The times., 1901-06-08
Christian Science.

| The suit against Mrs. Eddy for libel
lately tried in New York, while not par
ticularly interesting in its subject mat
ter, has nevertheless had marked ef-
feet in directing the public mind anew
to the doctrines and beliefs Of the cult
styling itself the Church of Christ.
Scientist" Mrs. Woodbury. sued Mrs.
Eddy for libel. About that matter the
country is in a state of easy indiffer-
ence, but the views, and more particu-
larly the actions, of this so-called re-
ligious sect are of the gravest concern
10 the great body of the people, not
only of the United States, but of the
entire civilized world.
So far as Christian Science" is a
religion, pure and simple, dealing only
with things spiritual, and affecting
none but those who believe or profess
to believe in it, there is no general dis
position TO interfere with it in any way
not even by serious argument. We
are living in an age of religious toler-
ance, and no psychological fact is clear
er than that person whose peculiar
mentality has led him or her to accept
such a fad in good faith is not as a
rule, subject to the influence of ar
gument. however cogent it may be to
ordinary minds. It is simply a case of
faith against reason.
But to whatever extent the people are
disposed to carry the spirit of religious
liberation, they are not, and should
not be, willing to ignore the difference
between religion and fraud-between
those things which concern only the
individual believer and such practices
as threaten the health and the lives
OF others who do not share in the be-
lief. If, for example, a person af-
fiicted with illness can persuade him
self by some occult mental process that
there is nothing the matter with him
that it is all imaginary-a mere illusion
arising. from sinful thoughts, It may
be his privilege TO act upon such be-
lief, provided he can do so with harm
TO no one but himself. Even in such
case it might be humane to force him
to receive proper treatment, but it is
not a matter of any general public con-
cern.
But Christian Science teaches that
all disease is imaginary in character,
or what amounts to the same thing,
merely the result Of sinful conditions
in the patient, and that it can be re-
moved by mental effort alone, directed
along the lines of pure spirituality.
This doctrine applies 10 all diseases-as
well to the most loathsome and con-
tagious as to those of a minor and
less serious character Hence. they
would refuse medical treatment in an
aggravated case of smallpox, thus
threatening with deadly contagion null
titudes of people who regard the whole
idea as a farce in theory and fraud
in practice.
1t is crime for any person intention
ally to endanger the lives and the
health of others. A simple minded
mother may be excusable for neglecting
her own health, but she should not be
permitted to deny proper treatment TO
her innocent and helpless offspring,
upon any pretence whatever-whether
religious or otherwise. If an unfortu-
nate woman abandons her infant upon
the highway, and 1t dies from exposure
before it is found and cared for, she Is
guilty Of manslaughter at the least. 1t
should be held even worse when a
Christian Scientist mother deliberately
denies to her sick child the physical
care that is necessary to save its life.
The plea of religious belief should not
be accepted, or entertained for a mo-
ment. The person making such plea
should be held as either willfully crimi-
nal or dangerously insane, and for that
reason unfit TO be at large.
II is simply impossible for a sane per-
son honestly TO believe that smallpox
yellow fever. cancer. an amputated
limb, and hundred other ailments
that could be mentioned are altogether
unreal. No argument worthy of con-
sideration has ever been made in favor
of such a view, and time spent in dem
onstrating its absurdity is worse than
wasted. Those imbued with the belief
and advocating IT always have a loop
hole Of escape, whenever their theory
fails. Some years ago a Christian
Scientist healer" was sharply at
tackled by the Chicago press, because
of tile death Of a patient he was at
tending His defence was that he was
not called in until the patient was al
ready dying, and then, of course, II was