Article February 8, 1900 Issue

How I was Led into Christian Science

BY HANSON W. WHEELER

A year ago, I was invited to attend the Christian Science Church. At first I declined, assuming that it was very much the same as I had heard before. However, I finally accepted the invitation and went Sunday afternoon to the First Church, on Drexel Boulevard in Chicago. The service did not particularly appeal to me; in fact, it was anything but satisfactory. It seemed like a repetition of "mind over matter—mind over matter." My conclusion was that the whole thing was ridiculous and I could not understand how such intelligent-looking people could listen to what seemed to me nonsense. In short, I was thoroughly disgusted and assured myself I would never be caught there again.

Experience meetings were then being held Friday evenings. After dinner on Friday of that week I seemed impelled, I knew not why, to attend the Christian Science meeting, and suggested to my wife that we do so. She was surprised, but readily acquiesced. We remained throughout the meeting without being particularly impressed. We, however, noted the exceptionally large attendance for a prayer-meeting, the large percentage of men comprising the congregation, and the heartiness with which all those present joined in singing the hymns. And yet I discredited the testimonies; thought the witnesses were exaggerating, or rather were carried into the realm of imagination by their enthusiasm.

There were in attendance probably six hundred to eight hundred or more. There was little, if any, change in my attitude toward Christian Science. But the awakening that was to be mine!

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