Article December 7, 1912 Issue

A clergyman again manifests his misapprehension of...

A. Cope Stone

Adelaide (Australia) Advertiser

A clergyman again manifests his misapprehension of Christian Science. He asserts that it is opposed to the Bible in its teaching regarding God and His creation. Such is not the case. He fails to understand what Mrs. Eddy gives in place of that which she repudiates when she denies the real existence of matter. One need only turn to the discoveries of leading scientific men to learn that popular opinions regarding matter are erroneous. Christian Science teaches that God (Spirit) made all that was made, from the least to the greatest, "visible and invisible," and pronounced it good. Everything which exists is a manifestation of Him, and expresses infinite Mind. In proportion to our spiritual growth, we will gain a clearer perception of creation, until we ultimately behold all things in their true light, spiritual, not material. It is our darkened, material sense of things which hides from humanity this true view of God and His creation. Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing." He taught that Spirit alone is the real and eternal, the only source of life and existence; but this spiritual understanding can only be gained by following in his footsteps, and having the Christ-mind indicated by Paul when he declared, "But the natural [physical] man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Let me correct our critic's statements regarding "sin and its reality." In the Christian Science text-book (Science and Health, p. 37), Mrs. Eddy makes it clear that sin brings suffering, and man cannot escape the penalty of sin until he forsakes it. In her Message to The Mother Church in June, 1901, she says: "To assume there is no reality in sin, and yet commit sin, is sin itself, that clings fast to iniquity. The publican's wail won his humble desire, while the Pharisee's self-righteousness crucified Jesus" (p. 14). Sin will exist as a seeming reality until grappled with and overcome by the power of Truth. Mortal man indulges in sin because he believes that it produces pleasure and gratification, but Christian Science opens his eyes to the enormity and fallacy of his sin, and reveals to him the fact that the only reality and satisfaction is in good. This illumination of the spiritual sense annihilates all desire to do evil, and reforms the sinner. Webster defines the word reality thus: "Actual being and existence of anything, in distinction from mere appearance." In Christian Science the word is used in this sense, and denotes that which is of God, eternal, indestructible, above mortal vision, the "actual being or existence." The Scriptures teach that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, which are sin, sickness, and death. If these were real in this higher sense, how could he destroy them?

The assertion that Christian Science is "a religion without a personal God" is a misconception. Mrs. Eddy certainly denies that He is an anthropomorphic God, for in Christian Science we lose our finite human concept of God, and know Him as the infinite Person, and divine Mind, who is the creator of all, from the least to the greatest. The assertion that this teaching is "prayerless" is absolutely untrue. There is no body of Christians who are more prayerful than Christian Scientists, who believe in "prayer without ceasing." They understand true prayer to be the constant uplifting of one's thoughts to God as the source of all life, truth, and love—the Giver of all good. Their supreme desire is that they may have the constant realization of the ever-presence of divine power, to overcome every temptation of sin or fear of disease that may present itself. The efficacy of this spiritual communion is proved by the results gained thereby—viz., the healing of the sick and sinful.

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