In a sermon radiocast over this station recently, a minister friend referred to Christian Science. From the tone of his sermon he evidently meant to be fair in his criticism of this religion, and his remarks which were complimentary to Christian Science are duly appreciated by Christian Scientists. However, he made some statements which were misleading, and which showed a lack of understanding of his subject.

Our friend stated, "Christian Science began to capitalize the craving for mysticism in the nineteenth century's closing years and continues to capitalize it today." Now, the yearning of the human heart for a healing and satisfying religion such as that taught by the Master, for a higher and better understanding of the God "who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases," could hardly be called a "craving for mysticism." Surely there is no mysticism in Christian healing — at least none to those who understand and practice it.

Our friend conceded: "The church's attitude toward the curative claims of Christian Science should not be one of wholesale condemnation. There is a Scriptural basis for mental healing, Jesus healed. Apparently he expected his disciples to heal." Yes, evidently Jesus expected his disciples to heal. And they did heal. And Christian Scientists are endeavoring to follow, humbly and gratefully, in the footsteps of the Master and his disciples, and to heal the sick as well as the sinning in our present day — for it should be remembered that Jesus' command to heal was never rescinded.

After admitting that there is a Scriptural basis for spiritual healing, our minister friend, however, went on to say: "But when we attempt to reproduce the first century cures of Jesus we must remember — we do not know the exact medical diagnosis. Nor do we have the same expectant, cooperant faith. We depend on material science." Can one imagine Peter and John seeking the "exact medical diagnosis" of the man "lame from his mother's womb," whom they healed at the gate of the temple called Beautiful? Of what avail would such a diagnosis have been to them and the other disciples in their healing work, which was purely spiritual? Did the Master seek a medical diagnosis of the woman who "was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself," or of the one who "had suffered many things of many physicians, . . . and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse"? Christian Scientists do not attempt to limit the omnipotence of God by saying that spiritual healing extends to some types of disease but not to others, nor do they "depend on material science." They depend on God.

Our friend continued: "The most serious weakness of Christian Science is . . . its un-Christian self-centeredness. It sends no practitioners to conduct free clinics in the slums, so far as I know. It has not launched any social or moral or civic reforms in more than sixty years of life." I submit that Christian Science has launched the greatest reform since the days of Jesus, for it is genuinely and deeply reforming the hearts and minds of men and women who accept its teachings throughout the world. It reiterates the teaching of the Master, that "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts. . . . These are the things which defile a man." When wrong and evil thinking has been cleared out of the human consciousness through an understanding of the truth of being, namely, God's allness and man's eternal, perfect likeness to God, then the natural and inevitable result is better health and morals and an elevated standard of thinking and living — and this is true reform. Such reformation must be individual; it marks the coming of the Christ, Truth, to the individual human consciousness. This is beautifully put by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, on page 191 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "As a material, theoretical lifebasis is found to be a misapprehension of existence, the spiritual and divine Principle of man dawns upon human thought, and leads it to 'where the young child was,' — even to the birth of a new-old idea, to the spiritual sense of being and of what Life includes. Thus the whole earth will be transformed by Truth on its pinions of light, chasing away the darkness of error."

Finally, our friend stated: "Religious bodies are held together by their centrifugal force. They must fling themselves out in order to keep themselves together. At this fundamental point Christian Science fails. It, I believe, has reached its zenith, and is in decline. It is weaker today than a few years ago." We are happy to state that this is not the case. Following are extracts from reports read at the Annual Meeting of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, in June, 1939: "The Directors are in a position to know, and are glad to report, that at no time in the history of the movement has the healing work been carried on with greater success or along broader lines than it is today." "The Clerk of The Mother Church reports a good increase in membership during the year. Members come to us from all parts of the civilized world to work with us in the fellowship of the Christ, Truth."

Mary Baker Eddy was brought up in the orthodox church and always loved it. She says (Message to The Mother Church for 1902, p. 2): "It was an inherent characteristic of my nature, a kind of birthmark, to love the Church; and the Church once loved me," adding: "I never left the Church, either in heart or in doctrine; I but began where the Church left off. When the churches and I round the gospel of grace, in the circle of love, we shall meet again, never to part;" and again (Message for 1901, p. 31), "Every true Christian in the near future will learn and love the truths of Christian Science that now seem troublesome."

Neither armaments, in themselves, nor mere disarmament will bring peace to the world. There has to be mental and spiritual disarmament before the world will rid itself of war. The real way to world peace lies along the road of the new spirit. It is the business of Christianity to build that new spirit. We Christians can do that only by following the road the "Prince of Peace" has revealed to us.

Rev. Arthur William Ratz, D. D.