The times., 1899-12-02
Chrisfinn Science.

NhFlSftun science
During the last few years certain devel-
opments of the belief known as Christian
Science have aroused some indignation
among the population unaffected by that
belief, and many people have expressed the
opinion that measures should be taken to
prevent such developments in the future,
In this opinion, it may be added The
/ Times concurs. The adherents of this doc
! trine naturally protest against any inter
ference with their doings, and assert that
they are being prosecuted on religious
grounds. That is not true.
In all ages, religious wars have been the
most bitter and the most cruel and it is not
at all desirable that one should be begun
in this day and generation, nor is it likely
that anything of the sort will happen, But
two facts should be clearly understood;
| first, that, inasmuch as all creeds must ap-
peal to the reason of mankind, no one has
a right to claim that his particular creed
shall be exempt from the test of critical
| analysis; and second that there Is point
at which the State has a right to take
| cognizance of the results of belief held
| by any number OF its citizens.
| creed which will not bear criticism
| from rational and fair-minded people is not
much of a creed. When a man, or a wo-
man, comes forward and makes a state
ment subversive of all reason and some
natural laws, he, or she, has no right to
demand that the public shall accept it
without criticism or investigation. The ad-
| herents of Christian Science claim that
! they wish fair treatment, and nothing more
| Very well. In Life of Mrs. Eddy sent
forth for the information and possible con-
| version OF skeptics, we find the statement
that that remarkable woman performed the
following cure" She was called to the
! bedside of q man said to be suffering from
| enteritis. When she reached him he was
rolling about and shrieking in agony.
! She told him that if he would be calm she
could heal him, and It appears that he
compiled with her request" with the
result that he was cured in less than an
! hour Now, the natural inference Of the
ordinary mind In reading a story like this
| is that there was nothing much the mat
| ter with the gentleman in the first place
II Mrs. Eddy will walk through the wards
! of Bellevue Hospital, or any other hOspi-
| tai in New York, and induce the patients
TO believe that nothing is really wrong
with them, so that the wards VIII be empty
in two or three hours, she viii really have
i done something. But the mere statement
/ that q man thought he was very i'll, and
/ then found out that he was not proves
nothing to the rational mind. II the Chris
! tian Scientist thinks that he is being per-
! secuted because all mankind does not flock
! TO his standard on such evidence of divine
/ inspiration as this. he will probably have
to remain in his belief, and according 10
his doctrine, will suffer Just as much as If
ne were being really prosecuted.
| The rest of the alleged persecution con-
| sists in a widespread anxiety that the at
tention of the police should be called to
! certain practices Of Christian Scientists
/ which tend to endanger the public health.
! The worst of these is the refusal to re-
port cases of contagious disease. When
q man persists in spreading scarlet fever.
or smallpox, or diphtheria among his
neighbors without their knowledge, and
! excuses himself on the ground of his re-
ligious belief. It is time that his belief in
that important particular should be
changed, if short time spent in jail will
do it. and It frequently Will. This is a
matter in which the public has the dis
/ tinct right of self-defence. What is more
it is the States business whether or not
| the lives of children shall be sacrificed to
the criminal folly of their parents. No
man has right to let his little child die
of disease simply because he does not
believe there is such thing as disease.
| The law should take cognizance of such a
case just as It would if father threw his
infant out Of a sixth-story window and
| explained that he did not believe in the
power Of gravitation.