Article September 14, 1929 Issue

A clergyman's column, in your issue of May 20, contained...

Richard E. Prince, Committee on Publication for the State of Virginia,—Norfolk

Ledger-Dispatch

A clergyman's column, in your issue of May 20, contained what was alleged to be a quotation from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy. A careful search of the Concordances to her published writings does not reveal such a statement, while in one instance the alleged quotation is at variance with her teachings. Mrs. Eddy did not teach, nor did she infer, "that all disease is the result of sinful thought;" but she did say in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 411), "The procuring cause and foundation of all sickness is fear, ignorance, or sin." It is to be observed that sin is the last named of this triad, while fear is the first. She evidently regarded fear as the most prolific source of disease; for on page 410 of this book she says, "Christianly scientific practice begins with Christ's keynote of harmony, 'Be not afraid!'" and on the next page she further states, "If you succeed in wholly removing the fear, your patient is healed." Let it not be inferred from these statements that Christian Science minimizes the injurious effects which follow sinful habits of thinking and acting. It has been proved in numerous instances that sin is the direct cause of many ills, when through the application of Christian Science the moral regeneration of the patient has been accompanied by his restoration to physical health.

In his comments on this subject the writer admits that "the less we think about disease the less we shall be troubled by it;" but he declines to carry this premise to its logical conclusion, which would be the admission that the eradication of all disease, organix as well as functional, can be accomplished only through mental or spiritual means. However, there are medical men who have been willing to acknowledge that healing in Christian Science is not limited to nervous or functional diseases.

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