Article September 7, 1929 Issue

"Why I am not a Christian Scientist," as a recent pulpit...

Ralph G. Lindstrom, Committee on Publication for Colorado,—Denver

Highland Chief

"Why I am not a Christian Scientist," as a recent pulpit topic in a North Side church, proved to be a strange misapplication of statements about the real, spiritual man to the mortal, physical man, and vice versa. Of course, those who ridicule the Bible employ the same tactics. All through Scripture we find it essential to distinguish between the carnal, physical concept of man, about whom Isaiah writes, "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" and the real, spiritual man, of whom John says, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not." Obviously, when we hear spiritual truth discussed from the human viewpoint we feel the force of Paul's statement, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Our critic friend claimed thirty years' study of Christian Science and yet told his audience what is not the fact, namely, that Christian Science teaches the unreality of sin to the carnal mind and the one who indulges sin. Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 447): "A sinner is afraid to cast the first stone. He may say, as a subterfuge, that evil is unreal, but to know it, he must demonstrate his statement. To assume that there are no claims of evil and yet to indulge them, is a moral offence. Blindness and self-righteousness cling fast to iniquity." Manifestly, it is vain to deny "twice two is five" and then fail to prove the fact that "twice two is four," by means of which the unreality of "twice two is five" is established.

Finally, as to disease: Christian Science certainly does teach that disease is not a reality in the perfect, spiritual universe of God's creating, but it does not coldly dismiss the human sufferer with "You only imagine you are ill." Disease seems very real to the suffering, human sense, but certainly Jesus, who came to fulfill the law, would not have healed or destroyed disease had it been God-bestowed. One who has experienced the spiritual uplift necessarily involved in being healed or freed through Christian Science treatment, knows that disease is proved (not merely asserted to be) unreal through increasing realization of man's spiritual status, as the perfect creation of a perfect creator. This is the process of being "transformed by the renewing of your mind," as Paul puts it.

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