Article April 18, 1908 Issue

As a teacher of Christian Science I should not hope to...

Alfred Farlow

Indianapolis (Ind.) Star

As a teacher of Christian Science I should not hope to give an adequate meaning of its teaching by the abstract declaration, "There is no matter," for such a statement without previous preparation would mislead the student, It seems to declare the unreality of creation, when in fact it is intended only to deny the material, false conception of it. In our study of Christian Science we must not fail to know what this Science gives in place of that which it repudiates. A critic presents the following syllogism: Major premise: matter has no existence; minor premise: our bodies are composed of matter; conclusion: therefore, our bodies have no existence. This is not a correct statement of Christian Science. The minor premise is erroneous; hence, his deduction is wrong. The following is the Christian Science syllogism: God is Spirit, Mind. "Man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual" (Science and Health, p. 468).

Science determines the unreality of disease by holding steadfastly to Spirit as the only creator. The Scriptures teach that "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good," and "the heavens and the earth were finished." Evil and sickness are not included in the very good things that God created. They, therefore, have no existence; in fact, their being is mythical. The question is not what seems, but what is. Christian Science agrees with the Scriptural teaching; "In him [God] we live, and move, and have our being." It agrees with the Scriptural text: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." But it also recognizes that because of our present material condition we are not able to deport ourselves according to the full stature of manhood in Christ, and as did the Master, who said, "Suffer it to be so now," we must allow many material indulgences that will not be practised by the ideal or perfect man. A Christian Scientist might not be able to "walk through the door," but the Master of Christianity who was the example for all Christians "appeared in the midst of them, the doors being shut," much to the astonishment of his disciples.

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