given a “free pass” and exempt from being regarded as just as sinful, “human garbage cans” and “dog meat” despite the fact that men have never been less “filthy and immoral” than women. No emphasis from William Branham also was ever given to immoral men being just as low and sinful creatures in any of his other sermons. His teachings clearly are erroneous and the fallacy of men being superior, more holy creatures to women cannot be overstated, especially since the Bible clearly establishes in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
William Branham's beliefs that women should not work, drive or vote.
Not only did William Branham believe that women are the very lowest creatures on the earth, but he also believed that they should not be allowed to work, drive or vote. In those regards, he stated,
“Well, the other day some crazy woman driver drove right in front of me, come pretty near killing two of my children. I said, "Lady." She said, "Now, you shut your mouth; I'm the one that's driving." And before I got back, twenty-six women driver's almost caused us to be killed. We kept count of it. They made a mistake when they give her a driver's license. They put her out here to voting. They put her out here to these public works. And during the time of the war, right in New York City, more illegitimate children was born in the city of New York, of prostitute women, and their husbands overseas, than there was soldiers killed in the four years of war.” “The Mark Of The Beast” (56-0715).
“Go down the street, back out like that of riding the highway… We counted… I want to tell you something. And you women drivers… Listen. Billy Paul and I on this last campaign around the nation (six months), I kept a count of how many scruples on the road. And out of three hundred mishaps on the road, guess how many of them was women drivers? There was only lacking nineteen of them were men, and two hundred and eighty, or I believe two hundred eighty-one of them would be women drivers: women drivers.” “The Serpent's Seed” (58-0928E).
“I said, "They oughtn't never let a woman behind a wheel." Boy, if I was there, she wouldn't do it, if I had anything to say about it. They say the women is the most safest drivers. I'm an international traveler. Me and my son, crossing this nation, put a book up in the—in the car. And every time a boo-boo was called, pulled on the road, we marked it down, "man" or "woman." And out of three hundred, there were two hundred and eight-one of them caused by women; nineteen of them by men. That's exact. Yet, she's set there and push her hair up. And she turn out like this, and make a left's right, and everything. But, oh, course, the police ain't going to say that. They got them on a police force. What a disgrace! When a woman gets from behind the table in the kitchen, in the house, taking care of her own little ministry God give her, her babies, she's out of the will of God.” “The World Is Falling Apart” (63-0412M).
“It shall also…has been an evil thing done in this country, they have permitted women to vote. This is a woman’s nation, and she will pollute this nation as Eve did Eden.” Now you see why I’m hammering the way I do? I got THUS SAITH THE LORD. “In her voting, she will elect the wrong person.” “Condemnation By Representation” (60-1113).
Despite William Branham's claims that more car accidents are caused by women than men, he apparently failed to recognize that more human deaths are caused by men drivers who drive drunk. Most ironically, his life actually ended as a result of a male drunk driver crashing into the car he was driving with his wife and daughter as passengers in December of 1965.
Not only did he claim to have prophesied that women would “elect the wrong person”, but he also claimed that his prophecy was fulfilled when John F. Kennedy was elected president by “the women votes”, as follows,
“Look at the prophecy the Lord give me in '33, how it would happen, "They'd permit women to vote; in voting they'd elect the wrong person."” “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (60-1204M).
“I said, "Then I seen a... They're going to permit women and are permitting women to vote. And by voting, they'll elect the wrong man some of these days." And you did at the last election. It was the woman's votes that elected Kennedy.” “The Laodicean Church Age” (60-1211E).
However, his claims that it was “the woman's votes that elected Kennedy” are patently false. John F. Kennedy was a Democrat who won the 1960 U.S. Presidential Election by a relatively slim margin of 112,827 votes.[1] And those 112,827 votes that gave him the win were not the result of women's votes. In fact, more women voted in the 1960 election for the Republican candidate, Richard Nixon, than for Kennedy, as is evident below,
“The election of 1960 saw women once again fade from political sight. Some of this was due to the ongoing campaign of the DNC to downplay the idea that there was a woman's vote, and some was due to the rise of new issues. The gender gap dropped to between 2 and 3 % in 1960 -- too small to be statistically significant but implying that women still voted more frequently for the Republican candidate. The GOP women's division proudly declared that in the last three Presidential elections a majority of women voted for the Republican Party, and a majority of Republican votes came from women. (WD-RNC 1962)”[2]
With regards to women working, William Branham's claims that women are “out of the will of God” when she “gets from behind the table in the kitchen, in the house, taking care of her own ministry” are clearly based on his personal views and opinions. There is no Biblical Scripture that forbids women to work and considering the fact that there are countless women in the world today who must work to provide for their children, as a matter of survival, it would be entirely unjust and erroneous to say that such women are therefore out of the will of God.
