Article September 12, 1925 Issue

In the report of remarks by a bishop on spiritual healing,...

Miss Florence B. Russell, Committee on Publication for Hampshire, England,—Portsmouth

Times

In the report of remarks by a bishop on spiritual healing, reference is made in your recent issue to Christian Science as "a false philosophy" "which declined to look facts in the face." Christian Science cannot be set aside as a philosophy, for it is the religion taught by Christ Jesus, and it is founded on the Scriptures alone. Jesus not only healed the sick himself spiritually, and without any material medicine or surgeon's skill, but taught his disciples to do the same, and promised that they should continue to do his works, "and greater," and also included others beside his disciples when he said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." Christian Science does not refuse to face facts, but faces them and deals with them, if by "facts" are meant sicknesses and troubles of every kind. These, however, are not accepted as realities by Christian Science, but are seen to have no mandate from God; and therefore they can be removed through the ever present power of God.

Again, the speaker said that Christian Science does not "reckon with the tremendous consequences of human sin." That statement could not have been made by any one familiar with the textbook of Christian Science, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. This book shows that sin is the cause of suffering, and teaches that men must suffer until the love of sin is destroyed. On page 37 of the same book Mrs. Eddy writes: "Does not Science show that sin brings suffering as much to-day as yesterday? They who sin must suffer. 'With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.'"

Christian Science is dismissed with the statement that "it breaks down in the case of every human being when he is confronted by the last enemy, named death." But Christian Science has not broken down when a human being passes on. Paul said that the last enemy to be destroyed would be death, and Christian Science has not broken down when death appears to take place, any more than the fundamentals of mathematics have collapsed because a boy in the third form fails to solve the mathematical problems of the sixth form. The earnest student will humbly solve the first problems before claiming the reward which will come when greater progress has been made.

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