Article October 2, 1915 Issue

In a recent issue of Oak Leaves the sermon of a local clergyman...

Avery Coonley—Oak Park, Ill.

Oak Leaves

In a recent issue of Oak Leaves the sermon of a local clergyman was reported, most of the space being given to "taking issue" with Christian Science. The reverend gentleman describes himself as taking "loving issue" with another religion, but he is unsuccessful in making his criticism loving or even fair, for while purporting to present his hearers with the truth about Christian Science, he dresses up his misconceptions of its teachings in so unsympathetic and unfriendly a way as to make them nothing less than grotesque and wholly unrecognizable.

A consideration of the quotations he selects throughout the article makes it clear that instead of trying to portray its teachings fairly, he takes only such quotations as would when separated from their context convey an unfavorable impression. Those unacquainted with the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, who may be tempted to credit the caricatures presented, should do the subject under consideration the justice to read for themselves the passages to which he refers, taking the disconnected sentences he selects together with the context essential to convey their meaning and with related statements upon the same subject.

Our critic has seized recklessly upon a demand for literal construction in each passage in the Bible, and has undertaken to make of this requirement a broadaxe with which to annihilate Christian Science, with the result, of course, that it descends upon his own head. He condemns Christian Science for attributing to God "pure-mindedness," the inability to know evil, this being as he assures us "flatly contradictory of the Bible." We will leave him to debate that question with the prophet Habakkuk, whose statement about God, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil," it becomes his problem to explain away.

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