Article May 15, 1909 Issue

Our critic's attempt to explain why so many people have...

James Phelps

Menomonie (Wis.) Times

Our critic's attempt to explain why so many people have espoused Christian Science evokes a smile when one knows the class of men and women who have been attracted to it. Clergymen, physicians, lawyers, judges, editors, educators, authors, artists, and level-headed business men by the thousands are enrolled under its banner of purity and love. Lawyers and judges are particularly well fitted by their training to reason closely and weigh evidence carefully, yet this profession is, perhaps, better represented than any other. I do not remember of having read a criticism of our faith from lawyer of this great commonwealth, and very few indeed in the entire world.

Christian Science teaches the permanence of joy, peace, bliss, harmony, when sought in the spiritual; it causes the cruel person to become merciful. It emphasizes and gives us a reasonable understanding of St. John's words: "Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." When this mental state is achieved, when the truth shall appear in our consciousness, we shall not grow old, decay and die, nor lose our friends.

Christ Jesus was the first in history to proclaim an absolutely good God and His tender relationship to man. The old pagans conceived of many gods—some good, others bad; of the latter they were greatly in fear. The Hebrew concept of one God, who loved His chosen people and hated all others,—that is, a God who is partly good and partly bad, was an advance, doubtless, but it left much to be desired; and this was supplied by the Master. Later, his professed followers fell away from this pure concept of Deity, as one too pure behold evil, and who could not look on iniquity, but this concept has been reestablished by Mrs. Eddy, and for this the world owes her everlasting gratitude. Gratitude and love she is receiving from an ever-increasing host of men and women who have been ransomed from enslaving fear, debasing vice, and desolating sin; from skepticism, from agnosticism, from atheism.

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