Article April 13, 1929 Issue

In his address here before the Pacific slope Congregational...

Theodore Burkhart, Committee on Publication for the State of Oregon,—Portland

Oregonian

In his address here before the Pacific slope Congregational congress, as reported in the Oregonian, a doctor gave some interesting figures bearing upon the possibility of a shifting of Christian leadership west of the Rockies from five of the older representative Protestant denominations to three of the "newer sects," reporting that the Christian Scientists, the Mormons, and Seventh Day Adventists show a gain of seven hundred and seventeen churches in this territory over a ten-year period, as against a loss of five hundred and six on the part of the Baptists, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. "The West," the doctor said, "is yielding to the pressure of the new organizations more than eastern conferences;" and accounting for this, he is quoted as saying that "it indicates that materialism is the dominating philosophy in America, for these three, in their separate ways, offer a materialistic heaven through their materialistic preaching." In so far as he meant to include Christian Science in that latter statement, a correction is needed. Anyone at all familiar with the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, must be aware that Christian Science does not "offer a material heaven through material preaching;" for Christian Science in no mistaken manner inculcates reformation and regeneration through growth in spirituality, which can be attained only as the mortal and material is forsaken. Whatever "preaching" Christian Science does is the very opposite of materialism, while the heaven offered by Christian Science is that perfect and harmonious spiritual condition characterized by Mrs. Eddy as "a divine state of Mind" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 291).

No Christian believer would ever think of Christ Jesus as having preached materialism or as having offered a material heaven, although his teachings and practices had the effect of restoring what to human apprehension was manifested as life, health, and harmony. In this, as in all other respects, Christian Science follows the example of the master Christian, never offering aught but spiritual good, an abiding sense of good which banishes materialism and its injurious effects. The doctor furnishes further food for thought in what he says about the attitude of the older group of denominations in regard to theological uncertainty. "With the newer group," he goes on to say, "there is no theological uncertainty." In so far as that applies to Christian Science, the reason is not found in the "wish to be peculiar" (as he puts it), but rather in the fact that true, primitive Christianity was founded on a spiritual, scientific basis and is therefore demonstrable as absolute truth. There can be no "theological uncertainty" where Truth is understood to the extent of being demonstrated, as is the case with Christian Science.

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