Article January 15, 1910 Issue

The teachings of Christian Science do not warrant the...

Olcott Haskell

Oakland (Cal.) Examiner

The teachings of Christian Science do not warrant the statement in a symposium article that "the influence of one person's mind over the mind of another person for good is one of the cardinal principles of the Christian Science faith," for Mrs. Eddy writes: "Human will-power is not Science.... It produces evil continually, and is not a factor in the realism of being" (Science and Health, p. 144). "Before this book was published, other books were in circulation, which discussed 'mental medicine' and 'mind-cure,' operating through the power of the earth's magnetic currents to regulate life and health.... Such theories have no relationship to Christian Science, which rests on the conception of God as the only Life, substance, and intelligence, and excludes the human mind as a spiritual factor in the healing work" (Ibid., p. 185). "They [other works] regard the human mind as a healing agent, whereas this mind is not a factor in the Principle of Christian Science" (Ibid., Pref., p. x.).

From this it is evident that in Christian Science God, the divine Principle of man, is regarded as the only source of health. When the human mind turns to God it is saved from its errors, just as when a mathematician turns from his mistaken concepts to the basic law of numbers and is saved from the errors his misconceptions had introduced. It is not logical to argue from the fact that the human mind, aided by a perception of divine Principle, can correct mistakes, that the unaided mind has an equal power for evil; for in the latter case it has no principle to work with, and all unprincipled action sooner or later destroys itself. This mind is not a creator. It may follow Principle and see the truth, but it cannot unmake or destroy that which is true.

While it is not my purpose to discuss how much of evil it would be possible for a mistaken human mind to imagine, yet the point must be clear to every one acquainted with the teachings of Christian Science, that its practice can no more be made to serve the ends of evil than can the science of numbers be made to lend itself to the commission of mathematical error. When James and John suggested that they attempt to bring evil upon those who rejected them, Jesus rebuked them and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." Again, in his warning to his disciples not to harbor sinful thoughts, Jesus defined evil desire as adultery, and hate as murder.

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