Article September 13, 1924 Issue

Christian Scientists cheerfully admit the rights of all...

Willard J. Welch, Committee on Publication for the State of Iowa,—Perry

Chief

Christian Scientists cheerfully admit the rights of all others to think as they choose. One may even think the moon is made of green cheese, and no Christian Scientist will criticize him for so thinking, unless that one attempts to force his way of thinking upon the Christian Scientist. He has the right to his belief, foolish and wrong though it may seem to others. Every Christian Scientist considers it discourteous and unchristian to attack or make disrespectful comments upon the views of others. When, however, such comments are made upon their own religion, Christian Scientists claim the right to defend it from misrepresentation. A Christian Scientist proves what he knows by demonstration. Most fair-minded people, and especially ministers of the gospel, now feel that they have sufficient work in living up to their highest ideals of right without assailing, either ignorantly or maliciously, the views of a body of Christian workers so devoted to following the commands of Christ Jesus as is the membership of the Christian Science church. The methods of this well-known organization are quiet, dignified, and law-abiding. "Ranting" or overassertion of its views is not a characteristic of Christian Science or of its loyal members. It is true that the hundreds of thousands healed by Christian Science treatment or through the study of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, have found that sin, pain, and matter are not real in the absolute sense, though all too real to the material senses or to the "carnal mind" spoken of by Paul, who admonished us, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Jesus, through this Mind, destroyed pain, disease, and even death, in fulfillment of the law of God, not in defiance of it. John says, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Jesus neither would nor could have destroyed what God, his eternal Father, had created. What he did destroy was the result of mankind's wrong thinking, thus healing mortals, mind and body. Christian Scientists strive to obey Christ Jesus' command: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ... And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Has this command ever been withdrawn? That Christian Scientists succeed in a measure in obeying this command is witnessed in every community.

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