Article May 28, 2012 Issue

A historical perspective

Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from an editorial titled “Compulsory Health Insurance” that appeared in the January 20, 1917 issue of the Sentinel. It was written by William D. McCrackan, a Christian Science practitioner and teacher living in Boston, Massachusetts, and at the time this editorial was published, one of the associate editors of the Sentinel. We think readers will be interested to know how Christian Scientists were praying about this important issue almost a century ago.

What a word wherewith to rejoice mankind—this word health, intimately associated with its kindred words hale and whole! What buoyancy and beauty, what symmetry and wholesome peace lie enfolded in this word, and yet how little it is generally understood! Every one wants health, therefore no one should need be compelled to seek it; but, unfortunately, while everybody believes in health, all are not agreed as to its real meaning.

Trying to make people healthy is like trying to make them happy. The compelling force is quite superfluous, for literally all mankind are only too willing to be both healthy and happy, if they only knew how. Not wilful compulsion but divine impulsion is destined to bring health to humanity, and the way to this appears through Christian Science. Therefore compulsory health presents a curious paradox, for it implies an attempt to force people to be that which they are already eager to become. Obviously a misunderstanding of some sort intervenes, and Christian Science shows this clearly to be the popular misconception as to what actually constitutes health.

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A historical perspective

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