In an article headed, "Explaining National Blindness,"...

The Times

In an article headed, "Explaining National Blindness," copied from the New York Times, many strange statements were made, among them one pertaining to Christian Science. To attempt at this late date to explain why certain, now obvious, conditions were not foreseen by the "intellectuals" of the allied nations, would seem rather childish; and would stamp the would-be critic as woefully lacking in discernment himself. For who is there egotistical enough to claim that he had perceived in advance the trend of events as they have developed during the past four years?

To say that the inability on the part of the great men among the allied nations to discern the real conditions before the beginning of this world struggle, and to make proper provision for handling them, was due to "the theory that undesirable things are created by admitting their possibility, and that they can be avoided by denying their possibility," is absurd, and is certainly not very flattering to the noble men who have ably handled the situations as they arose.

But to classify Christian Science with such a theory is entirely erroneous. Christian Science stands alone and is purely scientific, based upon fixed Principle, with definite and positive rules for demonstrating it. So that a Christian Scientist is as sure of himself in the working out of any apparent situation as is the mathematician in the solution of any problem. He would no more think of attempting to avoid or prevent anything by merely denying its possibility, than would one attempt or expect to solve a problem in geometry by blind mental effort of will power. What is needed in the solution of any problem, is acquaintance with the principle involved, and knowledge of the rules necessary for its application.

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