Article November 6, 1915 Issue

In a recent issue I find an article under the caption, "A...

John L. Rendall

The Grinnell (Iowa) Register

In a recent issue I find an article under the caption, "A Marshalltown Plan," which mentions a proposed sick benefit association to be promoted by churchmen of that city. Commenting on some phases of this proposed plan, the Rev. Mr.—is quoted as stating: "The time has arrived for members of the Christian churches to do some healing in the practice of their religion as the Christ did. Preaching and teaching religion are all right and have their place in the work. Healing the sick also seemed to be one of the practices of the Christ, and should be followed by those who follow him." He further states: "The Christian Scientist seems to have grasped the idea that it is the function of faith and religion to destroy disease, but has gone about it along impractical lines in denying that sickness and disease is a material fact, when the Bible is full of accounts of it. However, the Christian Scientist is doing a good work in so far as the minds of the people can be lifted from their imaginary ills, and it remains for the members of Christian churches generally to roll up their sleeves and go about the practical business of curing those who are sick in fact."

It is evident from the above that this clergyman has awakened to the fact that the religion of Christ Jesus is a healing religion, and that the healing of the sick should go hand in hand with the reformation of the sinner. I would like to point out to him that during the past fifty years the Christian Science religion as discovered and founded by Mrs. Eddy, and as explained in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," has consistently practised Christian healing as part of its redemptive mission and is in exact accord with the teachings of Christ Jesus that he mentions.

If our reverend friend will carefully read the text-book above mentioned, he will find that Christian Science does not deny sickness or disease as a seemingly "material fact." It does, however, deny that sickness and disease are any part of God's spiritual creation, and therefore it denies that these are any part of the eternally real, though to the human sense of things they seem to be very real. It is equally certain that humanity as a whole needs to have its thought lifted above matter, or so-called material things, to the contemplation of the realities supernal.

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