Article June 26, 1909 Issue

Our critic says that Christian Science is not Christian...

Frederick Dixon—London, England.

Medical Times

Our critic says that Christian Science is not Christian because Christian Scientists deny the reality of suffering, while St. Paul wrote, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Now the word reality is used in Christian Science to describe the absolute, that is, the spiritual and eternal. In what way, therefore, the text from Romans just quoted affects Christian Science it would be difficult to say. If our critic considers sin and suffering a reality, he either believes them part of the creation of God, since "without him was not any thing made that was made," or else he considers them a creation, a real creation, independent of God in which case all things were not made by God.

The ministry of Jesus was to an enormous extent a ministry of physical healing. When John the Baptist sent to inquire if he was the Christ, it was by his healing works that he elected to be judged; when the material instincts of those to whom he preached revolted from the very absoluteness of the spiritual truths he presented to them, it was to his works he declared they must turn for proof of his words; and when he wished to define a believer, his definition was an ability to do his works. It is suggestive that our critic should have selected as a type of heresy the one sect which has accepted literally Jesus' command to preach the gospel and to heal the sick.

It is perhaps even more suggestive that he should have insisted further that whatever healing may be accomplished by Christian Science is the result of hypnotism. Now hypnotism is only the modern name for that which the Eastern peoples described as necromancy or magic, and which Jesus himself summed up as the works of the devil. It is the claim of one human intelligence to dictate to another, of the stronger to dominate the weaker, so that it becomes "a house divided against a house." It was this very charge, of course, that the Jews hurled at Jesus when they said, "He casteth out devils through Beelzebub." The reply of Jesus was final, "If I," he said, "with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." The kingdom of God is "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding," and this peace never came to any one through mental suggestion,—it is the "fruit of conquered sin."

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