Article January 18, 1913 Issue

As for the mental attitude of Christian Scientists, the...

G. H. S. King

Oregon City (Ore.) Courier

As for the mental attitude of Christian Scientists, the writer is entirely right in his observation that they are a happy and contented class of people. But they would not be if they were so extravagant as to "say that to be sick is the greatest sin in the world"—as the writer affirms they do. Science and Health teaches (p. 411) that "the procuring cause and foundation of all sickness is fear, ignorance, or sin." It will be seen that Christian Science associates sin and disease only in the same degree that they are associated in the Bible (see John v:14). The writer is also mistaken in stating that with the Christian Scientists there is "no effort about it"—that is, in making "troubles vanish" and reaching "a state of perfection."

To state the case more accurately, the typical Christian Scientist is merely engaged in the exercise of practical, genuine piety. He has ingenuously accepted the injunction of the Master, "Be ye therefore perfect," as addressed to himself, and courageously commits himself to its realization, though often with fear and trembling; and he enjoys the teachings of Christian Science because they simplify the matter for him, enabling him to swing his careless and often wrong mental attitudes around into alignment with the spiritual attitude indicated in the Bible, helping him to "fight the good fight," so that he can finally say, with the psalmist, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy disease; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; . . . so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

As for the mental attitude of Christian Scientists, the...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access