Article March 23, 1929 Issue

I have but recently seen a letter printed in an issue of the...

J. Latimer Davis, Committee on Publication for the State of Iowa,—Pella

Baptist Record

I have but recently seen a letter printed in an issue of the Baptist Record, the writer of which admits his concept of certain Bible teachings to be "vastly different from that of the Christian Scientist," and then from his own differing viewpoint attempts to interpret phases of Christian Science teaching by selecting from Mrs. Eddy's writings isolated phrases and sentences which, without her accompanying statements, may be construed to mean almost anything he happened to aver about them. By such a method any writing or teaching, including even the Bible, could be grossly misrepresented; and the unfairness of such treatment is conceded by the fair-minded. While it is impossible to answer in a letter of moderate length all that our critic says in misrepresentation of Christian Science, I submit for the information of the Record readers the following corrections of but a few of his misconceptions.

Your contributor, attempting to support his expressed belief that "there is no Saviour" in Christian Science, quotes from Mrs. Eddy's writings one of three consecutive and closely allied statements she made concerning the atonement, which together read as follows: "Wisdom and Love may require many sacrifices of self to save us from sin. One sacrifice, however great, is insufficient to pay the debt of sin. The atonement requires constant self-immolation on the sinner's part" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 23). These words do not imply denial of the Master or his work, as our critic would have your readers believe, but they were used by Mrs. Eddy in pointing out the necessity of self-sacrifice and forsaking of sin on the sinner's part if he would be partaker in the freedom to be obtained through destruction of sin. Jesus referred to this same vital requirement by saying to some whom he had made free by healing them from the effects of sin, "Go, and sin no more." Christian Science, based largely on the words and works of Christ Jesus, gratefully acknowledges him as the Saviour of men, urges emulation of him, and requires obedience to his commands.

The assertion made by our critic that in Christian Science there is no healing because Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health, p. 393), "Man is never sick," is but an erroneous conclusion formed through ignorance as to the significance of the words he quotes. Mrs. Eddy's concept of man agrees with the Scriptural record, which declares him to be the image and likeness of God, who is Spirit. To bear this divine likeness, man must be spiritual; and it was of man as such that she wrote in the above quotation. God, being omnipotent, is free from control or influence by any other supposed power; and man, His spiritual likeness, is vouchsafed the same freedom. The healing, then, which Christian Science affords all who seek its beneficence not only brings relief from disease, but releases men from the false belief that they are material and hopelessly subservient to sin with its resultant multitudinous discords. This healing results from the right understanding of God and man, and is proof of Jesus' declaration, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

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