Footnotes:
[1] “This brings us, finally, to 1960. In that year, the canonical recitation advises us that Sen. John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard Nixon in an incredibly close popular vote, 34,220,984 to 34,108,157. That’s a difference of only 112,827 votes.” Source: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/10/19/did_jfk_lose_the_popular_vote_115833.html
[2] Source: https://www.jofreeman.com/polhistory/gendergap.htm
William Branham's use of his antipathy toward women to persuade people that he was “Elijah the prophet.”
In 1961, William Branham began persuading people that he was the prophet “Elijah” who was prophesied to come in Malachi 4:5-6. He did so, in part, by claiming that the prophet would be a “woman hater” like Elijah and John the Baptist and describing the “coming” prophet using clear references to himself (i.e. “a hater of women”, “a hater of fancy women”, “a hater of denominations”, “a man and lover of the wilderness”, and “not a learned person”), as follows,
“Notice again, Elijah was a woman hater, he told Jezebel about all of her paint, and where to get on and off at. So was John. Jezebel tried to kill Elijah, swore by her gods that she’d take his head off of him. So did Herodia. See?” “Events Made Clear By Prophecy” (65-0801E).
“And remember, when this Elijah comes…I’ll give you some of his description. When Elijah comes, that’s the messenger to the Laodicean church Age. We find Elijah coming before… Remember, Elijah was the one that went up on a chariot, never tasted death. And the message of this great messenger that’ll come in this closing day in the Laodicean church Age, the Pentecostal Age, will be the one that’ll take the church to the rapture. Exactly. He was raptured himself, and he will come with the church to the rapture. And remember again… I’ll give you some of the descriptions of this man. He will be a woman hater. He sure will. Look at—look what he was on Elijah: Jezebel. Look on John: Herodias. See? Another thing, he will be firmly against denominations. Look at Elijah; look at John. 'Don’t think to say within yourself we have Abraham to our father. God’s able of these stones to rise children to Abraham.” He will hate denominations; he will hate immoral women. He will be a man in the wilderness, that lives in the wilderness, coming forth with his Message.'” “The Messiah” (61-0117).
“Now, watch! What kind of a nature will Elijah have? First, he’ll be a mighty prophet true to the Word of God, for Elijah was true, and John was true. That’s right. Doing signs and wonders, will turn the hearts of the children back to the Faith of the Pentecostal fathers. He will hate denominations like Elijah did. That’s right, he will! I think we just got the thing started for him now; about time he gets to come. He’ll hate denominations! Elijah hated them, and so did John hate denomination.
John said, “Don’t come, think, ‘Now we got Abraham to our father.’ You Pharisees and Sadducees, you bunch of vipers! Snakes in the grass,” other words. “For I tell you, God is able of these stones to rise children to Abraham.”
Elijah said, “They’ve all gone astray, every one of them! Nobody left but me alone.” Oh, my!
He will also hate fancy women! Elijah did: Jezebel. Is that right? John did: Herodias. Both them prophets, the Spirit, the same Spirit. They hated the denominational world, the church world. They hated, also, fancy, no-good women. They…Something in their spirit cried out against the thing! Jezebel was after Elijah’s head and was going to cut it off; and she also had John’s head cut off, Herodias did. Both of them!
This prophet will be a lover of the wilderness! Like Elijah, He lived in the wilderness, alone. John, in the wilderness, alone. Then we know it’s going to be Elijah. All right.
And this prophet will be one that will stay with the true Word of God. Yes, he’ll stay with It, all the Word. What to? To restore back a Faith (to the Ephesus church) that’s been lost all this time, Faith, in the church that had an “open Door” set before it and rejected It.
Not a learned person. Elijah was not a learned person, the Tishbite. John was not a learned person. Luke 1:67, the Bible said that he was… “That the child was in…as soon as he was born, he took to the wilderness, was in the wilderness till the day he was showed to Israel.” That’s right. 1:…Luke 1:67 to the 80th verse, if you want to mark it down.
This prophet will also be a moody sort of a guy. Elijah, after he had a great meeting, nobody could get along with him. Elijah had spells. When he went out there and called fire down out of the heaven and burnt up the altars of Baal and everything, he run out into the wilderness and he said, “Lord, I’m no better than my fathers, let me die.” Is that right? (And John…) He—he set under a juniper tree, and after the great revival, now he wanted to die.
