Article December 9, 1916 Issue

A local revivalist makes the charge that the fad and sham...

William E. Krupp

Parkersburg (W. Va.) State Journal

A local revivalist makes the charge that the fad and sham religions of today are the influences of hell which are trying to lead people down the paths to the lower world, that the majority of their members either become insane or infidels, and a further charge that Christian Science is such a religion.

Christian Science is essentially Christian, and involves the acceptance and practice of the teachings of the Master. It declares the infinity of God and His three principal attributes, omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence,—God possessing infinite wisdom and intelligence, infinite power, and being ever present. It accepts and demands the practice of the ten commandments, and lays particular stress upon the first, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Its essence is the Sermon on the Mount, and all of its adherents not only accept but strive to live these sayings of Jesus. It declares the divine mission of Jesus and accepts him as the Way-shower, in accordance with his own statement, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." It accepts and teaches the divinity of the Christ, and the doctrine of the atonement,—the at-one-ment of God and man here and now; and finally, it not only believes in the efficacy of prayer but it proves that prayer is answered, the proof being the healing of sickness and the overcoming of sin in human experience.

Christian Science is a religion of acts, not of thoughts alone; of deeds, not merely of words; of practice, not merely of profession. Thoughts, words, and professions of Christianity are well enough as such, just as are the rules of arithmetic, but they need to be applied in daily conduct; and when so applied,—and acts, deeds, and practice are shown,—then there is sounded the key-note of true Christianity. Jesus proved the truth of his teachings by his works, and he showed also that the healing works are incident to the understanding of his teachings. Did not the Master say, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also"? And did he not also say, "Believe me for the very works' sake"? When the messengers of John came to Jesus to know if he were the Messiah, Jesus answered, "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see," and then he recounted his healing works. It is to be remembered that the representatives of the dominant church of that day also charged that the Master performed his mighty works, not in demonstration of the power of God, but "by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."

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