Article September 9, 1916 Issue

In his sermon entitled "A Painless World?" "Clericus"...

Charles M. Shaw—Blackburn, England

Weekly Telegraph

In his sermon entitled "A Painless World?" "Clericus" describes the prevalence of pain in human experience. He recounts its educational and disciplinary uses, and then, assuming that Christian Science denies the existence of pain, he declares, "Christian Science is of no use here."

I wish to say as plainly as possible that Christian Scientists do not deny the existence of pain in the realm of sense experience, the common every-day world of which "Clericus" is writing. Otherwise how could they reconcile with common sense their claim to be able to heal disease and suffering? Moreover, they recognize that in this same realm pain is frequently as stimulus to progress. On page 265 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, is the following: "The pains of sense are salutary, if they wrench away false pleasurable beliefs and transplant the affections from sense to Soul, where the creations of God are good,'rejoicing the heart.'" And throughout the book there are many statements of similar import.

At the same time it should be clearly understood that Christian Science does not attribute to God the existence of pain or its supposed beneficent purpose. What a grave impeachment of the Divine Being is implied in such a belief, seeing that so much of human suffering is tragically meaningless, fruitless, and unreasonable! Christian Science unhesitatingly declares that all pain and suffering are due to the sin and ignorance of mortal sense and its accumulated beliefs. It declares that pain has no inherent power to bless—many instances could be given of an opposite effect. The bane or blessing of pain depends upon the attitude of the human mind toward it.

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