And John, when they cast him in prison (this foul woman) he set back there and begin to get moody. I believe Pember or one of them said, “His eagle eye got filmed over, in the jail.” He sent some of his disciples. “The Laodicean Church Age” (60-1211E).
Although William Branham wanted people to believe that he was the “Elijah the prophet” of Malachi 4:5-6 who “will be a woman-hater” like Elijah and John the Baptist, all such claims of his about Elijah and John are completely unfounded and unsupported by the Bible. In none of the Bible's accounts of Elijah the Tishbite and John the Baptist is there any evidence of either prophet ever being a “woman hater” and hating “fancy, no-good women.”
In fact, it is clear in I and II Kings that Elijah not only did not tell Jezebel about her “painted” face, as William Branham claimed, but Elijah also did not express personal animosity or hatred toward her as a woman. The sin in her life that Elijah was apparently against was not specific, unique or exclusive to her as a woman, but related to her having the prophets of the Lord and Naboth the Jezreelite killed. In addition, it was not Elijah himself who foretold that she would be eaten by the dogs, but the Lord, as is evident in I Kings 21:23, which states,
“And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.”
John the Baptist also did not express personal animosity or hatred toward King Herod's wife, Herodias. Rather, it was Herodias that hated John and wanted to kill him after he reproved the relationship her husband was having with his brother's wife, as is evident in Mark 6:18-19, which states,
“For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:”
With no evidence in the Bible that Elijah and John actually “hated” women, but instead were really only against sin and unlawfulness, it is abundantly clear that William Branham misled people into believing that the two prophets were “women haters” like himself. Although he likened himself to Elijah and John the Baptist as a “woman hater” to show and appear like he had the very disposition of the “coming Elijah”, the false pretense he used demonstrates that he could not have been that prophet.
For all the other reasons provided on this website here, it is further evident that William Branham could not have been “Elijah the prophet” of Malachi 4:5-6.
The origins of William Branham's antipathy toward women.
To have had such a strong antipathy toward women, one has to wonder if it emanated from him being deeply hurt by a girl or woman at some point in his life. From his life story account below, it is evident that he was, in fact, psychologically hurt by a girl when he was young and even contemplated suicide as a result,
50 Now, watch closely as we have to hurry. I’ll get started over on the Gospel and forget about my life’s story. But anyhow, I remember her setting there, you know, when she was smoking that cigarette. I said… She said… Blowing it out of her nose, you know. And that fire fly. If God expected you to smoke, He’d put smoke stacks on you. So she setting there blowing it out of her nose like that. Now, that just degraded her to me right then. And she said, “Will you have a cigarette, Billy?” I said, “My.” I said, “No, ma’am. I don’t smoke.” She said, “You don’t drink now, and you don’t dance, and you don’t smoke,” said, “what do you like to do?” And I said, “I like to go fishing and hunting.” ’Course, that didn’t interest her. So she was… She didn’t care about that. She said… And she got to laughing at me. She said, “You big sissy.” Oh, my. My girl called me a sissy. I said, “Hand me that package of cigarettes.” And I got a hold of one, just as determined to smoke it. God is my Judge, when I started to light that cigarette, before I could strike the match, I heard that come again, “Whew!”
51 And they turned… I got out of the car, crying, and they turned the lights on me, and let me walk up that road, following me with their lights on me, singing to me and making fun of me, because I was too much of a sissy to smoke a cigarette. It wasn’t I was too much of a sissy, but God was preserving that gift for this day. That’s all it was. And me, I was determined to do it. But it was God protected it in that day, course…
. . .
54 Now, back to the life story, of when we were in the… That night, the—the girl, when they turned the light on me and let—made me walk up the road. And I went up and set down in a field and cried. And I was ready to try to take my life. I said, “Oh, I just don’t know. I—I’m ready to—to—to end this thing.” I said, “How in the world could I ever go through life and—and everybody against me?” Looked like when I’d go home, they’d have parties and so forth. Then when I would—when I would try to get out with people,
I was misunderstood. I never was understood right until I got amongst this group of people. That—that’s exactly right. Then I had people who understood me and loved me. And then on down, some of you might wondering, being so backward and bashful, how I ever come to get married. I’ll tell you about it as quick as I can.
