Permit me one more word on the cure of cancer by...

Willard J. Welch

Winterset (Ia.) News

Permit me one more word on the cure of cancer by Christian Science. The editorial comment on my reply in your recent issue is the occasion.

Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." In exact accord with this saying is the teaching of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, which says on page 349: "In Christian Science, substance is understood to be Spirit, while the opponents of Christian Science believe substance to be matter. They think of matter as something and almost the only thing, and of the things which pertain to Spirit as next to nothing, or as very far removed from daily experience. Christian Science takes exactly the opposite view." Those who believe in the efficacy of drugs and material methods of healing very naturally fail entirely at first to grasp the Christian Science viewpoint, and frequently for that very reason misunderstand and misinterpret it. By such as these cancer is admittedly incurable, and as you say, no cure "has been found though millions of dollars are spent every year in research."

With all due respect to those who honestly strive through material means to find a cure for disease, Christian Scientists have learned that to trust matter is to distrust Spirit. They therefore look away from matter up to Spirit, God, and declare that all things are possible to Him. Just to the degree that they understand God do they prove that it is He "who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." They do not ignore matter, but claim man's dominion, his God-given power, according to the first chapter of Genesis.

The statement that "faith is a mighty physician in itself" depends altogether upon what is meant by faith. The apostle James says: "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Christian Scientists are willing to be judged by their works. Referring to his true followers, the Master said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." The Christian Science textbook, on page 167, teaches, "If we rise no higher than blind faith, the Science of healing is not attained, and Soul-existence, in the place of sense-existence, is not comprehended."

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." In reply Nicodemus showed that his thought was wholly material; whereupon the Master said to him: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." The Christian Science textbook (p. 548) says: "How little light or heat reach our earth when clouds cover the sun's face! So Christian Science can be seen only as the clouds of corporeal sense roll away. Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned. Every agony of mortal error helps error to destroy error, and so aids the apprehension of immortal Truth. This is the new birth going on hourly, by which men may entertain angels, the true ideas of God, the spiritual sense of being."

The criticism says that "a testimony is one of the easiest things to get in this wide world." Be that as it may, the fact remains that thousands are given every Wednesday evening to the efficacy of Christian Science healing in the many Christian Science churches over the world. These are earnest, honest statements which cannot be ignored, for they are made by a class of people who by their lives and enterprise prove themselves to be among the world's best citizens. These people not only declare, but know and are ready to prove, that there is no disease which God does not heal through a spiritual understanding of Him, whose activity is unchanging love.

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