Article May 10, 1913 Issue

In your recent article, it is rightly said that the "New...

Marie Hartman—Rotterdam, Holland. (Translation.)

Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant

In your recent article, it is rightly said that the "New Thought" movement differs from Christian Science. The difference, however, is not stated exactly, for Christian Science is not dualistic. It acknowledges but one Principle, one creator, God, who is omnipotent and omnipresent. His omnipotence and omnipresence exclude the possibility of a power beside or outside of Him. God's creation is the spiritual universe, which, as His reflection, is eternal and expresses His perfection. Evil can find no place in omnipotent and omniactive good. Christian Science considers it a product of ignorance or wrong thinking, and not a creation or expression of God. Evil arises in the same way as a mistake in a mathematical problem, and has the same seeming reality, which vanishes at once, however, as a better comprehension of mathematics, or in this case of the law of Life, is gained. Christian Science calls evil, sin, sickness, matter, etc., false beliefs of the human or mortal mind, from which mankind is saved through Christ, the saving and healing truth. Christian Science acknowledges as real the spiritual existence in which man does not serve false gods, false beliefs; awakening from the dream of materiality is the way which leads to this better consciousness of Life.

Christian Science does not believe that man is "an individualized God," but on page 475 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy defines man as follows: "Man is idea, the image, of Love; he is not physique. He is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas." Man exists only as God's idea, indissolubly united with the Father.

Christian Science teaches the way to overcome evil, disease, mortal man, and matter, by revealing their unreality, by explaining them as false beliefs. This, however, is quite another thing from "acknowledging" them.

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