55 Oh, my. That… After that girl done me like that, I just soured myself against the women. I said, “I didn’t have nothing to do with them at all.” And I thought that was horrible. I said, “I’ll never have nothing to do with any more girls. I’ll never go out with one as long as I live.” I’d go down the street, and I’d see one on one side of the street, I’d cross over and get on the other, if I thought she was going to speak to me. I was really against it. “Life Story” (51-0415a).
Additional evidence of how William Branham developed his antipathy toward women.
“But I can remember when my father's still up there running, I had to be out there with water and stuff, see young ladies that wasn't over seventeen, eighteen years old, up there with men my age now, drunk. And they'd have to sober them up and give them black coffee, to get home to cook their husband's supper. Oh, something like that, I said, "I…" This was my remark then, "They're not worth a good clean bullet to kill them with it." That's right. And I hated women. That's right. And I just have to watch every move now, to keep from still thinking the same thing.” “My Life Story” (59-0419A).
“When I was a little, bitty, ol' boy, up there, I'd see them women come up there on the road, and their… know their husband was out working, them up there with some guy, drunk; on the side of the road, and they'd walk them up and down the road, sober them up enough to get them home, cook their husband's supper. I said they ain't worth a clean bullet to go through them. That's right. I said they're lower than animals, would do a thing like that. And I… When I was seventeen, eighteen years old, I'd see a—a girl coming down the street, I'd cross over on the other side, I said, "That stinking viper." See? And I would have been a real hater, but when I received God in my heart, God let me know that He's got some jewels out there, He's got some real ladies. They'll not all defile themselves like that; thank God for that.” “The Sardisean Church Age” (60-1209).
“And I—I—I don’t mean this to you sisters, now, you see, but if there ever was a woman hater, I was one of them. My, I seen how they come when my daddy run that bootleg place. And I’d see women come there, young women, with somebody else’s husband. And the way they would carry on, I said, “If that’s the way it is, I wouldn’t have one of the varmints if they would law me to one of them.” That’s right. I…That’s true. I thought it. I even… The only respect I had for any woman was my mother. And that’s right. And I knowed she was a lady. I seen her set on the doorstep with the babies in her arms, and cry, and cry, and cry because she was locked out of the house.” “Life Story” (52-0720A).
William Branham's teachings that promote physical abuse of women and girls.
William Branham taught that women and girls should be beaten hard with a board, barrel slat or hickory limb if they engaged such behavior as wearing make-up, sun-tanning, wearing shorts and bathing suits, tap dancing, playing “boogie-woogie” music, drinking alcohol and cigarette-smoking.
By doing so, he believed it would bring about “a better social standing and a better moral in the country.” He did not, however, specifically condemn “immorality” and inappropriate behavior of men and boys and teach that they should also be beaten to improve the “moral” condition of the country. As such, it is apparent that he believed that they should be “spared the rod” and only women and girls be subjected to it. From his statements below, that double standard of his is evident,
“Now, you can take some of these little two-by-fours if you want to, but that's what God said. That's what Christ said. Now, that's the truth. Oh, God be merciful. What must the great Holy Spirit think when He comes before the Father? You say, "Why you picking on us women?" All right, men, here you are. Any man that'll let his wife smoke cigarettes and wear them kind of clothes, shows what he's made out of. He's not very much of a man. That's exactly right. True. He don't love her or he'd take a board and blister her with it. You know that's the truth. Now, I don't say that to be smart. I'm telling you the truth. That's right.” “Hear Ye Him” (58-0324).
“Walked down on the beach there and there laid them women professed to have the Holy Ghost, laying out there, stretched out before men in bathing suits. Hmm. Brother, this might make you vomit, but let me tell you something. I've got a girl coming on myself. I said, "What are you doing, lady." I said, "Isn't that — your father a minister?" Said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Well..." Said, "I'm getting a suntan." I said, "If my girl ever stretches herself out like that, she's going to get a sun tanning, but it is going to be Charlie Branham's son, give her a tan with a barrel slat and bring her home." That's right. I'd tan her. She'd... Well, she'd remember it a long time too. Amen.” “Believest Thou This” (51-1003).
“And she pulled out a cigarette. She just shows her colors, what she is, when she does it. Now, let your face get red. And you men that'll let your wife smoke cigarettes, it shows what — who's the boss around the house. That's right. Let them lay out here in these little old beach clothes and things, lay out here before men stripped down... I've got a girl at home. She might lay out to get a suntan too. But brother, if she does, she's going to get a son-tan. It'd be Charlie Branham's son with a barrel slat behind her, bringing her home just as fast as I can bring her. That's right. I'll give her the kind of son-tanning she needs. Yes, sir. I mean that. God give us some good old... You talk about the literacy of Kentucky over here, where some of them old mammies would go back there and raise their young'ns... Why, it'd make you feel ashamed of yourself, then say, "They're ignorant." What's the matter with you?” “God's Provided Way” (53-0613).
