The news & observer., 1901-03-03
ARE NOT INSANE.
Christian Scientists Only Need to Be Reg lula.
ted Properly

New York Journal)
young woman named Helen c. Brush
died protesting faith in Christian
Science She left a fortune TO the Chris
tian Science movement Relatives who
Thought they would like to have the mon
/ ey contest the will. There has resulted
| from this contest the publication of much
| Christian Science argument and OF many
Christian Science portraits.
In the course Of the lawsuit experts
have been tcund to declare that the late
Miss Brush was insane Her belief in
Christian Science proves her insanity, ac-
cording to the experts
We wish to express emphatically our
| opinion that the expert opinion quoted
is nonsense. Belief in Christian Science
is after all the modern expression OF a
belief that IS as old as religion Itself.
OF course. the Christian Scientist who
retends to cure a broken leg. consump-
| lion, hio disease or any other definite ma
terial illness hv faith is dangerous
ouack He should be regulated by law
and. if necessary. imprisoned like any
other person practising medicine illegally
| and dangerously.
But we DO not believe that Christian
Science in itself is q harmful belief. OF
that it implies mental weakness.
On the contrary. studying with interest
portraits of Christian Scientists publish
ed in connection with This British lawsuit
we observed that without exception the
faces have been those Of unusually in
telligent and refined men and women.
Christian Science is simply one OF many
manifestations of the innate protest
against materialism and material condi-
| tors.
There is not the slightest doubt that the
! soul is the only element of Importance.
| There is not the slightest doubt that this
soul should control the body absolutely
! Thus far. in our semi-savage state, our
material bodies have been allowed TO con
! troll the NJ ind and soul.
The evolution toward ultimate spiritual
| control must be slow. Progress toward
! the condition in which intelligent knowl-
F! edge will control disease must also be
sIc-~
| Christian Scientists are ahead OF their
time. They are too sanguine too intoler-
ant, perhaps, sometimes. Like all who
earnestly advocate an idea fundamentally
true. they go TOO far and preach the inn
! possible.
But there Is no doubt that already the
action o. the mind does more to CONQUER
pain than is done by all the worlds med
i ic:-es.
How much more is done for suffering
children by the soothing mental influence
of loving mother than by all the med-
| cine IN the world,
If q child falls and hurts itself the
doctor has no relief for him short of 4
horrible dose of morphine. BY a mothers
influence, . few affectionate words from
her can instantly change the childs tears
to smiles and persuade him that he is
actually not suffering
| Is not that the substance of Christian
/ Science? In few short years early in
our era. tens of thousands of Christian
martyrs died. not only free from pain
but III delirium of happiness Their be-
lief in God their religious instinct. atso-
lutely conquered pain and made it non
existent Certainly Christian Science was
applied there
We believe that Christian Science
scientifically understood-th application
of the force of will to all conditions OF
: the body-will ultimately go far toward
abolishing pain entirely 1t may never
mend broken leg or heal a diseased lung
But ALREADY it cures hysteria, drunken
ness. the morphine habit. kleptomania
and all the various physical ills that arise
from indulgence in immoral and un- Chris
tian hcb-s.
1t IS our duty to regulate the over
Jealous Christian Scientists. But while
regulating the individual we should no
withhold our credit from the principle it
, world