Article February 28, 1914 Issue

In his sermon as reported in a recent issue, our critic...

Willis D. McKinstry—Wellington, Kan.

The Daily News

In his sermon as reported in a recent issue, our critic touches upon some vital questions of Christianity and says many good things which should hasten the awakening of human consciousness to the pitfalls of materialism and to a desire for a fuller knowledge of the Christ, Truth. We would not question the doctor's sincere desire to be a bringer of glad tidings of truth and love to mankind, yet it is to be regretted that such a messenger should indulge a spirit of religious intolerance and thereby forget the Scriptural injunction, "Speak not evil one of another, brethren." To denounce Christian Science signifies quite clearly that its teaching is misunderstood.

We agree with the doctor that faith is an essential element in one's spiritual growth, yet to progress into a fuller knowledge of the truth of being, faith must advance to understanding, that the problem of life may be demonstrated. There is a vast difference between a blind faith and the faith of understanding. One might have absolute faith in the infallibility of mathematics, but without an understanding of the principle and rule of numbers he could not solve the simplest problem in arithmetic; so, too, a mere faith in God is insufficient to enable mankind to solve the problem of life. The Galilean Teacher was able, not through faith only, but through his understanding of spiritual law, to prove the truth of his teaching by demonstration, and he said it is through a knowledge of God and the Christ that mankind enters into eternal life; hence it is clearly seen that the process of regeneration is purely mental, or spiritual. Paul recognized this fact, for in his letter to the Romans he said: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

The doctor's statement, "Christian Science teaches there is nothing to see and nobody to see it," is most absurd, to say the least. Christian Science does not teach that man is a nonentity, without full possession of his faculties, nor the destruction or annihilation of even the least of God's ideas; but it declares, as do the Scriptures, that God is the one and only creator, that without Him was nothing made, and that His creation is as spiritual and eternal as its creator. Webster says, to see is "to perceive by mental vision; to form an idea or conception of; to note with the mind; to observe; discern; distinguish; understand; comprehend." Hence to have a true apprehension of the Scriptures they must be interpreted spiritually; in other words, mankind must see and understand their teaching from a spiritual view–point. In "Rudimental Divine Science" Mrs. Eddy defines Christian Science "as the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine Principle and rule of universal harmony" (p. 1). Man created in the image and likeness of God is a conscious being; he possesses the capacity or ability to think, to comprehend, to understand, and thereby to differentiate between the false material sense of existence and the spiritual facts of being.

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