Article January 2, 1932 Issue

Extracts from Reports of Christian Science Committess on Publication

Great Britain and Ireland.

The work of the year has shown a markedly progressive trend, and is developing more on constructive than on merely defensive lines. There is to-day a greater wish to know the facts about Christian Science and its Discover and Founder, Mary Baker Eddy, rather than simply to criticize them from preconceived ideas of prejudice and ignorance, as has so often been the case in the past. One instance of this is to be found in the number of groups and bodies of people who have, entirely unsolicited, asked for a speaker on Christian Science to address one of their meetings. With the permission of The Christian Science Board of Directors on each occasion, I have addressed four such meetings during the year, these meetings comprising a men's adult school in the provinces, a group of Anglican clergymen, a branch of "Toc. H," and a training college for women teachers. In each instance the invitation was inspired by a genuine desire to know something about Christian Science, and in very few cases was any captious criticism met with. Addresses of this nature have, with the consent of The Christian Science Board of Directors, also been given by Committees on Publication in other parts of the country. The value of such meetings lies in the fact that they are small, the attendance ranging from twelve to seventy persons. This enables them to be quite informal; and as questions are allowed, it provides opportunity for many points to be cleared up in a way which could not be done in a large gathering. Thus, many misconceptions have been removed.

A good illustration of what has taken place in the Church of England within recent years is afforded by the contrast between the report on spiritual healing made to the Lambeth Conference in 1920 and the passing, in January last, by two hundred votes to three, in the Lower House of Convocation of Canterbury, of a resolution petitioning the Archbishop of Canterbury "To appoint a joint Committee to draw up a provisional service for Unction and Imposition of Hands for temporary use until a permanent and fully authorized form could be issued under Synodical sanction."

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