Article June 12, 1915 Issue

When a person who can write the word Reverend before...

Judge Clifford P. Smith

Lynn (Mass.) Item

When a person who can write the word Reverend before his name, advertises an attack on Christian Science and uses such language as you have just reported, the probability is that the Christian Science church of that vicinity is growing. But the abuse of a religion or its founder never turned a thoughtful man away from it, and no one who is ready to consider the merits of Christian Science is likely to accept voluble vituperation instead of intelligent information. Vilification proves nothing against any one or any thing, except the person who resorts to it; and the only reason or argument furnished by the speaker whose declamation you published was a palpable fallacy.

For the purpose of proving something against Christian Science, the speaker related an incident which contained its own refutation. The story was that a native of India, by name Pundita Ramabai, was told of Christian Science when she came to America, and she recognized it as an ancient Indian philosophy. The nature of the information furnished to this lady was not stated, but it can be gathered from her explanation of the philosophy which she identified with Christian Science. She said: "It means just this: the philosophy of nothingness. You are to view the whole universe as nothing but falsehood. You are to think it does not exist; you do not exist; I do not exist; the birds and beasts that you see do not exist. When you realize that you have no personality whatever, then you have attained the highest perfection of what is called 'Yoga.'"

Now every one who has ever read the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, as a student or sincere inquirer, knows that the lady who said this had been misinformed. There is not a single point or item in what she is reported to have said that corresponds in the least degree with Christian Science. The Christian Science text-book can be found at most public libraries, or at any Christian Science reading-room, and any one who wishes to know its contents is cordially invited to examine this book for himself, and do his own thinking. Mrs. Eddy from girlhood until after her discovery of Christian Science, when she was forty-five years of age, was a member of the Congregational church. She was a woman of liberal culture, but never studied Indian philosophy, or even read it. On the contrary, she was a profound student of the Bible, and was devoutly religious and Christian. Christian Science is based upon the Bible, and in all of Mrs. Eddy's writings she refers to the Scriptures, especially to the teachings of Christ Jesus, at every point.

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