Article July 2, 1932 Issue

Extracts from Reports of Christian Science Committees on Publication

with contributions from John Williams

As a happy sign that Christian Science is being taken more seriously in some medical quarters, I may mention the fact that the medical club of the Netherlands Christian Students' Union, section Leyden, invited your committee to give an exposition of the nature of Christian Science and its attitude towards the medical world. The audience showed real, unprejudiced interest in the teachings of Christian Science and their relation to healing. I found a very close, earnest, and sympathetic attention. The exposition was followed by an informal discussion, with neither catch questions nor debating, only an honest desire to understand being shown. A few days afterwards I received a letter from the president of the club, ending thus: "You have undoubtedly disposed of misunderstanding and ignorance." When, some weeks afterwards, I met him again he said that he would make a study of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, as soon as he should have passed his examination.

From time to time condemnatory remarks concerning Christian Science are made by clergymen, in and out of the pulpit; but these are offset by the good things one hears. The manager of a bookstore told me of a minister who asked for some book against Christian Science because he was going to preach on that subject. The manager expressed surprise that a minister of the gospel should make such a request, and informed him that although he was not a Christian Scientist, he was a living example of what Christian Science could do. Some years previous whilst traveling in search of health, bowed down with fear of sudden death because of physical disability, he met an old friend who took him to a Christian Science practitioner, with the result that after one interview he lost the intense sense of fear and was able to stand upright. In place of the book against Christian Science he persuaded the minister to take home a copy of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, which he had in his office. When returning the book a month later the minister admitted much of the beauty of it and his prejudice so far gone as to decide him not to speak against it. Another instance is that related of a man in the far north of Queensland. In conversation with a minister he was informed that this minister believed in time to come Christian Science would replace all other religions. Willingly accepting some copies of the Christian Science Sentinel, he said they would be read with interest.

Under the present prison regulations, no prisoner is allowed access to any newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor included. To provide sound and educational literature a kind of prison magazine is made by the Distribution Committee, consisting of articles and prints and suitable metaphysical articles, all clipped from the Monitor. Occasionally a Christian Science lecture is also included in this paper, which is greatly appreciated by the prison board and highly favored by the inmates.

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