Article October 23, 1909 Issue

The story about Christian Science, quoted in your issue...

Frederick Dixon—Ipswich, Eng.

East Anglian Daily Times

The story about Christian Science, quoted in your issue of the 20th inst., has more claims to respect than you are perhaps aware of, one of these being that it is extremely venerable. At the risk, however, of being taken for a person without any sense of humor, will you allow me to explain that among its many merits there is not even a suspicion of accuracy. I am obliged to say this, for I find that numbers of its admirers have never dreamed of it. Seriously, then, will you permit me to point out that the story is leading people to believe that Christian Science healing is a form of will power. Now will-power is expressly repudiated as a healing factor in Christ Science. If it were a factor, then it could only be said that evil is power, for such a power could undoubtedly be exerted for good or evil.

Jesus said, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." Therefore, it is certain that will-power is not the fruit of a good tree; it is the fruit, of course, of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," the effect of eating which the Bible describes as death. Fortunately, the only true thing that can be said of evil is that it is a lie, and the only semblance of power it can ever manifest is the illusion produced by being deceived by a lie. Everybody who has ever tried to use will-power must know perfectly well that it is a broken reed; the day comes inevitably when, like every house built upon the sand, it exposes its own frailty by suddenly collapsing. Christian Science healing, on the other hand, has its foundations sunk deep in rock, the spiritual foundation on which Jesus built his church: in a word, in the absolute truth. Jesus said. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free;" and as man begins to grasp this truth, he begins to repent; that is, to change his mind from a material to a spiritual outlook, from a belief that evil is power, to an understanding that there is no power but good, that is God, and so to find that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," for "the kingdom of God is within you."

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