Article March 6, 1915 Issue

You inquire, "Is there on earth another legislative body...

Campbell MacCulloch—Syracuse, N. Y.

Post-Standard

You inquire, "Is there on earth another legislative body besides the United States Senate which would listen to, or pretend to listen to, and admit in full to its official minutes, a five-hour lecture on Christian Science?"

Senator John D. Works did not "lecture" on Christian Science. He followed his previous course of two years or so ago, when the Owen bill for the establishment of a department of health was up, and argued against the unconstitutionality of the Congress of the United States allying itself with a state form of medicine, and lending its authorization thereto. In the present instance, Senator Works spoke upon the efforts of the hospital and health services of the United States in endeavoring to foster again just that very thing, state medicine. He also pointed out that as state religion is abhorrent to American ideals, so is the placing of great power and dominion over the individual welfare and the bodies of its citizens abhorrent to the spirit of freedom and right of choice that was guaranteed when our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence. Senator Works was engaged in defending the rights not alone of the one or two millions of American citizens allied with the teachings of Christian Science, but of the other millions who do not place their reliance upon the allopathic school of medicine, and who claim for themselves the privilege of worshiping God and healing their bodies in their own way.

May I remark in closing, that Christian Scientists have no wish to deny any one the right to make use of any mode of healing he may choose; that they are zealous in fulfilling sanitary codes to the exact letter, and that they only claim for themselves the justice they desire all to possess.

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