Article December 23, 1916 Issue

It seems difficult to comprehend how a Christian minister...

Henry A. Teasdel

The Ogden (Utah) Standard

It seems difficult to comprehend how a Christian minister can spend his time trying to hinder the growth of a Christian religion because its exponents are not traveling the road to heaven that he is traveling and that he himself believes to be the right one. That one should do this in regard to Christian Science can only be accounted for by the fact that he lacks understanding of its teachings. If he were acquainted with many Christian Scientists, the lives they lead would be an object-lesson to him and would cause him to investigate more closely to find out what it is that makes them healthier, happier, and more contented than they had heretofore been.

Our friend does not distinguish between the spiritual man made in God's image and likeness and the Adam or mortal man. He takes exceptions to a published report of a Christian Science lecture recently delivered in Ogden where the lecturer stated: "We cannot imagine a sick God, and therefore man cannot be sick." God is Spirit and consequently is not subject to the ills of the flesh; neither is the spiritual man, the man made in His image and likeness. This is the man referred to in the lecturer's statement and not the mortal or sinning man who suffers for his sins.

Our friend further says: "Many refined and cultured people of the churches have thus been misled," and "the trick in his reasoning becomes the trap for many." Perhaps so, according to this critic's view, but is it not reasonable to suppose that the class of people he refers to would be sufficiently educated to be equally capable of discovering that trap, if there were one? And again: "Their training has been Bible training; now they are taking the Quarterly. Their training has been to a life of prayer, but now they follow the teachings of Mrs. Eddy, who says that 'prayer to a personal God is a hindrance.' " One half of the Lesson-Sermon is composed of Bible references, so that if the Quarterly is used their Bible training is greater than ever before. Christian Science teaches us to pray aright so that prayer may be answered. Such prayer is not offered to a material, personal God. We read in John, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

It seems difficult to comprehend how a Christian minister...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access