Article January 19, 1929 Issue

At the Spen Valley Congregational Council, reported in...

Stanley M. Sydenham, Committee on Publication for Yorkshire, England,—Cleckheaton

Cleckheaton and Spenborough Guardian

At the Spen Valley Congregational Council, reported in your recent issue, taking as his subject, "Christianity and some of its modern rivals," the special speaker, referring to "the powers which oppose Christianity," said, "The number of anti-Christs were many. Some were led away from the organized churches of to-day through ... Christian Science, ... and other such things." To denominate Christian Science anti-Christ shows a lamentable ignorance of its teachings. Throughout her writings the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science turns thought to the perfect model, Christ Jesus; and one of the religious tenets of Christian Science, as given on page 497 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy, reads as follows: "And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure." Mrs. Eddy neither practiced nor taught hypnotism or suggestion, and in her writings definitely prohibits its use. In the Church Manual, Article XI, Section 9, she deals specifically with this subject under heading, "Not to Learn Hypnotism." Part of this By-Law reads: "Members of this Church shall not learn hypnotism on penalty of being excommunicated from this Church."

It is because the teaching of Christian Science differs so much from that of other Christian churches, and on so many vitally important doctrinal points, that it is not possible to be a Christian Scientist and retain membership in another church. Christian Scientists, however, have respect for all Christian denominations, and for all those whose efforts are for the welfare of mankind. Christian Scientists use the King James Version of the Bible, and their Lesson-Sermons are all prepared from this version. Mrs. Eddy had provided in Science and Health a "key," the use of which will enable anyone to bring to light the age-long hidden treasures contained in the Scriptures. Her thought on the Bible may be seen in the following statement in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 363): "The Bible is the learned man's masterpiece, the ignorant man's dictionary, the wise man's directory." Also, in her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 (p. 4) she writes: "Our thoughts of the Bible utter our lives."

The speaker said disapprovingly, "No one is allowed to lecture on Christian Science unless authorized from Boston, America." This is a wise provision, for it is a guaranty to the public that it will hear only a genuine Christian Science lecture. Christian Science is not learned by a mere perusal of Mrs. Eddy's writings. Many years' preparation of the heart is needed before anyone is prepared to speak with authority upon this important subject. Christian Science lectures are not intellectual discourses, but explanations of the nature of God and man and an exposure of the fallacious claims of evil to be a power and a presence; and that is why Christian Science lectures heal the sick.

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