Article April 18, 1914 Issue

In a recent issue I find under the caption, "The Bible and...

John L. Rendall

The Fairfield (Iowa) Journal

In a recent issue I find under the caption, "The Bible and Christian Science," the full text of a sermon delivered by a clergyman, in which he presents his opinion of what Christian Science teaches. He states, "We shall for the most part treat the subject by the deadly parallel method." The critic's method certainly kills every sense of justice and truth, and distorts, perverts, and misrepresents as no other method possibly could do. For one to take a passage from Science and Health, and regardless of its significance in relation to its context, arbitrarily to dispute it with a carefully selected Bible quotation likewise used regardless of its context, is about as inexcusable a method of "enlightenment" as could be devised.

In following the quotations made from Science and Health as given in the report of this sermon, and reading them in connection with their context, I find that the significance given by the critic is in most instances a positive perversion of what these passages are really intended to convey. I will cite one instance which illustrates my meaning. The clergyman states, "The Bible teaches the reality of sin: 'By one man sin entered into the world.' Christian Science says, 'Sin is but an illusion.'" The latter statement in its completeness, as found on page 480 of Science and Health, is as follows: "God, or good, never made man capable of sin. It is the opposite of good—that is, evil—which seems to make men capable of wrong-doing. Hence, evil is but an illusion, and it has no real basis. Evil is a false belief. God is not its author. The supposititious parent of evil is a lie."

Because of the limitations of space it is impossible for me to take every quotation made by our critic and give its context, but suffice it to say that were I to do so, it could be clearly shown that he has no fair or legitimate Christian reason for his attack on Christian Science. It is true that Christian Scientists have a different concept of theology than that which he entertains, and it is true that they take a different position with regard to what constitutes reality. It is also true that in Christian Science, demonstration is requisite to the acceptance of any teaching as real and true.

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