Article March 6, 1902 Issue

Inconsistency Hinted

Alfred Farlow

Boston Herald

To the Editor of The Herald.

It was scarcely necessary that the Rev. J. H. Berkey of Monroe, Wis., should come all the way to Boston to remind the good people of this city that Christ raised the dead and that Christians are not up to his standard until they are able to do the same, for this fact is quite well known to Bostonians. By the way, is it not a little inconsistent with his contention that Mr. Berkey made no apology for his own inability to raise the dead? Does he demand more of Christian Scientists than he is able to do himself? When he ridicules the teaching of Christian Scientists because they accept the literal teachings of our Lord, "Preach the gospel," "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead," he should bear in mind that he is expressing scepticism in respect to Biblical teaching. If Jesus demanded an impossibility of his followers when he said, "Raise the dead," our friend must not hold Christian Scientists responsible.

The teaching of our Master demands more than some are able to accomplish in their peculiar ways, and, rather than admit that they are wrong in their interpretation of proper methods, they yield to the temptation to explain away God's word and try to make it appear that he meant something else. Indeed, the practice of belittling Jesus' teaching and good works as a matter of apologizing for one's inability to comply with his exalted demands has become quite common of late.

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