Our critic condemns Christian Science as unchristian

J. Edgar Fielding—Toronto, Canada

Saturday Night

Our critic condemns Christian Science as unchristian. The dictionary definition of a Christian is "a professed follower of Christ." Jesus said, "By their fruits ye shall know them," and also, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." These works of Jesus included the healing of sickness as well as the destruction of sin. Even opponents of Christian Science acknowledge that Christian Scientists are healing the sick and reforming the sinner today, thus proving their claim to be followers of Christ.

Christian Science does not teach the thought of God as personal in any finite sense, but in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the text-book of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy states: "If the term personality, as applied to God, means infinite personality, then God is infinite Person,—in the sense of infinite personality, but not in the lower sense" (p. 116). Christian Scientists accept the teachings of the Bible, that God is Spirit, Life, Truth, Love.

The statement is made that Christian Scientists deny the divinity of Christ. A careful study of the Christian Science text-book will show this statement to be incorrect. It teaches most unmistakably that Christ is divine, but it does not teach that Jesus is God. In fact, Christian Scientists have Jesus' authority for denying this, since he rebuked this thought in the following words: "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." Jesus never referred to himself as God, but he did call himself the "Son of God" and also the "Son of man." In John v. 30, 31, and vii. 16, 17, are further proofs that Jesus did not claim to be God. The following from page 26 of Science and Health will show the Christian Science teaching on this subject: "The Christ was the Spirit which Jesus implied in his own statements: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life;' 'I and my Father are one.' This Christ, or divinity of the man Jesus, was his divine nature, the godliness which animated him."

The further statement that Christian Scientists regard Jesus as a "mere healer of the sick" is very far from the truth. A person must be greatly prejudiced who can read the chapter on Atonement and Eucharist in the Christian Science text-book and not see that Christian Scientists revere Jesus as the Wayshower, who has shown to humanity the way out of suffering, the way to overcome sin in themselves and others and reveal to them their birthright as heirs of righteousness. The following passage from page 26 bears out this statement: "While we adore Jesus, and the heart overflows with gratitude for what he did for mortals,—treading alone his loving pathway up to the throne of glory, in speechless agony exploring the way for us,—yet Jesus spares us not one individual experience, if we follow his commands faithfully."

The claim that Christian Scientists consider prayer unnecessary, is ridiculous. I would refer our critic to the chapter on Prayer in Science and Health, and if this is studied with a desire to know the truth on the subject, and not in a spirit of antagonism, she will learn that the prayer of Christian Science is the prayer of faith (understanding) which saves the sick. One quotation from the Christian Science Hymnal (p. 91), "Prayer is the Christian's vital breath," is typical of the Christian Scientist's thought on prayer.

That Christian Science is meeting a great need of the world today in giving to men a religion which is practical and satisfying, is proven by its remarkable growth, although I suppose this would be no proof to our critic, who is evidently quite satisfied that the governments of the various states which have given protection to Christian Science, as well as those who have adopted Christian Science, have been and are being greatly deceived.

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