Newsweek
New York, New York

Anthropologists of the future unearthing Newsweek's coverage of religion may conclude that old myths stick in the thought of "senior" journalists! On the day we suggested to your Boston bureau correspondent an interview with a member of The Christian Science Board of Directors ("Religion," June 21), Church officials were also talking with four other media representatives. Your characterization of Christian Scientists as "secretive to a fault" is an old myth.

J. Buroughs Stokes
Manager
Committees on Publication

The Daily Times
Mamaroneck, New York

The [writer] is at it again. His latest column on Christian Science includes some highly inaccurate, misrepresentative and misleading statements—this time relating to The Christian Science Monitor, which is able to speak for itself.

Space will not allow a point-by-point refutation of each misrepresentation, but the points regarding the salaries of The Christian Science Board of Directors, the closing of churches, finances, etc., are grossly overstated.

This denomination, along with others, is having to bear the brunt of unprincipled, slanted writing. Since these charges have nothing to do with truth, it remains highly questionable how such distortions can continue to be circulated as news.

Arthur R. Davies
Committee on Publication

World News
Roanoke, Virginia

In repeated contrast to the reader's sincere desire for factual information is the religious column by [a minister]. One cannot help but render his latest article, another on Christian Science, less credible for its reliance on distortion and hearsay.

Included are some noticeably misleading charges obtained from a former church member. For example, the number of churches which closed over a period of four years was exaggerated by 70 per cent. The church listings in the monthly Christian Science Journal, obtainable at public libraries or in Christian Science Reading Rooms, bear this out. Our corrective letter recently published by Time magazine points out its mistake in stating that 500 churches have closed.

It is entirely false to contend that the Directors of The Mother Church can by various means add extra income to their salaries to total $100,000 per year. They cannot do this. In truth, their salaries amount to considerably less.

The suggestion that the Church has practically given up Christian benevolence for members and branch churches is utterly without foundation. The intent in uncritically accepting and circulating such a charge seems highly questionable.

Equally inaccurate is the writer's third-hand interpretation of the Church's financial situation. While sharp inflation temporarily depleted our unrestricted funds during the building of the international headquarters in Boston, our financial reserves are solid. There is no financial crisis.

In desiring to write on denominational affairs, would it not be in the reader's interest for [the writer] to adhere more closely to rationality and factual statement?

James R. Corbett
Committee on Publication

The Queen's Journal
Ontario, Canada

In an article on Transcendental Meditation that appeared in The Queen's Journal on February 26, 1976, several references were made to Christian Science which were very inaccurate.

The Christian Science concept of God grew out of the Christian tradition and embraces the God of the Bible, and the Father that Jesus worshipped, recognizing all men to be the children of God.

Certainly, it would have been abhorrent to Mrs. Eddy to have herself in any way considered as equal to God.

There is a Christian Science College Organization on the Queen's campus. Should anyone care to receive further factual information on Christian Science, they are welcome to come to any of the meetings held weekly during the school term as noted in The Queen's Journal.

J. Donald Fulton
Committee on Publication