Article January 18, 1908 Issue

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MOST POTENT FACTOR IN RELIGIOUS LIFE, SAYS CLARA BARTON

Viola Rodgers

New York American

While not an acknowledged Christian Scientist, Miss Clara Barton to-day talked with me regarding this wonderful cult in a manner which left no doubt that the great woman patriot is greatly interested in the subject, and in Mrs. Eddy, its Founder. She said that she looked upon Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as the one person, regardless of sex, living to-day, who has done the greatest good for her fellow-creatures, and that Christian Science itself is the most remarkable as well as the most potent factor in religious life. Her admiration for Mrs. Eddy is beyond limitation, and she is intimately acquainted with the life history of the Founder of the Christian Science Church, for she outlined her story from the beginning and commented upon the magnificent single-handed struggle and sacrifice made by Mrs. Eddy in her effort to give Christian Science to the world.

"While I have not studied deeply enough the great religion founded by Mrs. Eddy to consider myself a Christian Scientist," said Miss Barton, "I can say that I look upon Christian Science, as I understand it, as the most ideally beautiful yet the most practical and comforting of beliefs. It is doing more in the world to-day, and will continue to as more people become cognizant of the beauty of its teachings, than any other one influence for good. Mrs. Eddy should have the respect, admiration, and love of the whole Nation, for she is its greatest woman. Her teachings spread love and good will among men, and a Christian Scientist cannot be a Christian Scientist unless he has eliminated greed and selfishness from his nature."

Asked if she had read Science and Health, Miss Barton said that she had, and was much comforted by its teachings. "Love," she said, "permeates all the teachings of this great woman,—so great, I believe, that at this perspective we can scarcely realize how great,—and looking into her life history we see nothing but self-sacrifice and selflessness. Never has Mrs. Eddy tried to bring her personality before the public. She has, on the other hand, isolated herself from the world, and her only motive in doing so, I firmly believe, has been in order to let her teachings, instead of herself, reach the people. She has never exploited herself, but so profoundly has she been interested in bringing a great, joyous, healing and comforting religion to a people, that she made directly for that object, regardless of what criticism came to her in so doing. How beautifully she has managed her own unfortunate trials! Without malice, always with a kindness and charity that is almost beyond human comprehension, has this woman fought antagonism, and that only with love. And I say no one familiar with her life and her teachings can help but see the marvelous consistency and beauty of what she has given to the world in Christian Science. The Christian Scientists I have met all impress me with that same spirit of unselfishness that is characteristic of Mrs. Eddy. They are an intelligent, thinking people, and they impress me that their belief comes after careful and scientific investigation and conviction, rather than from hysterical evangelism."

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UNIVERSAL RELIGION
January 18, 1908
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