Article May 30, 1908 Issue

It is to be regretted that your honored paper has been...

Translation of an article by A. E. Lundgren—published in Goteborg, Sweden.

Goteborgs Handels och Sjofarts Tidving

It is to be regretted that your honored paper has been willing to give place in its columns to an article so unworthy and misleading as the one with the heading "Christian Science Humbug" in the issue of last Saturday. As the author of this composition remarks, he had committed about a year ago the imprudence of rendering without further investigation an article from a German paper, which also gave evidence of either an inexcusable ignorance of facts or a purposed desire to ridicule and harm Christian Science, and although in the German paper there appeared later a reply to the cited statements, your paper took no notive thereof. The article now produced, however, is so rudely disparaging toward the Leader of this mighty religious movement, and so very misleading, that it is my duty as the local representative of Christian Science to put before the public a few facts which may give some information about this Christian religion, now widely spread, but which unfortunately is as yet but little known in Sweden.

The allegations which were made by the critic have been repeatedly met in American papers; and we recall that even here, eight years ago, a correciton of similar depreciating statements was kindly published in your paper. Over there such arguments are finall worn out, and Christian Science has gone with honor through the battle. Shall time and words now be wasted in the Swedish press over a subject which may be settled by unbiased investigation? "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker G. Eddy is at the disposal of the public in the city library of Göteborg, and those who desire to see different editions of this and other Christian Science books, or make further investigation concerning its teachings, are welcome to the Reading Room, Chalmersgatan 16. The subject is also mentioned in "Nordisk Familjebok," latest edition, where Prof. Nathan Söderblom in a short article gives an impartial account thereof from an outsider's point of view.

Christian Scientists are not, as this critic fancies, ignorant and gullible people; in America, as well as elsewhere, they are recognized as "thinking persons of more than average intelligence," to quote a disinterested Boston daily paper. The movement counts among its numbers reputable professors, judges, ministers, physicians, actors, authors, business men, military men; and the large body of lecturers are men and women with academic training. For one who has had occasion to follow the development of this movement in America it is somewhat surprising to find Christian Science charged with "imparting hysterical imaginations," as for a long time the curing of hysterical imaginations was the only thing that its opponents in America were willing to admit. Now no American, who claims to be well posted, will deny that Christian Science has cured organic as well as functional diseases. No compulsion in any direction is exercised upon the individual Scientist. He buys his books because he knows that he is benefited by them; and if the person who buys the books does not complain of their price, why should others trouble themselves? An author no doubt is entitled to set her own price on her publications. Mrs. Eddy's revisions of Science and Health have been done exclusively with the purpose of making the book more easily understood and unmistakable. Should this make any evidence against its inspirational character? It will no doubt be conceded that a revelation is not at the outset expressed in words, and that it depends on the plainness of the expression if it shall be correctly understood by others. Mrs. Eddy herself has not at all changed her idea of the original revelation which she received, neither do her occasional revisions warrant any such conclusion. . . .

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