Article May 9, 1908 Issue

Our critic's confusion of Christ with the man Jesus...

George Shaw Cook

The Illinois State Register

Our critic's confusion of Christ with the man Jesus is quite common though none the less incorrect. The eternal Christ or spiritual idea of God is not synonymous with Jesus, although Christ Jesus undoubtedly manifested and expressed in word and in deed more of the eternal Christ or divine understanding of God than any one who ever lived on earth, and thereby proved his right to the title of Jesus the Christ. Christian Scientists love Christ Jesus and regard him as the master-Christian and master-metaphysician. They accept him unreservedly as the Wayshower to mankind. They recall that he said his followers should do the works that he did and "greater works." They do not consider it blasphemous to believe that he meant what he said and to attempt to do the works which he said they should do. Therefore they are humbly trying to follow his example in healing the sick through spiritual means and reforming the sinner, although they are deeply sensible of the fact that their work is at present limited by reason of their lack of spirituality and goodness. They, however, rejoice in some progress heavenward and gain courage to press forward in the confident expectation that some day, after much overcoming of sin in themselves and others, they will awake with the likeness of God and "be satisfied."

Our critic's assumption that the good Samaritan may have been a drug doctor is quite plausible. I have known many unselfish and noble physicians who would have been entirely capable of doing the recorded deed of love to the traveler and thus becoming his neighbor; but on the other hand, Christian Scientists should not be unfairly characterized by our critic as being barren of good deeds. The true Christian Scientist is meek, loving, considerate, gentle, faithful, charitable, and compassionate. He lives a life of consecration to God and of service to his fellow-man. It is therefore unfair and unjust to say that Christian Scientists are as a class so self-centered as to be insensible to their brother's need.

The Christian Science denomination does not maintain what are ordinarily known as charitable institutions. Many individual Scientists, however, follow the example of their revered Leader, Mrs. Eddy, in contributing freely, but in an unostentatious manner, to the established charities. It must be remembered that Christian Science emphasizes the fact, now quite commonly recognized by philanthropists in general, that the best possible charity is to show a man how to avoid the necessity of accepting alms. Christian Science has restored many who were helpless dependents to lives of usefulness and to freedom from poverty. Hospitals and sanitariums are not necessary to the Christian Science movement for the reason that salvation from sickness and sin through Christian Science depends upon work with the individual, which can be done as readily in the home as in the hospital.

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