Article January 26, 1918 Issue

Christ Jesus was misunderstood, misrepresented, and...

W. Stuart Booth—Fort Collins, Col.

Larimer County Democrat

Christ Jesus was misunderstood, misrepresented, and maligned, all because his hearers endeavored to judge his absolutely spiritual precepts and practice from a premise of material hypotheses and doctrinal beliefs. Christian Science, which is simply the restatement of primitive Christianity and the renewal of the Christ-healing, is similarly misunderstood and misrepresented to-day, and for exactly the same reason. Paul in writing of this said, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The claim that Christian Science healing is the result of human will power is but an echo of the assertion made two thousand years ago that the healings of the master Christian were by Beelzebub. On page 144 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says: "Human willpower 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. Human will-power may infringe the rights of man. It produces evil continually, and is not a factor in the realism of being. Truth, and not corporeal will, is the divine power which says to disease, 'Peace, be still.'" For Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

The spiritual radicalism of truth expressed by Christian Science has aroused much opposition, but this stirring of human thought has served to prepare the soil for the reception of the truth as taught and practiced in Christian Science. Its wonderful accomplishments in healing and reformation have served to silence much criticism, and honest investigation invariably results in the recognition that through Christian Science the promises of the Bible are capable of present day application rather than mere postmortem fulfillment.

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