CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20991, 2 April 1930, Page 6

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

TO THE-JJDITOB, Sin, —Mr Booth writes of the dishonesty of those who fail to understand Christian ' Science as he does, but can his intentions be reckoned as transparent as the sunlight when he says that "the statement of Indian philosophy attributed to Pandita Ramabai bears not the slightest resemblance to Christian Science?" It is true that some of the trimmings of this science are made more attractive to the cultured mind, but that the main design is positively that of Eastern philosophy may be seen from the following;—" The antiquity of pantheism is undoubtedly great, for it is prevalent in the oldest known civilisation in the world. . . . The Hindu thinker regards man as born into a world of illusions and _ entanglements, from which his great aim should be to deliver himself. . . . He becomes emancipated from the deceptive influence of phenomena, and fit to apprehend that he and they are' alike but evanescent modes of existence assumed by that infinite, eternal spirit who is all in all. . . . Denying the possibility of creation, he argues that there exists only an eternal infinite one or all. of which individual objects and existences are merely illusory modes of representation. ... To see God everywhere, to realise that He alone is, and that all else is but a perishable phenomenon or passing illusion." (Chambers's Encyclopaedia.) On page 503 of Mrs Eddy's book is this statement: ''ln the universe of truth matter is unknown. . . ; Infinite space is peopled with God's ideas, reflecting Him in countless spiritual forms." And on page 335 this appears: "God .never created matter, there is nothing in spirit out of. which matter could -be made." If space permitted a whole galaxy of evidence could be presented to show that Christian Science is an old lie in the garments of " an angel of light." For long centuries Christian men nave studied what Christ taught, without ever dreaming of there being any harmony between His words and those of pantheism. That the Bible was never intended t. be a test book for Christian Science can be seen from its pointed denials of Mrs Eddy's metaphysical vagaries. Not only is this so-called science contrary to Scripture; it is without fact in real science, sense, or human experience. The chief apostle of the creed surely demonstrated this in her. poor earthly pilgrimage. While she declared that it was mere " human belief, and not the truth of being" to talk of the effects ot cold, she could be seen " warmly wrapped in furs"—just to be in the fashion, though, I guess. The newspapers reported that when Mrs Eddy and her household left New Hampshire, where she had lived many years, to go to the fashion,able Chestnut Hill section of Brookline, , where (300,000 dollars had been epent to remodel an already beautiful estate, the special train of, three cars was preceded by a pilot-engine to clear the way, while it " proceeded over three roads by circuitous route to the Chestnut Hill Station, lii the rear of the train, to. guard against" collision, trailed a third engine." Now, if this is-true,.Mrs Eddy must have been calculating that "God's ideas in spiritual forms" were something pretty tangible at the time. 1 As a. matter of fact, she was in mortal dread for her life on this occasion. It is also true that, while she taught that death was but a phantom of the unsanctified mind, she made every provision for the visit of that grim-visaged tyrant' by making special arrangements to see that her will did not miscarryLast of all, we find that, in spite of her making flight of the idea of decay, her "coffin rests'on four feet of concrete and is encased in steel to make it impervious to decay." This is all very sad, and it only goes to show thftt Mrs Eddyjs life wag necessarily an eloquent refutation of what ehe proclaimed to mortals. No amount of faith in a vain theory can save man from having to answer "When death's" dread herald calls." The Christian's hope, however, is in a resurrection I through the Gospel.—l am, etc., April 1. ; EXCERPTA.

TO THE EDITOR, Sir —On March 29 , you published a letter in which was a quotation from J. H. Curie’s “ The Shadow Show,” _ The author if this book confesses his inability to comprehend the Christian Science test book “ Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy, but immediately proceeds to pen a sweeping condemnation of what he conceives to be its teaching. Neither Mrs Eddy nor her church has ever regared her book as a “ bible,” or as in any way taking the place of the Bible, but students of Christian Science have' found it to be truly a " key ” to the Scriptures. To say that Mrs Eddy “had no education to speak of ” is untrue for, though she was kept from school ah her father considered her delicate, she studied, under scholarly men, some of whom spoke of her as being an exceptionally bright pupil. The inference that Mrs Eddy commercialised her religion or was concerned with, amassing wealth is also untrue, and whatever she left she had earned entirely by her own work. She gave generously and repeatedly requested that gifts should not be sent to her. For many years she received no payment whatever for her services to the church and taught many students gratuitously. When the church edifice of the mother church was presented to her upon its completion she refused to accept the gift. These are hardly the actions of a mercenary commercially-minded woman, such as is portrayed in your correspondent’s letter. Those who wish to know the truth about Mrs Eddy will find it in “The Life of Mary Baker Eddy,” by Sybil Wilbur. Miss Wilbur, who was not a Christian Scientist when she wrote tine book, conducted an independent investigation and carefully verified her information, largely from official records and from personal interviews with those directly concerned. The writer quoted by your correspondent asserts that “self-hypnotism, autosuggestion, is the key to Christian Science.” - Hypnotism or suggestion is entirely dependent on the subject’s concurrence in the belief that the human mind has power and is able to control man. On the' contrary, the first commandment ie the very foundation, of _ Christian Science which is emphatic in its declaration that, God being omnipotent, there is no power inherent in the human mind; and it is on this basis that its healing work is accomplished. One who has been freed from the degration of drunkenness or a'ny other sin, or who has been healed of sickness after having been condemned to death by materia medica, is not greatly concerned if told that he is merely selfhypnotised, for he is able to say with Paul, (t For I know whom I have be- - lieved.” —I am, etc., 1 ■ Cuthbert S. Booth, . Committee on Publication.