Article December 6, 1913 Issue

Your valued paper published an article by the Rev. T. A. Stancliffe...

William C. Kaufman

Kalispell (Mont.) Inter Lake

Your valued paper published an article by the Rev. T. A. Stancliffe in reply to a synopsis of a lecture on Christian Science. The critic says, "The speaker's whole attempt was to destroy the deity of Jesus Christ and reduce him to simply an inspired man." Christian Science teaches Christ Jesus glorified. It does not teach that Christ was God, but that he was the Son of God, as he himself declared, and that Mary's conception of him was purely spiritual; hence he had no earthly father. This fact enabled Christ Jesus to manifest more spirituality than did other men, and this spirituality individualized in him was the Christ. Christ is the spiritual idea of God and existed forever, but this idea was represented by Jesus in order that humanity might comprehend how the divine nature can overcome the belief in mortality.

Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 26): "The Christ was the Spirit which Jesus implied in his own statements: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life;' 'I and my Father are one.' " Christian Science teaches that God is divine Life, Truth, Love, Spirit, Soul, Mind, and that Christ is the expression, reflection, or manifestation of God; hence, he is the Son of God. Christ Jesus was a dual personality. This enabled him to be the Wayshower to all men. The laying off of the human and the earthly, as illustrated by the man Jesus, and the appearing of the Christ, is the way of salvation from material living into spiritual existence. The Pharisee and the materially-minded saw the fleshly Jesus, whereas his students and the spiritually-minded saw the Christ, or Son of God; and whenever we see the Christ as the Son of God, then we shall see all men as spiritual and destroy the false concept of man in our consciousness.

The Scriptural passages quoted by the critic prove Christ's at-one-ment with God, and not the deity of Jesus. It is true that the teachings of Christian Science do not coincide with the generally accepted theological beliefs, hence this criticism. Nevertheless, the value of the theology of Christian Science is demonstrated by its proof that it reforms the sinner while healing the sick.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Christian Science Literature