Article October 19, 1912 Issue

Our reverend critic loses sight of, or else is not aware of,...

Charles E. Jarvis

Los Angeles (Cal.) Examiner

Our reverend critic loses sight of, or else is not aware of, the fact that Christian Science is based fundamentally and absolutely upon the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, who demonstrated by his works his knowledge of the power of the divine Principle to destroy sin and pain, and who commanded his followers not only to do likewise, but "greater works than these." Christian Science is essentially a religion, and while many of its adherents have first had their attention drawn to it through the healing of pain and disease, that phase of its teaching is but incidental to the far more important condition, that of the spiritual regeneration, which follows the study of the Bible in the light of the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. It is hardly necessary to add that those who have experienced the destruction of sin and discord from their lives, are most profoundly grateful. Christian Science therefore becomes a genuine and gratifying means to salvation here and now, and in the degree that we apprehend the fact that the kingdom of heaven is not a place afar off, but a state of consciousness, a condition of mind, we are released from the bondage of our former beliefs and are freed from our pains, sorrows, and fears, and this realization brings with it the joy of true living, and the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding." When our critic classes Christian Science with theosophy and spiritualism, he again displays a lack of knowledge of the subject, for the truth of the matter is that Christian Science is the very antithesis of both of these beliefs, and in Science and Health Mrs. Eddy has differentiated so clearly between Christian Science and these beliefs that there is no excuse for confounding them. As to the time-worn inference that Christian Scientists deny the existence of pain and sin, allow me to quote from the text-book above referred to as follows: "Sickness is neither imaginary nor unreal,—that is, to the frightened, false sense of the patient. Sickness is more than fancy; it is solid conviction" (p. 460). But Mrs. Eddy has pointed us to a way out of sickness and of sin as well, and countless thousands have proved that the steps of this way lead to health, happiness, and freedom. Her followers are endeavoring to show by their lives the gratitude they feel for the good that has come into those lives through this teaching, and they are striving to follow in the footsteps of him who gave us the golden rule.

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