Article April 24, 1926 Issue

Extracts from Reports of Christian Science Committees on Publication for the Year Ended September 30, 1925

with contributions from Henry van Dyke

For the State of Michigan.

The friendliness on the part of the press toward Mrs. Eddy and Christian Science, noted in former reports, is still on the increase. One of the gratifying "signs of the times" is the tendency on the part of editors to refuse publication of articles, or even so-called news items, disparaging to our revered Leader, or antagonistic to Christian Science. In many instances the objectionable portions of such articles have been deleted before publication, and where this was not feasible the entire article has been refused. Medical and religious periodicals continue to print derogatory items and comments, though these are appearing less frequently. Editors of such journals quite uniformly refuse to publish corrections of misstatements which appear in their columns. While pulpit attacks continue, these are much less frequent than formerly. No doubt the policy of one of the largest dailies in the state, of refusing to print, even as paid display advertising, the announcements of addresses against the religious beliefs of others, has had a salutary effect. The more friendly attitude on the part of the press and, generally speaking, on the part of the pulpit, is due to a better understanding of our teaching, gained not only through contact with Christian Scientists and through our free public lectures, but to a considerable degree to the more general circulation of our periodicals and of our daily newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor. Our newspaper, in "telling the world's good news," is finding its way more and more to the editorial desk, the ministerial study, and to the homes of many who are not Christian Scientists. Our Christian Science periodicals may be called, in a very broad sense, missionaries of the Christian Science movement. Their wide circulation, at a minimum of expense for postage, is a very important element in extending the benefits of Christian Science.

The deliberations of the state legislature are looked after with the greatest care. During the last session of the Michigan law-making body, from January 7 to May 28, 1925, over nine hundred bills and resolutions were introduced. Every one of these required close scrutiny in order to prevent, if possible, any proposed measure becoming a law which might in the slightest particular be inimical to the interests of Christian Science. Many measures were presented which contained objectionable features, but all these were either defeated in committee or amended in a way which removed undesirable provisions. It was necessary during the year for your Committee to intercede in a case where representatives of a Board of Health had forcibly, and against the parents' wishes, removed a child to a hospital for medical treatment. Habeas corpus proceedings were instituted but, before the case was heard in court, an agreement was reached with the representatives of the Board of Health under which the child was returned to his home.

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