Article August 21, 1926 Issue

Due to an article, "Teachings of Devils," in your recent...

Valdemar Willumsen, Committee on Publication for Denmark,—Copenhagen (translation)

Evangeliebladet

Due to an article, "Teachings of Devils," in your recent issue, which has just now come to my hands, I ask you kindly to give room for the following remarks. Christian Science was discovered in 1866, sixty years ago, by Mary Baker Eddy, who subsequently, in 1875, published her leading work, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the only book that contains the entire statement of Christian Science. Divine healing has always existed; we read about it all through the Old Testament. It reached its perfection in Jesus' deeds. Also the apostles and the early Christians healed by spiritual means; but from about the year 300 A.D. we hear little about spiritual healing until Mrs. Eddy in 1866 discovered the divine Principle. Christian Science distinguishes strongly between mortal mind and divine Mind. In reality only one exists, the divine Mind—or God—the infinite, ever present God. Mortal mind with its sickness, sin, and death—the opposite of the eternal divine Mind—exists only in our false conception, or is, in other words, unreal. And when Christian Science, as your article says, "denies flatly that such things as sickness, pain, sin, devil, or death exist," this statement refers, of course, to the divine, the only real, the infinite Mind—but is there room for anything besides the infinite?

Further it is said in your article that Christian Science is "known as healing by thought transmission." That signification can, of course, only be accepted by people who do not know that one of the fundamentals in Christian Science as above written is the teaching about the only real Mind—because for thought transmission there is needed more than one mind. And in Science and Health (pp. 181, 182) is written: "Any hypnotic power you may exercise will diminish your ability to become a Scientist, and vice versa. The act of healing the sick through divine Mind alone, of casting out error with Truth, shows your position as a Christian Scientist." The first lines in Science and Health, first chapter, run: "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,—a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love." The Christian Science view of the atonement is expressed in the religious tenets, which are to be found on page 497 of Science and Health.

That Christian Science is not "closely connected with spiritualism" appears distinctly in the title to the fourth chapter in Science and Health, "Christian Science versus Spiritualism." "Second and third chapters of Genesis are denied," the article says. First chapter to second chapter, sixth verse, relates to the spiritual, the perfect creation; from second chapter, sixth verse, the description of the material creation begins. These two descriptions are in the most complete opposition to each other. Christian Science understands the first as the truth, and, quite logically, the second must be understood as an allegorical narration of sin, death, and lie. I have here tried to give a true picture of the Christianity which every day is practiced, and the deep truths which daily are proved by thousands of people the world over.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Poem
A Hymn
August 21, 1926
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit