Unfounded Criticism

Archibald McLellan

Many of those who array themselves against Christian Science assume to justify their antagonism toward this religion by reason of its teaching that evil is unreal. It is no uncommon thing, indeed, to find these critics claiming that Christian Science countenances sin by asserting the unreality of evil.

It is apparent that those who criticize Christian Science in this way, fail to apprehend that by contending for the belief that evil is real they are dishonoring God, yet this is the inherent logic of their position. To allege that God is the creator of evil, is to assume that He is not even so good as the ordinary moral person who does no evil. It is to allege that He is not so good as the man who has carelessly or by reason of temptation fallen into sin. Were a good man to commit sin, his character would at once be changed, and he would no longer be classed as a good man. How much greater would be the change in God, whom the prophet declares to be "of purer eyes than to behold evil," should He become the creator of evil!

On the other hand, if God is not the creator of evil, and evil exists, the plain inference is that God is not omnipotent, and His power is secondary to that of the creator of evil. This is of course unthinkable nonsense, but it is the horn of the dilemma which the critic of Christian Science must grasp if he contends for a belief in the reality of evil as a test of Christianity. What Mrs. Eddy teaches in regard to evil and its unreality, is clearly stated in her various writings; and, to cite only one instance, we would call attention to what was written by her on this point in her

Message to The Mother Church in 1901 (p. 14):—"Do Christian Scientists believe that evil exists? We answer, Yes and No! Yes, inasmuch as we do know that evil, as a false claim, false entity, and utter falsity, does exist in thought; and No, as something that enjoys, suffers, or is real. Our only departure from ecclesiasticism on this subject is, that our faith takes hold of the fact that evil cannot be made so real as to frighten us and so master us, or to make us love it and so hinder our way to holiness. We regard evil as a lie, an illusion, therefore as unreal as a mirage that misleads the traveler on his way home. ... The evil-doer receives no encouragement from my declaration that evil is unreal, when I declare that he must awake from his belief in this awful unreality, repent and forsake it, in order to understand and demonstrate its unreality."

That criticism of Christian Science is coupled with an utter ignoring of our Master's demand that his followers should do the works of healing which he taught them, is not strange, when we remember that these works were done on the basis that both sin and sickness are unreal. The Christian who is obeying the Master's command to preach the gospel, in order to be consistent with his profession, as one who is manifesting the spirit of Christ, must also obey the command to heal the sick. It is for this reason that the Christian Scientist cannot be content with preaching alone, nor can be consistently postpone the healing of the sick to a more "convenient season," or turn the work of healing over to one who may not be even a professing Christian.

It is the mission of the Christian Scientist to heal those who come to him for relief from bodily and mental distress, and in so doing he must also point out to them the way of salvation and direct their thought thereto. Christian Scientists understand, in proportion as they apprehend the teachings of their text-book, Science and Health, that sin and disease have one and the same basis, namely, a false sense of God and man. The sin which besets one person is no more real than the sickness which besets another; and the object of those who are endeavoring to fulfil the commandment to love their neighbor as themselves, is to set him free, whether his bonds be those of sickness or of sin. John's declaration, "Perfect love casteth out fear," is the summing up of the beloved apostle's understanding, and Christian Scientists have learned the truth of Mrs. Eddy's teaching (Science and Health, p. 270), that "the human mind alone suffers, is sick, and that the divine Mind alone heals."

Archibald McLellan.

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