Article January 3, 1914 Issue

It seems strange that while there is so much evil to be...

Portland (Ore.) Spectator

It seems strange that while there is so much evil to be combated, a clergyman should find the time and have the disposition to attack those things whose influence is exerted for the betterment of the world; and one wonders how many of the congregation of the Centenary Methodist church the reverend gentleman is leading heavenward by his Sunday evening sermons against Christian Science. The reason for his diatribes seems to be that the Christian Scientists have chosen to travel to heaven by a road that he did not have the happiness to have pointed out to him in the days of his youth as the straight and narrow path. If we should carefully examine his bump of direction, we would indubitably discover that he permits himself to believe that there is only one road to heaven, and that his unerring feet are safely set on it; the rest of us, fatuously believing that we are marching heavenward, are really on the swift descent to Avernus.

In the second of his attacks this critic found fault because Christian Science did not cure all incurable diseases, and said that it was discovered, in some of the so-called incurable diseases that it did cure, that a wrong diagnosis had been made by the doctors. The criticism is possibly just; the power of healing all diseases, either by therapeutic science or Christian Science, has probably not yet been conferred on doctor or practitioner; but in some degree the healing power is a possession of both. We have yet to hear the critic assail the practise of medicine because it does not cure the window's son and fails to snatch from the grave the mothers of weeping children.

But there seems to be something, aside from healing physical ailments, to Christian Science that the reverend gentleman will not permit himself to note. Christian Scientists have an extraordinary talent for minding their own business. At this they appear to be so busy that they have no time to quarrel with this critic or the particular sort of theology that he professes to believe in. They practise the religion they have with peculiar faithfulness. It seems to be a religion made for every-day use. If the critic had the good fortune to enjoy acquaintance with Christian Scientists, he would find that their religion has a deal of sunlight, cheerfulness, well-being, and well-doing to it. He would learn that they have a fine, healthy, happy outlook, and that they face the troubles of today and the fortunes of tomorrow clear-eyed and unafraid.

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