Article February 1, 1913 Issue

Your recent editorial on the unique subject "Does God...

Paul S. Seeley

Klamath Falls (Ore.) Northwestern

Your recent editorial on the unique subject "Does God Fix the Death Rate?" bears witness to the fact that thinking people are rapidly repudiating the time-worn theory that conditions of human suffering are decreed by a cruel Deity. Let us hope that all the world will soon agree with your sensible conclusion that the mortality table is not regulated by the hand of God. In following your discussion of the causes contributing to the death rate, I regret to observe your wholly erroneous statement relative to Christian Scientists and the effects of their practise. You write, "The Christian Scientists and other faith-'healers' who close their eyes to the possibilities of material aid, that may often so potently be added to the psychotherapy they are employing, swell the death rate." May I be privileged to present a few facts which I hope will help to correct your mistake and remove any misconception in the minds of your readers relative to Christian Science and the points involved?

First, Christian Scientists are not faith-"healers," nor do they practise psychotherapy, a word indicative of mental treatment practised by those who believe in the power of the human will or of mortal mind to heal their physical ailments. Christian Scientists place sole reliance upon God, divine Mind, who, as the psalmist has said, "healeth all thy diseases." They believe implicitly in the Bible and in the teachings of Christ Jesus, who demonstrated to mankind the power of God, divine Love, to heal the sick and cast out all evil through a scientific understanding of Him. Christian Scientists believe that the Master knew what he was talking about when he said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," and as a proof of this, that he healed "all manner of disease" and commanded his followers to go and do likewise. The faith of the Christian Scientist binds him to the higher and purer understanding of God and His creation as perfect and good, so enabling him to overcome disease and evil of every kind. Is there hope apart from God? Not once in all his earthly career did Jesus place any reliance upon drugs as material remedies. "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works," was his explanation of his healing power. His promise to his followers was, "The works that I do shall he do also; and greater works." It is by the same divine power that Christian Science is accomplishing its multitudinous cures and attracting to it the sick, the sinning, the sorrowful, and those who seek a scientific and demonstrable understanding of God.

The teachings of Christian Science have been tried and proven, for it brings to the world a message of hope through a demonstrable knowledge of God and His unchanging law of love and truth. Mrs. Eddy has written on page 390 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "It is our ignorance of God, the divine Principle, which produces apparent discord, and the right understanding of Him restores harmony." In the fuller realization of this great but simple truth, sin, sickness, and death, "the last enemy," will be overcome, man in God's likeness will appear, and the death rate finally be extinguished.

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