Article October 5, 1929 Issue

According to a report which appeared in your paper some...

Bjarne V. Böckmann, Committee on Publication for—Norway,

Harstad Tidende

According to a report which appeared in your paper some time ago, in a lecture on "Conscious or unconscious state in death," a statement about Christian Science was put forth which was wholly incorrect. I must, therefore, ask you to allow me space for a correction.

The teachings of Christian Science are fully and exclusively based on the Bible and consequently include what it teaches about conscious life after death. Eternal life is now; it can never be extinguished or suspended. It emanates from God, the source of all life, and is a reflection of Him. The Bible asks us to lay hold on this eternal and true life. We do not pass into it through a state of unconsciousness after death. We must put off "the old man" and put on "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." In place of the material concept of man must come the spiritual recognition that man is made in God's image and likeness. It is "the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" that makes us heirs to eternal life.

In his first epistle, John says: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." This purification or emancipation from material concepts of God and man must continue before and after the change called death, until we reach the full recognition of God's perfect creation, the spiritual and eternal universe, including immortal man, until "this corruptible" has "put on incorruption," and "this mortal" has "put on immortality." In proportion as we approach this spiritual recognition we come into conscious fellowship with the Father, and can say with Paul, "Neither death, nor life, ... nor things present, nor things to come, ... shall be able to separate us from the love of God."

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