Article March 20, 1909 Issue

Christian Science, or the Science of Christianity, is the...

J. V. Dittemore

Medico-Legal Journal

Christian Science, or the Science of Christianity, is the knowledge of the Principle or law by which Christ Jesus demonstrated his system of doctrines and precepts. Applied Christian Science, or the practice of Christian Science Mind-healing, consists of the application of this knowledge to the solution of the problem of evil and for humanity's deliverance from all sin, disease, and discord. The results from Christian Science practice, as in any other science, are in direct proportion to the demonstrator's understanding of the Principle, and his correct application of the rules. Christian Science accepts as its basis the existence of one infinite God, who is the infinitely intelligent, creative Principle of all that has real being, the spiritual noumenon of the phenomena through which it is interpreted and understood. Christian Science accepts the term divine Mind as most expressive of the omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience of this God who is infinite good, and who, as the Scriptures declare, is Spirit and is Love.

If this basis is accepted, logical reasoning therefrom can only bring us to one conclusion, viz., a spiritual and perfect universe, and normal man as the perfect idea of his perfect creator. Any concept of God or of man which is less than perfect is the result of false education or environment, the deception of erroneous material theories and the penalty for failure to realize man's God-given dominion. Christian Science declares that all disease, suffering, and their dolorous concomitants are phenomena of mental procurement and the results either of individual or racial sin, ignorance, or fear; that they are not of God, have no Principle or scientific basis, and exist wholly in the realm of a supposititious or mortal consciousness, and that they are therefore abnormal, illegitimate, unnecessary, and destructible.

Jesus said that salvation or freedom comes to mortals through knowing the truth. He also said that those who understood his teaching should not only duplicate his works, but should perform even greater works, because he went "to the Father"—to the divine Mind, the source of infinite Truth or knowledge, and he applied this knowledge in solving the problems of human existence in fulfilment of his mission. This process of applying God's law to the beliefs of human experience is today the modus of Christian Science practice, whereby health is proven to be entirely a condition of mind. Christian Science vindicates its claim to be Christian because of the Christliness of its practice. The Founder of Christianity declared that those who loved him, and therefore those who were entitled to call themselves his followers, or Christians, were those who obeyed him; and among other commands, universal and confined to no age, was his injuction to heal the sick and cast out devils. It vindicates its claim to be Science on the ground that all true Science must be the orderly arrangement of ascertained facts about that which is real. Christian Science maintains that there is nothing to know but Deity and His creation. True Science must then begin with a correct, comprehensive, complete knowledge of God, and must end with a full understanding of God's creation.

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