“I said, "Yes, ma'am." She gave me the bill. I marked it paid. Started to hand it to her, and one of these here old jig dancers, or ever what it is, come on with that, sawing that fiddle and carrying on, and playing some kind of a little old boogie-woogie music ever what it was; and that girl put on a little old clothes there, about enough to wad a shotgun, and it was pitiful. Listen. I got two girls, and if — if they call suntan. If one of mine, if God lets me live, she'll get a suntan if she puts it on, but Charlie Branham, my daddy's son, will give her the tan with a barrel slat just as hard as I can give it to her. That's the kind of a tanning she needs. Absolutely. Out there like that, no wonder the corruption of the world.” “The Faith That Was Once Delivered To The Saints” (53-1129A).
“What the trouble of it is today, we need some old fashion mothers like we used to have. That may sound a little flat. Up in Kentucky, they told me one time, said, "Brother Billy, ain't you from up in Kentucky?" Said, "Yes." "There's where the illiterate people live." And I said, "That's right. I'm one of them." But I want to tell you something. You take one of them old mammys up there, might not know how to... all the mathematics and so forth, might — she might not have her name in the Who's Who here on earth. But I just imagine she's got her name in Who's Who up there. That's right. Let her daughter stay out all night and come in the next morning with her make-up all over her face and her hair twisted sideways, out drunk somewhere. You know what she would do? She would teach her a lesson with a barrel slat. That's right.” “God Perfecting His Church” (54-1204).
“Let me tell you something. You let one of their girls go out and stay all night, come in the next morning, the way some of yours does, brother, I mean there'd be a difference in that family. Yes, they sure would. She'd about blister her all over that hillside with a tobacco stick or something. You know that's the truth, and then you call her illiterate. Look. I got two girls too, I don't know what they'll come out. I see them laying out, stretched out in these yards even around here. Didn't think the south would ever allow that. I was surprised. Laying out on the streets, them little old clothes on, getting a sun tanning... My, kids might do that; I don't say they won't. But, brother, they'll get a son-tanning, but it'll my father's son, tanning with a barrel slat, as hard as I can, bringing them in. That'll be the kind of tanning they'll get. And that's what we need today, some more old fashion, God-sent Holy Ghost, that can...?... baptizing of the Spirit of God. Where the Word, preaching under the Blood a Christ-centered thing that separates. Christ hates sin. The Holy Ghost hates sin. No wonder people hate sin. No wonder people hates the Holy Ghost, I mean, is because they can't love Light when they're walking in darkness. Amen. That's true, and you know it's true.” “The Waters of Separation” (55-0606).
“That's what they were doing in Sodom and Gomorrah. The natural use our bodies... The men become so plain to women today, there's not even respect. They'll hardly take off their hat, men will in front of women, and they have no respect for them at all. What did it? The women done it theirself. And you all talking about juvenile delinquency and things. I think it's parent delinquency. Some of you let your girls go out and run around all night with a cigarette-smoking, cocktail-drinking party. Come in the next morning with her clothes half off her, old make-up all over her face and that, And you call the Kentucky mothers ignorant. Write her patch down with those Dogpatch, Lil' Abner, and make fun of the Kentucky mothers. That's some of my people up in there. Let one of them girls...?... it up there and, brother, I'll tell you, she wouldn't get out of bed for six months. She'd take a hickory limb and beat what clothes she had left on her off. And if you had something like that back in the church today, you'd have better. Amen. God give us the old time mothers. I've got two girls coming. I don't know what they'll be.
And I've see them laying out on the beaches half naked before man stretching themselves out there, say they get a sun-tanning. Brother, I — I may not live. But if God lets me live and keep my right mind, if one of mine does it, she'll get a son-tanning. It'll be Mr. Branham's son with a barrel slat behind her. She'll be tanned all right. She'll know where it come from too. Yes, sir.” “The Junction Time” (56-0122).
“What we need today is some good old fashion mammy's that would... I said I got two girls; they may lay stretched out, one of them one time too to get a suntan. They'll get a son-tan. But it won't be from that sun out there; it'll be with Mr. Branham's son with a barrel slat just as hard that I could reach them. They'll have a son-tanning all right. That's right. Be my father's, son doing it too. Yes, sir, it's a shame how you let down the bars.” “Show Us The Father And It'll Satisfy” (56-0422).
