Article November 27, 1926 Issue

Praise as a Remedy for Criticism

HARRIET KATE HELMAN GRAY

The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, upon the occasion of her annual message to The Mother Church in 1906, referred to Christian Science as the "higher criticism." In explaining the reference in "The First Church of Christ, Scientists, and Miscellany" (p. 240), she asserts that this claim is made because Christian Science "criticizes evil, disease, and death—all that is unlike God, good—on a Scriptural basis, and approves or disapproves according to the word of God."

Christian Science, then, is the only true criticism, teaching men to use the Master's "Yea, yea" and "Nay, nay," which a modern writer has interpreted to mean, "Yes, to God, good, and No, to evil or error." The practice of true criticism, therefore, should mention evil only on the basis of its nothingness; and the effect of such practice is to heal, cleanse, elevate, make perfect. It is impossible, however, to walk among mortals to-day and not hear insistently voiced a degraded and false criticism of persons and events. This false criticism tears down, besmirches, and misjudges, and would make even the wisest unwitting violators of the ninth commandment. It is for this false sense of criticism that all men need a remedy.

At first glance, praise may seem a strange remedy for this evil. But in Christian Science the true healing idea may be found by reversing the wrong belief or action. Hence, since false criticism is an error,—and it certainly is one from the standpoint of the Golden Rule,—there must be a counter fact as its remedy. True criticism is valuable and helpful, and has its motivation in intelligence. False criticism implies intelligence apart from God and at variance with His purposes. In the light of Christian Science, God or Mind is the only real intelligence; and man, His reflection, is of necessity self-governed and intelligently governed, and cannot possibly be a subject for disparaging or destructive comment.

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