Editorial April 4, 1983 Issue

Dealing with questions about sex in the periodicals

NATHAN A. TALBOT

Some people would probably say that the Christian Science Journal, Sentinel, and Herald are fairly conservative magazines. In some ways they are. And yet, in other ways, they are the most radical publications around; they deal with metaphysical issues that most of the world is reluctant to think about, let alone talk or write about.

It is true that we do not publish a large number of articles on specific questions about sex. Some readers say they would like to see us confront this issue much more often. But would this satisfy those who are facing strong moral challenges and are praying hard for answers? Not necessarily. Yet this isn't to say that we shy away from articles that deal head-on with issues of sexuality. We don't.

Readers who have followed the periodicals consistently over the years will think of particular instances when these publications have dealt very specifically and concretely with questions about sexuality and how the Christian Scientist views it within the normal context of human experience. Articles have also dealt with promiscuous sexual relations, pornography, homosexuality, abortion, and other intimate subjects. Nevertheless, a person researching the periodicals, or even Mrs. Eddy's writings, might still feel justified in suggesting that there really isn't enough written on these subjects to answer the questions that preoccupy so much of human thought.

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