Article October 2, 1915 Issue

A recent issue of the Baptist Standard, published at Dallas,...

Brigman C. Odom—Kansas City, Mo.

Our Country

A recent issue of the Baptist Standard, published at Dallas, Texas, contained an editorial entitled "Christian Scientists and Healing." The Standard editorial writer, after having made a careful study of "The Psychology of Orthodoxy," a work on suggestion by Edwin L. House, in reviewing the same endorses that author's recommendation that the churches make use of "this long neglected source of power" as a cure for disease. After referring to a chapter entitled The Forces of Suggestion, the editor affirms that "the author is reverent and orthodox in his teaching." In other words, through the official organ of the Baptist church a leader of that denomination urges that his people make use of mental suggestion (previously known as hypnotism) in the healing of disease. This he offers his church as a Christly method of cure for the sick and as an antidote for Christian Science, which latter he asserts heals by means of mental suggestion. We fail to see how, from his standpoint, the critic proposes to antidote that which he conceives to be suggestion by another form of suggestion.

The first misstatement of facts in the above-mentioned editorial is that "Christian Science does its work, not by its false philosophy nor by prayer, but by suggestion." A demonstrable religion is a stage beyond philosophy, which is a theoretical explanation of cause and effect. Christian Science reasons from the one cause and creator, God; hence its conclusions are wholly Scriptural and scientific. In the second place, Christian Science absolutely discountenances the use of suggestion. On page 106 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy one will find: "God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience."

Thus it is apparent to the unprejudiced mind that Christian Science disapproves any domination of one human mind over another, which domination is the basis of mental suggestion. Christian Science agrees with the editor that "much medicine cures through the power of suggestion rather than through any inherent value of the drug," and that "many people have been cured by taking bread pills and colored water." Many illustrations are given in the Christian Science text-book indicating such action of the human mind. But this is not the method of Christian Science. In the chapter on Animal Magnetism Unmasked, Mrs. Eddy strongly points out the evils that have been wrought and the crimes that are possible through the manipulation of one human mind by another. It is there shown that the human mind is a dangerous remedial agent, and that it must be instructed out of its methods into prayer to God, divine Mind, in order to be saved from itself. On page 102 Mrs. Eddy quotes from the Boston Herald as follows: "It [mesmerism, suggestion] implies the exercise of despotic control, and is much more likely to be abused by its possessor, than otherwise employed, for the individual or society."

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