Article December 30, 1916 Issue

It seems somewhat difficult to determine just the definition...

S.T. Downs

Boonville (Ind.) Enquirer

It seems somewhat difficult to determine just the definition that our critic would give to the word "proselyte" as used in his statement, "The Christian Scientists get their adherents by proselyting, but they never succeed in getting good church-members who are familiar with the Word of God." The first part of the statement evidences a desire to deny Christian Scientists the right to give the world their message, but most people will undoubtedly regard Christian Scientists as in the right in their intention to continue spreading this great gospel of love and healing to all the world. Christian Science is a feast of spiritual truths of which mankind may partake if they desire, but there never has been and there never will be any urging, coaxing, condemning, denouncing, or criticizing to get them to do so.

The statement about active members in the older churches not becoming Christian Scientists, simply shows how unreliable are our critic's sources of information. There is probably no remark heard more often in public testimony meetings and among Christian Scientists—with the exception of expressions of gratitude for the healing of sin and sick-ness—than that after studying the Bible for many years during membership in the so-called orthodox churches, it remained for Christian Science to unfold the spiritual treasures of God's Word. The first religious tenet of Christian Science reads, "As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life"

In a spirit of opposition to what he thinks Christian Science teaches, our critic denounced it as unchristian and unscientific. Christian Science is Christian, however, because its teachings are based entirely on the words and works of Christ Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. It disagrees, it is true, with many creeds, but this disagreement is supported by the teachings of the Master. For instance, Jesus never taught that he was God, and the New Testament when understood in the light that Christian Science throws on the subject shows that he did not. Then again, Christian Science is Christian because it is preaching the gospel and healing the sick—both preaching and healing—exactly as Jesus commanded, and it has restored primitive Christianity to humanity.

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