Article August 10, 1929 Issue

The ridiculous Characterization of Christian Science carried...

Ralph B. Textor, Committee on Publication for the State of Ohio,—Chillicothe

Scioto Gazette

The ridiculous Characterization of Christian Science carried in your April 25 report of an evangelist's remarks, requires correction. A careful study of the four Gospels would reveal to any clear thinker that, although Jesus recognized fully the need of healing mankind of all sorts of disease, he constantly proved disease to be unreal by destroying it. When the sick came to him to be healed, did he say, Yes, you are sick with this disease, but I will heal you, or otherwise make a reality of the disease to be healed? No! His reply to such requests, while always full of compassion for the one in need of healing, invariably took the form of an inspired and encouranging challenge to the sufferer to arise and throw off his bonds. Witness his command to the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk;" his words of comfort and strength to the man sick of the palsy, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee;" and his healing words to the woman with the twelve-year issue of blood, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole."

Christian Science adopts this same attitude toward disease; and that its teaching is sound is proved daily by its practitioners in healing all manner of sickness, sin, sorrow, poverty, failuer, and discouragement. In denying the reality of disease, as Jesus did, the Christian Scientist by no means closes his eyes to the fact that in our human experience and to material sense disease does seem to be real, just as to one who is asleep and in the midst of a horrible dream this dream seems real and formidable.

When a mother hears her child cry out with terror in his sleep, she knows his terror is occasioned by a bad dream. She therefore goes to his bedside and awakens the child out of the dream, comforts him by telling him not to be afraid, because he was only dreaming, and that all is well with him.

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August 10, 1929
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