Article February 21, 1914 Issue

A certain speaker, in an address on "A New Religion," is...

Thomas F. Watson

Palo Alto (Cal.) Times

A certain speaker, in an address on "A New Religion," is reported in a recent issue as saying that Christian Science is "illogical; it cannot stand an intelligent test applied to it, according to known facts of life." Jesus gave us a test whereby we should know the truth, when he said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." He also said, "By their fruits ye shall know them;" and Christian Science is willing to be judged by its fruits, namely, the healing of sin and sickness. This is not a new religion, but rather a new discovery of an old truth, and that is the Christ-truth, for it comes, as of old, to bring "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

The gentleman says that Christian Science "throws too much emphasis on physical preservation;" but the beauty of the healing in Christian Science is, that it not only lifts humanity out of sickness, but out of sin, fear, anxiety, worry, and all other false beliefs of the carnal mind. The Bible says, "Work out your own salvation," and this work must be mental, since in order to do right it is necessary first to think right.

We must take issue with our critic when he says, "The fact is, it is impossible to know what is good without first knowing what is bad." In Genesis we read, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good"; and John says, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Therefore we find it is as impossible for man to know evil as for him to know that two plus two equals five. He may believe in evil, and he may believe that two plus two equals five, but it is impossible to know that which is not true. It is this false belief against which God warns man, for we again read in Genesis, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." The critic's assertion that "good and bad are relative terms, and in life are constantly interchangeable," receives a rebuke in the Master's statement, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." A fountain cannot send forth sweet and bitter water.

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