Article November 7, 1925 Issue

Portions of the article captioned "May Anniversaries," in...

J. Latimer Davis, Committee on Publication for the State of Iowa,—Greene

Recorder

Portions of the article captioned "May Anniversaries," in a recent issue of your publication, were apparently intended to apply to Christian Science and its adherents, although no direct mention of either was made. To correct very erroneous impressions of Christian Science conveyed by the article, the following statements are submitted.

Christian Scientists do not neglect the sick nor allow them to "lie and agonize until the spirit is satisfied," as was expressed in the writing referred to. The practice of Christian Science is preeminently compassionate, and does much more for those seeking its ministrations than can be measured by ordinary material standards of helpfulness, as is indicated by the following quotation from page 367 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy: "The tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than hecatombs of gushing theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame with divine Love."

The infinite, omnipotent, and omnipresent God is acknowledged by Christian Scientists as the one unfailing source of help to allay distress of human experience, and it is upon Him they rely. Instead of feeling that any degree of suffering is required to appease some unknown spirit, they have the utmost assurance that God, the only Spirit, constantly cares for His children and relieves them from suffering. "Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses." To assert or imply, as was done by your contributor, that Christian Scientists allow no inquiry to be made regarding the sick, lest a healing should be interfered with, is extremely unjust and wholly untrue. Most absurd would it be to assume that God could be influenced, either to withhold or bestow any good, by a human inquiry as to the comfort of those entrusting themselves to His loving care. The use of drugs or material means is surely unnecessary to aid God, Spirit, to accomplish healing or this would have been practiced by Jesus, who also would have urged his disciples to adopt similar methods. But he left no such instructions. Innumerable healings have occurred through Christian Science after all material means had proved unavailing and the cases had been pronounced incurable by physicians. The fact that unquestioned healings and relief have been experienced and gratefully acknowledged by unnumbered thousands is not discounted by the occasional case in which the patient did not recover. Christian Scientists do not assume to stand in the place of God, whom they acknowledge as the only source and preserver of life, but they commit to Him their entire welfare. In doing this, they exercise only that inalienable right of all mankind to worship and confide in God as conscience dictates. Those who trust themselves to God's care, as Christian Science teaches may confidently be done, should be accorded the same freedom of choice as is granted those who select other methods of healing which appeal to them.

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Portions of the article captioned "May Anniversaries," in...

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