Article March 28, 1914 Issue

Considerable publicity has been given to a lecture by...

Ezra W. Palmer

Idaho Springs (Col.) Siftings News

Considerable publicity has been given to a lecture by a minister of your city on the topic, "Why I am a Christian and not a Christian Scientist," in which he assailed the religious views of many of his fellow citizens. The gentleman asserted that he is a Christian. He vehemently declared, however, that Christian Science is not Christian. The question, therefore, naturally arises, What constitutes the term "Christian"? Webster's International dictionary defines "Christian" as "one who believes, or professes or is assumed to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by him."

By what token does this critic assume to read Christian Science out of the pale of Christianity? Let him investigate the religious convictions of Christian Scientists and he will discover that they believe in "Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by him." He will also discover that they lead clean Christian lives; that they strive humbly and earnestly to love God, and their neighbors as themselves; that they obey the precept and example of Jesus perhaps more closely than any other body of Christian people on earth today. They know that the Master demonstrated the power of God as a living, pulsating, regenerating force among men; not a religion of creed and words, but a mighty uplifting agency which cleansed the sinner, healed the sick, and raised the dead. "And these signs shall follow them that believe," said Jesus; "In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpent; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

Christian Scientists know that Jesus gave no impossible commands for Christians to follow, neither did he demand of them to travel any road he himself had not blazed for them. He healed the sick and reformed the sinner by the power of God; he raised the dead by the might of omnipotence; and Christian Scientists are obeying the Master and doing likewise. This minister who would so presumptuously outlaw Scientists, should examine his own title to the term "Christian," to see that it is not clouded. Does he understand God sufficiently to heal the sick by the power of prayer? If so, all genuine Christians will rejoice with him. If he cannot, and is relying on drugs and inert matter to save humanity from disease and death, then by fair logic he cannot rightly assume the name of Christian, because he is not obeying the definite, explicit commands of Jesus. Christ Jesus used no drugs. He prayed to the Father to restore sinful and diseased men and lead them to God, and taught his followers that they should employ the same divine power.

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