Article December 5, 1964 Issue

Allying Oneself with God

HAROLD TAYLOR WEEKS

To be eligible for membership in the Church of Christ, Scientist, applicants are required to conform to certain rules and standards, and among these requirements is abstinence from the use of tobacco. This sometimes poses a serious problem for certain individuals who may be otherwise well qualified.

When the remarks of Mrs. Eddy concerning tobacco are first read by one addicted to its use, the immediate reaction in some cases is extreme disapproval, disappointment, even angry resentment.

One confirmed smoker, who later became a devout adherent of Christian Science, closed Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, convinced that the book had been ruined for him, when he read (p. 407), "Puffing the obnoxious fumes of tobacco, or chewing a leaf naturally attractive to no creature except a loathsome worm, is at least disgusting." Having once seen a tobacco worm, he rebelled at the implication that he shared anything in common with it.

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