Editorial January 19, 1981 Issue

True religion and pure Science—one, not two

BEULAH M. ROEGGE

Christianity lived is divine Science lived. For decades, especially since the physical sciences have come into such prominence, thoughtful people have felt a need to reconcile religion and science. Various uneasy arrangements have been devised. But in side-by-side positions there is always a jockeying for supremacy. The Bible urges a stand. In the words of Moses, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days."^{Deut. 30:19, 20.}

The physical sciences, dealing with matter, are concerned with that which is not immortal. And as a New York Times columnist noted recently in referring to these sciences, "Science is a chameleon whose moral color will always be that of the society that nourishes it."^{The New York Times, October 21, 1980 .} Allowing the amoral physical sciences to be the sole governor of our lives is not choosing what deals with eternal life. Yet the temptation to make gods of them tugs at us today, as the temptation to serve the flesh ever has. There will always be a need to choose which to serve in little and big decisions if matter is conceded an area of life over which to exercise dominion, and religion or the worship of God is conceded another area of our lives. For then God is not seen in His primacy and ultimacy. Religion becomes worship of a god. In such cases one might ask, "Why bother?" If we honestly face it, isn't this where much of today's thinking is?

Yet Christ Jesus teaches us how to choose the Science of Life, with everything else subservient to this spiritual Science. Christly revelation shows us God is the one God, governing both true religion and pure Science. In a forthright statement the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy, writes, "Sneers at the application of the word Science to Christianity cannot prevent that from being scientific which is based on divine Principle, demonstrated according to a divine given rule, and subjected to proof."^{Science and Health, p. 341.} She saw the oneness of all truth, all law, and their application; she didn't try to reconcile two different areas of experience.