Article October 30, 1926 Issue

In a sermon printed in a recent issue of your paper, a...

W. Truman Green, Committee on Publication for the State of Florida,—Tampa

Daily Times

In a sermon printed in a recent issue of your paper, a clergyman asserted that, to Christian Scientists, God was a "mere influence." Such an unfair and uncalled-for statement concerning the teaching of Christian Science is prima facie evidence of either malice aforethought on the part of the minister or else a total ignorance of the teaching of Christian Science concerning God. On page 587 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, God is defined as, "The Great I am; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence." And she further states on the same page, "God is one God, infinite and perfect, and cannot become finite and imperfect." It is sometimes claimed that because Christian Science strongly emphasizes the thought that God is not corporeal, but incorporeal, that Christian Science denies the personality of God. This is not so. In speaking of the personality of God, Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., p. 116), "If the term personality, as applied to God, means infinite personality, then God is infinite Person,—in the sense of infinite personality, but not in the lower sense." Instead of teaching that God is a mere influence, Christian Science teaches that God, as infinite Person, must be understood, loved, and obeyed as the Father of all.

The minister's further assertion that the Christian Science rendering of the Scriptures is unreasonable, is equally uncalled for and misleading. It is true that there are numberous interpretations of the Scriptures, and because of this there are "sects many." One of the cardinal points of difference between Christian Science and other religions is that Christian Science is a religion, not of words only, but of works as well. There are innumerable speculative theories concerning the teachings of Christ Jesus. Christian Science proves that his teachings, when understood and obeyed, are as potent and efficacious to-day in healing all manner of sickness and sin as they were centuries ago. That interpretation of the Scriptures which works in strict accord with the teaching of our Master surely is not unreasonable.

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