Article May 28, 1910 Issue

It was certainly kind of the critic to go out of his way...

Charles K. Skinner

Lansing (Mich.) Journal

It was certainly kind of the critic to go out of his way to "warn the unwary souls of Lansing lest they fall into the errors of Christian Science." Although many Christian Science lectures have been delivered in the Detroit Opera House to crowded houses, although many sinners and drunkards have been reclaimed and regenerated, although thousands of sick have been restored to health through the beneficent work of Christian Science in Detroit, he has neglected all these years to life up his voice in protest at what he is pleased to call "wiles of the devil," in his home town. Does he think the Lansing people more helpless than those in Detroit, or that the latter are less worthy of his efforts?

The critic made the same mistake in discussing Christian Science teaching that others who are opposed to advanced ideas on any lines have made. It was easy for such persons during the past to decry the steam-engine, the Morse telegraph, and later the electric car, the wireless telegraph, simply because their limited vision said that what it did not take in could not be accomplished. Is there any one so narrow as to believe that infinite Mind, God, will express Himself through the human mind for material advancement, and limit it to a starvation point spiritually? If this is true, what did Jesus mean by these words, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect"? That a child does not assimilate and put into application certain mathematical rules, does not prove these rules false; that one cannot understand the spiritual teaching of the Scriptures sufficiently to put it into practice, gives him no right to condemn those who prove their understanding by their work.

We are taken to task for saying that "God is All. God is good. God is Mind." What is more reverential than to speak of God as infinite Mind, intelligence, and wisdom? St. Paul speaks of that Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus." The Scriptures speak of God as Love, Spirit, Life, Truth, and the Westminster confession of faith defines God as Spirit, infinite, eternal—wisdom, power, holiness, goodness, Truth. All churches have similar expressions for Deity, why then should exceptions be taken to the terms used in Christian Science?

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

It was certainly kind of the critic to go out of his way...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access