Article March 3, 1917 Issue

One night a lecture on Christian Science was delivered in...

with contributions from Hamilton Wright Mabie

The Paterson (N. J.) Call

One night a lecture on Christian Science was delivered in this city before a large and enlightened audience, and the following morning the Call came out with a column excerpt of the lecturer's remarks. Since then we have received a sharp letter rebuking us for giving so much space to the lecture.

The appeal of the Christian Scientists for "religious liberty" seems to be fair enough. They do not seek to thrust their religion down the throat of any one else; they only ask that they be allowed to worship God in their own way, according to the dictates of their own consciences. Their code of morals is as high as the code of morals of other people; they conform to the laws of the land in their daily lives; they do not seek to overthrow our civic institutions. Why, then, should they not be allowed to worship as they please and to believe whatever they desire to believe?

The most that can be said against Christian Scientists is that they place an interpretation upon the Scriptures that is not the same as that placed upon the same writings by the so-called orthodox churches. They have set up no strange gods, however. They are following, in their own way, the teachings of the same Nazarene upon whose teachings the Christian religion is founded. There is nothing in their teachings that is inimical to the republican form of government, to the moral household, to clean living, or to the well-being of the human race.

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