Article September 1, 1917 Issue

The Citizen prints a contribution by an official representative...

Ottawa (Ontario) Citizen

The Citizen prints a contribution by an official representative—the committee on publication for Ontario—of the Christian Science church, the World's youngest Christian denomination. As the circumstances in connection with our acceptance of this statement are exceptional, an explanation here may not be considered inappropriate. It seems that earlier in the year the editor of The Christian Guardian, the periodical organ of one of the strongest Christian denominations in Canada, felt impelled or justified, in accordance with his interpretation of Christian practice, to print two articles grossly misrepresenting the sincere religious convictions of a comparatively small though growing body of his Christian fellow citizens. The attack, it is pointed out, was entirely unprovoked, unless the practice of attending quietly to one's own business while permitting others to exercise the same right can be properly construed as a provocation.

When a reply, written by an authorized representative of the Christian church attacked, was offered to The Christian Guardian and publication requested, the editor, no doubt still in accordance with his understanding of the Sermon on the Mount, declined to print the defense. Most professed Christians, it is to be presumed, regardless of their church affiliations, will find it difficult to approve of the action of the editor of The Christian Guardian. Having been unable to resist the temptation to print an attack on his misconception of Christian Science, ordinary British fair play not to mention the Christian ethics the Guardian professes to demonstrate, would seem to demand the publication of the reply of the defendant. When these circumstances were presented to the Citizen and a request was made that the defense referred to be given space in this paper in order that at least some of those who had read the Guardian's attack might be given the opportunity, denied them by the editor of the Guardian, of reading "the other side," the Citizen gladly agreed to do so.