Article July 12, 1919 Issue

A sermon reported in the Herald quoted a minister as...

Louis E. Scholl

Everett (Wash.) Herald

A sermon reported in the Herald quoted a minister as saying, "Christian Science says that sin, like suffering, does not exist; it is a figment of the imagination." He then entered into a laborious argument to prove that sin is real, and the chief pillar supporting this argument was that "there has been a war."

While Christian Science does teach that sin is unreal, it does not say or teach that sin is a figment of the imagination. Since we cannot believe that the speaker would purposely misrepresent or mislead, his statement must have been based on a very superficial knowledge of what Christian Science teaches regarding sin. Moreover his further statement that "this is a philosophy of tissue paper and lavender; it is for boudoirs, arm chairs, and studios, but not for life," would further lead his readers to believe that Christian Science is a barren fig tree and that its followers bury their heads in the sands of illusion in order that they may escape catching sight of the facts of existence.

Popular theology, if it does not actually teach that God created sin, teaches that He permits it as a part of His plan of His plan of salvation. Christian Science teaches that God, who is absolute good, is the only cause and creator of all that really exists. If God, then, is the author of sin, He has originated and imparted that which is diametrically opposite to His very nature, and this is inconceivable. It is generally believed and taught by all professing Christians that God is omnipotent. To believe also that a loving and all-wise god permits sin when He could prevent or destroy it, is equally inconceivable and absurd.

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