Article November 4, 1933 Issue

In the West Australian recently appeared a report of...

Edmund Clifton,—Perth

West Australian

In the West Australian recently appeared a report of some remarks on Christian Science. The speaker considers the tenets and methods of Christian Scientists a menace to the cross of Christ. But the fact is that the Christian Science church was organized as "a church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing" (Church Manual, p. 17).

Accepting the account of creation as given in the first chapter of Genesis, where it is stated, "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good," Christian Science denies the claimed reality of sin, and also of sickness and death, because they are not part of God's creation. However, Christian Science does not deny that sin, disease, and death seem very real to suffering mortals, and it teaches mortals how to escape from these evils by letting that Mind be in them "which was also in Christ Jesus." This requires humble and patient mental work, prayer, and study. Step by step, the human mind is led out of its false material beliefs to the spiritual understanding of the divine Mind, or God. Far from denying the reality of the sacrifice of Jesus, we fully recognize that salvation is to be obtained only through Christ, and by salvation we mean a complete saving from sickness and death as well as from sin.

Like all Christian people, we endeavor to follow the Christ, but we seek the guidance of spiritual inspiration rather than of human tradition.