“And now, some of you talk about the illiteracy of the hillbillies up in Kentucky there. But how the old grandmas with their long bonnets and things on... You know what? They could teach some of you city people how to behave yourself. That's right. Your little Martha Ann come in of a nighttime, and mess-up all over her face, and half drunk, and smoking a cigarette, and blowing it through her nose, and the stomp her foot, and scream at you. Let her do that to one of them old Kentucky mammys one time. She'd top a hickory, boy, or take something, or a barrel slat. When she got through, she'd know who was mammy around there. If you'd do that, you wouldn't have so many wrong men, and boys and girls in the world tonight. Let one of them strip theirselves in some these old dirty clothes like you let your kids wear out here, little old shorts, and ever what they call them. And let them one time. Uh-huh. You would find out how illiterate they were. She'd beat her till she'd be so full of welts, you couldn't get the clothes over the top of them. That's what needs to be done tonight. That's right.” “Making the Valley Full of Ditches” (56-0728).
“Brother, sister, let me say this in my closing remark: That only remedy back again is for... You'll never... You can preach it to the people; I've done it for years. And the holiness church, the women continue to bob their hair. Every year they let their girls wear these little old shorts and things out on the streets. And then a boy will say something to her, insult her; and you, papa, you want to put the boy in jail. Brother, you're the one that needs to go for letting her go out like that. That's exactly right. And she'll get out here on the beach somewhere and stretch herself out to get a suntan in the backyard, or out somewhere with one of those clothes on, just a towel laying over her or something, and somebody make a remark about her and you'll think, "Oh, well, the little darling wanted her suntan." Listen. I've got two girls; they're little yet. I hope I live to see them women. And if one of them ever stretches herself out like, they'll get a son-tanning, but it'll be Mr. Charles Branham, my father's son, giving them a tanning with a barrel slat. And they'll really have one that they'll remember a long time too.” “The Lamb And The Dove” (57-0325).
“And you come out and find Christian women laying out on the beach to get a tan. Well, I got two girls here tonight. I don't know what the future holds, but if I ever catch one of them, when she's a young woman, laying out on a beach to get a tan, she'll get a tanning all right. It won't be from the sun, it'll be Charles Branham's son with a barrel slat in his hand bringing her home, making her jump every time.” “Hear Ye Him” (57-0807).
“And so, I could imagine getting their little low neck waists and low backs and you know, like they do in these parties they call it evening gowns or whatmore. You know, one time in the Baptist church, I was preaching. And I've always... I've got a little piece of paper I saved out. I — I think it was out of a "Reader's Digest." They said a woman that would strip her clothes on the streets like that, in front a man, disgraces the whole woman race. That's right. It degrades them. No wonder we don't have no respect no more. They've brought it on themselves, dressing themselves out on bathing suits and getting the suntan back, they call them. I got two girls. I don't know whether I'll live, or not, that's to God. If they ever stretch themselves on a beach for a sun tan, they'll get a son-tanning; it won't be from that sun, but it'll be from Mr. Branham's son, with a barrel slat, bringing them in just hard as I can. Oh, it's a disgrace to think that our nation is polluted.” “The Sign Of The Time” (58-0520).
“And there's nobody ever deliberately walked into sin without God warning them first. Something will tell you. Tonight there's a many a young girl out listening, and the wolf slipping up on her. You know, they got it, what they call the wolf whistle, they... the wolf whistle. And they'll whistle at these young girls. And they'll go out on the street and put on clothes that isn't becoming to a young lady. And shame on you mothers that'll let them do it. Talk about the illiteracy of Kentucky where I come from: some of those old mammies up there, you let her girl go out and do that, she'd blister her from one side to the other with a barrel slat. That's right. But, oh, you think she's popular. You learn her how to tap dance, and do all these little things, and put the clothes on her like that, and then she comes up in disgrace, you are to blame. That's exactly right.” “Thirsting For Life” (59-0613).
“Some of you call these old Kentucky mothers up here, how illiterate Kentucky was. Them old mammies up there, with an old sunbonnet on like that, and talk about her being so illiterate and don't know her abc's. She might not be so classy, but I tell you, let one of her daughters come in like some of yours some night, clothes twisted off of her, and lipstick all over her face, and her hair all mangled up. She won't say, "Did you have a great time, darling?" She'd grab a slat off of something, and she'd — she'd know the last time she went out. And then you call it illiteracy. Yeah. That's it.” “The Uncertain Sound” (60-1218).
