Article April 4, 1914 Issue

Practical Value of Christian Science

ALFRED THORPE

It should constantly be borne in mind that Jesus and his disciples proved the value of their teaching by healing all manner of sickness, and at the same time it should be clearly understood that the power to do so lay, not with them, but with God their Father. It is ours to remember this, and thus recognize the significance of Jesus' teaching when he said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Statists inform us that the average number of days in every year during which a man is laid up and unable to attend to his business or calling, is eleven. If this be so, we can form some estimate of the significance of these days of sickness to the community and the units of which it is composed. As we think of the doctor's bills incurred, the cost of drugs and other so-called necessaries, and then of the suffering endured by the victims of mortal belief, we may well ponder Jesus' words, above quoted. The many schools and hospitals maintained at great expense for the education of physicians, on the one hand, and for the care and treatment of those who are sick, together with the vast sum expended for the upkeep of the thousands of beneficent institutions in all civilized countries, enable us to arrive at some faint idea of the cost to humanity of sickness and accident. In the light of their present knowledge, the physicians and nurses are carrying on a good and kindly work, but at what tremendous outlay to all concerned!

In contrast with this order of things, if discord of any kind assails a Christian Scientist, he can, by knowing the truth as Jesus declared, be quickly freed from his disability. I have been a student of this teaching for some seven years, and whereas heretofore my experience was quite up to the statistical dictum of eleven sick days a year, and sometimes many more, ever since I began to understand the truth of being I have had no days off as the result of illness, and I believe my case to be typical of that of the average Christian Scientist. This being true, the saving in expense and from suffering is immediately manifest. Multiply my experience by the number of units in a community and throughout the civilized world, and one can form a correct judgment respecting the practical value of Christian Science.

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