Article February 28, 1914 Issue

The subject taken by the Rev. Mr.—, as reported in a...

John L. Rendall—Fairfield, Iowa

The Tribune

The subject taken by the Rev. Mr.—, as reported in a recent issue, "What Christian Science Does for the Bible," is a big one,—too big to be properly elucidated from a biased standpoint. Will you kindly permit me to cite from my experience some things I know that Christian Science has done for the Bible?

A Christian Science practitioner of this city was recently called to see a man who was sick. As is the custom, this practitioner cited God's promises of healing as given in the Bible. The family, however, had no Bible, so they sent to the home of the wife's parents for one, but found that they too were without a copy. Both families immediately purchased Bibles. This illustrates what has happened in thousands of instances through Christian Science. In 1895 Mrs. Eddy ordained the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" as the "Pastor" of the Christian Science church. The Bible has been given the principal place, therefore, in all Christian Science church services, and Christian Scientists are close students of it. They believe its teachings, and believing, practise them, even to the healing, which is a very plain teaching of the Bible. It is said that "the pastor treated the subject by the parallel method, quoting from the Bible and Science and Health." In plain words, this means that he took a passage from Science and Health and, regardless of its significance in relation to the context, arbitrarily disputed it with a Bible quotation carefully selected for that purpose, and likewise used regardless of its context. I can imagine nothing more unfair or misleading. Even two Bibles of the same edition can be made to dispute each other by this reprehensible method.

The abstract statements made by this critic that "Christian Science contradicts the Bible on the reality of matter, on the reality of sin, and on the reality of sickness and disease," leave too much that is unexplained as to what constitutes "reality." Science and Health clearly and logically explains that from the mortal view–point matter, sin, disease, etc., are relatively real, but that the only absolutely real is that which is eternal, that which belongs to the "kingdom of God." It is true that Christian Science "has never built a hospital." It is also true that Christian Science has saved hundreds of thousands of people from going to hospitals, and that the ultimate of its teachings will obviate any necessity for hospitals in the fulfilment of that glorious vision of St. John: "And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." I can imagine our critic saying, "But that does not mean now." In which event I will respectfully ask, "If not, why not?"

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