“Get up high. That's what you have to do in the spiritual atmosphere. Don't stay down here like a chicken. Fly away of it. Get away. Chickens, every old rat coming out of a barn will catch him. Yes, sir. If you don't take it no farther than just, "Join the church, and come every Sunday, and we'll have a little bunco game, and we'll play croquet in the back yard." That's not what it is, brother. "Have a soup supper and pay our pastor off," and all of these... "Put on your bathing suits, and go swimming, get a suntan." You need a son-tan. I got two girls. They may try it one of these days, and they're going to get a tanning from a son, but not the s-u-n; the s-o-n of Mr. Branham, be with the barrel slat behind them, just as hard as I can...?... That's what they need, is that kind of a tanning. Yes, sir. Oh, my.” “As The Eagle Stirs Her Nest” (61-0122).
“Now, I've got two girls. They may do it sometime. But brother, when they do... Stretch out on the bank somewhere, said "for suntan." They'll get a son-tan. It'll be Mr. Charlie Branham's son with a slat in his hand. They'll get tanned all right. There's no doubt about that. That'll be my father's son that does that. See? But now, that — that today... And they were supposed to be civilized.” “But It Wasn't So From The Beginning” (61-0411).
“You talk about juvenile delinquency, I say it's parent delinquency. You talk about the ignorance of the Kentucky people, some of them old mammies out there... Let their daughters come home of a morning with lipstick all over their face, and hair all twisted up, and clothes half off of them, half...?... with a cigarette in their hand, they'd take a barrel slat, or one of them hickory saplings out there, and she'd know when she went out the next time. Then you say illiterate. They can teach this bunch of hoodlums how to raise children. That's... Oh, maybe I oughtn't to have said that. Well, no. I don't take it back. I said that when the Holy Spirit was anointing me. That's right, exactly right. Yes, sir. Today, huh... Oh, my.” “The Uncertain Sound” (62-0714).
“You talk about some of the ignorance of Kentucky; talk about that state that I come from, the ignorance of those people down there. I don't know. Sometimes I wonder. Let one of their daughters come in of a morning with her hair all twisted up, and manicure over her face, all night long with some little Ricky with a flattop haircut. I'll tell you, she'll — she'll know the next time she goes out; get a barrel slat, or a limb off of a hickory there, and just skin her down. And I tell you, you all talking about juvenile delinquency; there's so many papers talking about it. I think it's parent delinquency, instead...?... the old golden rule hanging with all them ten commandments hanging on it... Take a young'n out there, and shuck him down a little bit, you wouldn't have so much, saying, "Poor little Ricky. You're nice. You didn't mean to do bad, Martha." She — she needs a good beating, is what she needs. The Bible said, "Spare the rod, you spoil your child," and that's exactly right. You'll never find nothing any better.” “Behold A Greater Than Solomon is Here” (62-0721).
“On my home they had the ten commandments hanging up over the door on a hickory stick about that long. And, brother, I had all ten of them across my back, and up and down my legs, pretty near every day. It done me good though. I'll tell you, Pop took me out behind the house, and I danced a little jig. But I knowed not to do it the next time, when he got through with me. There'd be a whole lot better life, if we had some more daddies to do that today. He never struck me one lick but what I honor him tonight for it. When I looked in the casket, and seen his gray hair on the side of his head, I stood there and tears dropped upon his face. I said, "Daddy, I helped put them there. God help me." That's right. I respected my daddy. He was a daddy that would make me do right. Yes, sir. We need more like that today.” “Behold A Greater Than Solomon is Here” (62-0721).
“Talk about the illiteracy of Kentucky. Some of us people live out of there...?... how it's done go out up there... But let me tell you something. If some of those old mammys would let their... See their daughter out, carrying on the way some of them do down here on these beaches, brother, she wouldn't get up out of bed for a week. She wouldn't be able. She'd top one of them hickory trees and beat what skirt she had on her left, off. And I think if we practiced that a whole lot more around Palm Beach, and the rest of the places around here, we'd have a better social standing and a better moral in the country. Amen. That may be old fashioned, flat-footed, brother, but it's the truth coming from God's Word. I believe that we get out of our places and things. It's the Truth.” “The Faith That Was Once Delivered To The Saints” (53-1129A).
