Article January 7, 1928 Issue

The books recommended by a correspondent in your...

Charles W. J. Tennant, District Manager of Committees on Publication for Great Britain and Ireland,—Selkirk, Scotland

Scottish Chronicle

The books recommended by a correspondent in your recent issue do not tell the truth about Christian Science. They are written by those whose wish appears to be to malign and falsify the teachings and practice of Christian Science, a religion which has healed and regenerated thousands throughout the civilized world. It is strange that some of the clergy who profess to be preachers of the gospel are so unchristian in their attitude toward those who have no quarrel with them, but who ask only to be judged by their fruits. Is it any wonder that one hears the question so often to-day, "What is wrong with the church"? One, at least, of the reasons is not far to seek. When the clergy give up attacking other religions and get on with their own work of proclaiming the good news and healing the sick, they will have greater success. It would take up too much space to refute every erroneous statement made by the writer of the letter, but it can be said that one and all are written from the standpoint of misrepresentation and misunderstanding. He has taken many statements which cannot be separated from their context, and read into them meanings which were never intended. This is not fair criticism nor intelligent exegesis. It is difficult to think that your correspondent has deliberately falsified and misconstrued the teachings of Christian Science, but his statements would almost lead one to suppose so. For instance, he says that Christian Science "repudiates all the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. It affirms that there is no personal God." In refutation of this false statement let me quote Mrs. Eddy's own words on pages 336 and 337 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "God is individual and personal in a scientific sense, but not in any anthropomorphic sense." Does our critic imagine God to be a finite person with a physical body? God is infinite, omnipresent, filling all space; but He could not be so if He were physically personal.

Our critic makes the statement, "Sin is a mere illusion; evil is nonexistent," as if he were quoting from the teachings of Christian Science, without giving any context or explanation. Christian Science teaches that to believe in anything apart from God, good, is sin, for God is infinite good. Evil is a belief in the absence of God; and since God is omnipresent, evil must be suppositional. Christian Science does not say that there are not millions of human beings who believe in evil and sin. It does teach, however, that there is no reality in either, and that the belief in evil can be overcome here and now by the true knowledge of God, good. Again, our critic says that according to the teaching of Christian Science there is no incarnation. That is not true. There are several passages in the Christian Science textbook referring to the fact of the incarnation. His statement that the "cures it may effect are due solely to the power of mind over body and not to any inherent virtue in Christian Science," is quite wrong, and shows that he has not the slightest understanding of the teachings and practice of Christian Science. It is the power of God which heals in Christian Science—the power and presence of Life, Truth, and Love, understood and applied.

It is unfortunate that our critic refers to Dr. Stephen Paget's book, this book having been discredited owing to its exaggerated hostility and erroneous statements. Not one of the cases said to have been investigated was a genuine Christian Science case. Christian Science has again and again proved a most efficacious remedy in times of epidemic. Let me assure our critic that doctors, lawyers, and natural scientists, as well as the most capable business men and women, are becoming Christian Scientists. Christian Science numbers among its adherents men and women from every walk of human life.

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