Article January 10, 1914 Issue

Those who wish to be correctly informed as to the teachings...

Frank Bell

Mercersburg (Pa.) Journal

Those who wish to be correctly informed as to the teachings and practise of Christian Science will scarcely be content with the interpretations of its avowed opponents. There is in Chambersburg a Christian Science reading-room where all authentic literature on the subject may be freely read, and there are in every community of consequence in this country, and in nearly all other countries, persons of standing and reliability who may be questioned as to what Christian Science means to them as a result of their personal experience. Not a few of these would say, if questioned, that they had first been led to investigate Christian Science through having heard or read unfriendly discourses in which words or sentences had been detached from their context in such a way as to make the subject appear ludicrous; so much so, in fact, as to arouse the hearer's curiosity as to whether there were any intelligent people who believed such things.

This is perfectly natural. When one hears Christian Science denounced as unchristian, with an array of quotations to buttress up this conclusion, one is altogether likely to be struck by incongruity between this statement and the evidence on every hand that Christian Science promotes all the Christian virtues in the lives of those who have turned to it for help. It is indeed true that Christian Science differs from some so-called orthodox teachings as to the exact nature of God, Christ, creation, man, sin, the devil, etc., but it is also true that the orthodox themselves differ as to these things, and that one who is convinced that his own and his associates' interpretation is wholly right, and all others are wholly wrong, is not well qualified to explain what the others really do believe. There is this great distinction as to Christian Science, however, that it especially emphasizes the fact that mere individual or collective opinions regarding doctrine or dogma are of small consequence as compared with the question of what is the effect of one's religion on one's life. Christian Science has nothing to fear from such a test, and it has small regard for the value of any other test.

The impelling appeal of Christian Science to mankind is its ability to demonstrate to the satisfaction of any earnest seeker that the best promises of genuine religion are capable of being fulfilled here and now. It is because this appeal rings true that the Christian Science organization is averaging three new churches a week and showing a larger increase of membership each year than the year before; that its text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, enjoys a larger sale than any other book that ever was written except the Bible; that the demand for Christian Science literature taxes the capacity of repeatedly enlarged publishing facilities; and that in every community where Christian Science has had time to become well established its churches are filled to the doors at every service. The empty pew is not a problem in Christian Science, which is a virlie and vigorous world-wide movement founded on tangible results, and in no respect resembles the grotesque thing which is sometimes depicted by those who have not seriously looked into the subject.

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In a recent issue Dr. Hale indulged in a criticism of Christian Science
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