“You talk about the illiteracy of Kentucky, brother, you all got a long ways to go before you come up to them up there. That's right. Let one of them gals come in like that and watch what that little old mammy with that little old sunbonnet on will do. She'd say, "Get yourself over here with a hickory limb, brother." I mean she won't get out of the house for three or four days, 'cause she wouldn't be able. That's right. And then you say, "She's crazy."” “A Wedding Supper” (56-1004).
“Now, you say, "Brother Branham, you're really beating us women." All right. Here you men are. Any man that'll let his wife smoke cigarettes and wear clothes like that, it shows what he's made out of. He's not much man to him, a man that would do that. God give us old fashion, borned again, sainted, godly homes. Juvenile delinquency will be no more. It isn't juvenile delinquency; it's parent delinquency. They had the old wood shed and the big hickory limb laying over the door. That's discipline in our home. All right. You say, "Now, Brother Branham, I... We shouldn't hear that kind of stuff." You should hear it. That's right.” “Jesus At The Door” (58-0529).
“They talk about the illiteracy of Kentucky mountains. You see it in this here dogpatch stuff. Some of them old mammies out there could come here to Hollywood and teach you modern mothers how to raise your kids. You let her kid come in one night with her hair all messed up, and lips... slips, (what do you call that?) make-up stuff they put on their face, and her dress all squeezed to one side, and been out all night, drunk, brother, she'd get one of them limbs off the top of that hickory tree and she'd never go out no more.
I tell you, she'd... And if you had a little more of that, you'd have a better Hollywood around here, and a better nation. That's right. It's true. "Just try to be modern," that — that's one of the tricks of the devil.” “My Life Story” (59-0419A), Footprints Book.
“They talk about juvenile delinquency; it's parent delinquency, what's the matter. Then talk about the literacy of Kentucky. Some of them old mammys out there, let their daughter come in the way some of the women do, five o'clock in the morning, and messed up over their face, and their hair bulled out like that. She'd take a limb off a hickory tree, and she'd take the rest of the clothes off her, and the hide with it. Then call that illiteracy. God knows we need some more mammys like that. That's exactly right.” “Lamb And Dove” (60-0805).
“I hear them talk about the illiteracy of the Kentucky mothers up around in the part of the country where we come from, up there. Now, they may be, they wouldn't... might not know right and left hand but you let one of their girls come in one night with their hair all turned inside out, and her clothes all off of her, and lipstick smeared all over her face and like that, and some little half-drunk, sallow, cigarette sucker bring her daughter in around daylight: I tell you, she won't be able to get out of the bed for three months. I'll just guarantee you that now. Yes, sir. You talk about illiteracy, we... that's... We need more of them kind of mamas (Yes, sir, yes, sir.) that'll — that'll bring back discipline. In our home we had the Ten Commandments, they hung over the door, hickory with all ten of them, out on the end like that. And I tell you, we got our — we got our education off of that. Um-hum. That's right. I can see my father, yet, reach over and say, "William..." I'd say, "Oh, my." I knew what was coming. But I — I'm glad he did it. That's right.” “Thou Son Of David Have Mercy On Me” (61-0215).
“You're a father and mother, and you tell your children, "You go over there, I'll give you a whipping." If you love that child, and he transgresses your laws, you'll keep your word. That's right. But if you let him go on, "Well, that's all right." Do it again. See? That's what makes all these here little Melindas, and Rickys, and so forth around. That's what makes juvenile delinquency. Some of them talk about the ignorance of the people in the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. I tell you, some of them old mammies out there would teach some of these modern Jezebels how to raise a young'un. Right. Let one of their young'uns come in with their — woman, night, girl, with their clothes all twisted on her, being out with Ricky all night long somewhere, loved up in a car; and say, "Have a good time, dear?" She'd take a hickory limb off one of them trees, and she wouldn't get out of the house for another year. Certainly. Then say it's ignorance. They know more about it than... Oh, I better shut up there. All right. Go on.” “Presuming” (62-0408).
“And then you call the Kentuckians an — an illiterate bunch. You let some Kentuckian, old-fashion mother, see her girl come out on the street, back there in them mountains, with a little pair of shorts on, like you and grandma and the rest of you wear. Let her come in, of a morning, and her clothes half off of her, twisted up, and her manicure, lipsticks, or whatever it is, all over her face, been out with some little Ricky all night long, in a hot rod, running around, come in. She would blister her, one of them hickory limbs, she couldn't get up out of the bed for six months.” “The World Is Falling Apart” (63-0412M).