Article April 3, 1920 Issue

It appears from the letter written to the Journal by the...

W. Stuart Booth

Monte Vista (Colo.) Journal

It appears from the letter written to the Journal by the traveling preacher, who recently visited Monte Vista, that he . . . objects to Christian Science because it heals the sick "and thus draws them away from the evangelical churches." The same objection was raised by the clergy of the first century to Christ Jesus, whose practice so verified and vitalized his preaching that the advocates of scholastic theology felt rebuked thereby. However, instead of endeavoring to improve their own religious teaching, they attacked Christ Jesus, denouncing his teaching as heresy and claiming that his healing was by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. It is not surprising that Christian Science, which is but the reinstatement of primitive Christianity, should be accorded a similar welcome.

The obvious absurdity of the statement that Christian Science is "opposed to all public health and is a community menace" is shown in the healings which are accomplished by means of its divine agency and activity. The phenomenal spread and acceptance of Christian Science is due to its healing message and mission, which is but the fulfillment of Christ Jesus' promise, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." Instead of denying the atonement, Christian Science clarifies this much misunderstood subject by showing that the atonement is simply the at-one-ment, or unity of God and man as was taught, lived, and proved by Christ Jesus. As Mrs. Eddy writes on page 18 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the Christian Science textbook: "Jesus of Nazareth taught anddemonstrated man's oneness with the Father, and for this we owe him endless homage. His mission was both individual and collective. He did life's work aright not only in justice to himself, but in mercy to mortals,—to show them how to do theirs, but not to do it for them nor to relieve them of a single responsibility. Jesus acted boldly, against the accredited evidence of the senses, against Pharisaical creeds and practices, and he refuted all opponents with his healing power. The atonement of Christ reconciles man to God, not God to man; for the divine Principle of Christ is God, and how can God propitiate Himself?" One instance of Christ Jesus' clearly correlative teaching on this subject may be found in the seventeenth chapter of the gospel according to John.

The statement that "God is Christian Science" reveals a lamentable ignorance of the subject. Christian Science is not God, but is the law of God, the exact, scientific statement of the truth about God and His creation, Which Christ Jesus said would make men free. In closing it seems fitting to quote from Science and Health (p. 354): "The opponents of divine Science must be charitable, if they would be Christian. If the letter of Christian Science appears inconsistent, they should gain the spiritual meaning of Christian Science, and then the ambiguity will vanish. The charge of inconsistency in Christianly scientific methods of dealing with sin and disease is met by something practical,—namely, the proof of the utility of these methods; and proofs are better than mere verbal arguments or prayers which evince no spiritual power to heal."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

It appears from the letter written to the Journal by the...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access