Article March 16, 1929 Issue

By way of clearing up a wrong impression given in an...

Orwell Bradley Towne, Committee on Publication for the State of New York,—New York

Medical Journal and Record

By way of clearing up a wrong impression given in an article, "Recurrent Ideas," which appeared in your recent issue, I would appreciate the privilege of making a brief explanation. It is evident from that portion of the article called "Drugless Healing," that the author has been misinformed regarding Christian Science. Christian Science is not a system of medical therapeutics; it is a Christian religion, based on the Bible, and more particularly on the words and works of Christ Jesus and the lives of the prophets and apostles. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science and the Founder of this religion, says, "The Bible has been my only authority" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 126).

Christian Science teaches that as a deep spiritual understanding of the relationship between God and man enabled Christ Jesus to destroy sickness, sorrow, and disease, as well as sin, and thereby heal his patients, so a like spiritual understanding to-day will produce like results. This is not ignoring sickness; it is healing it. Christian Scientists are willing to have the fundamental value of this religion determined by its results, since the result of the practical application of any religion is the true test of its right to permanency.

Physical healing is not the end and aim of Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy writes on page 150 of Science and Health: "The mission of Christian Science now, as in the time of its earlier demonstration, is not primarily one of physical healing. Now, as then, signs and wonders are wrought in the metaphysical healing of physical disease; but these signs are only to demonstrate its divine origin,—to attest the reality of the higher mission of the Christ-power to take away the sins of the world." Although Christian Scientists do not agree with medical men as to the method of treating disease, there is no quarrel between them. Let us therefore understand one another, forget our differences, and let the results attest the value of our work. Mrs. Eddy writes (ibid., p. 444): "If ecclesiastical sects or medical schools turn a deaf ear to the teachings of Christian Science, then part from these opponents as did Abraham when he parted from Lot, and say in thy heart: 'Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.' "

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