Article June 29, 1899 Issue

Voice of the Press

The Christian Scientists have been very bitterly assaulted, lately, and have come out valiantly in defence of their ideas and practices.

The gathering at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was a most remarkable one, in that the house was filled by a crowd that outnumbered believers, but which went away greatly astonished and much of its curiosity changed into belief, or, at least, resolve to let the sect have a right to freedom. The idea that is taught is not repulsive nor inconsistent to those who believe deeply in the way of the other religions. There is something appealing to the most thoughtful and religious in the plan of using the same means that the Great Teacher employed to cast out diseases and to lift the minds of men from a low plane.

There is undoubtedly good cause for believing that there will be nothing injured by allowing the Christian Scientists to have their way. They certainly present doctrines that are bound to help the world to be better, for a religion that inculcates as its basis, purity of thought and living, the utter discarding of the selfish, and reliance on the Divine; and forbids scandal and gossip-mongering cannot but have a helpful influence. That it has failed in effecting physical cures in some cases does not in the least vitiate its spiritual excellence. There is no disputing the fact that the less people think of themselves the better they will be. Anyway, there has been more good done to the sect than harm by the opportunity vouchsafed it to have a clear explanation of its doctrines. Any people who are devout in a religion that inculcates morality and purity of living have a right to have fair play and decent treatment from the press and people.

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