Article April 1, 1916 Issue

A late copy of the Enterprise contains a reference to...

Thomas E. Boland

Newtown (Pa.) Enterprise

A late copy of the Enterprise contains a reference to Christian Science which while not unkindly may innocently lead to a misunderstanding of that subject. The writer states that Christian Scientists claim "everything up to surgical operations can be treated by will-power alone, or by simply 'willing' that there is nothing the matter with you."

So far as such an assertion coming from Christian Scientists themselves is concerned, it may be dismissed with the statement that they make no such claim or assertion, for the simple reason that so to claim would be the very antithesis of the teaching of their faith. This statement is, however, occasionally made by those not sufficiently conversant with the subject, and here a word of explanation may be in order. Under "will-power" may be included mental suggestion, hypnotism, and mesmerism. These systems presume that each human being has a separate mind of his own, that there are minds many, and that each may be used at the will of the individual either for ill or for good.

One of the basic propositions of Christian Science is that God is Mind (capitalized); that there is but one God, hence one Mind; that God is good, therefore Mind is good; that God does not and can not cause evil, therefore Mind does not and can not operate to cause evil, Mrs. Eddy, the outhor of the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Seriptures," states (p. 144): "Human will-power is not Science. Human will belongs to the so-called material senses, and its use is to be condemned. Willing the sick to recover is not the metaphysical practice of Christian Science, but is sheer animal magnetism."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

A late copy of the Enterprise contains a reference to...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access