Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-10-23

pSOplc. duu III lO Is dill VI tlliS, butu
you want it, everyone in the world
wants it; and if it is less than all of
this, We do not want it, no one in the
world wants it. Wherefore this con-
tention of ours is the only debatabie
question respecting Christian Science:
Is it the religion Jesus brought, taught,
and practiced?
La the discussion of this question
we are somewhat EN- barraSSed by in
herited religious opinions: by that
peculiar and almost universal cOndi-
tion of mind, best known as pride in
ancestral religious belief. 1t is so
much easier to have someone think
for you than to think for yourself: to
do for you than to do for yourself; to
have religious belief, doctrine, or
creed handed down to you as gar
ment, decoration. tiLle, or jewel might
descend from father to son, instead
| of earning your own garment, Win
ming your own decoration, deserving
! your title. 1t is SO very easy, and
therefore inviting, 10 put aside the
whole matter with sweep of tllial
prize, My fathers were good and
pious people. and the religion that
| was good enough for them is good
enough for me- But the religion of
your fathers is not good enough for
you, and if good enough for your
fathers, it was only because they had
the best that the time in which they
| lived and the locality in which they
lived afforded. You live in a bright
er day than ever gladdened your
fathers-at a period in the worlds
progress that your fathers never knew.
A moments consideration should
satisfy you that there is 40 reason
| why the religion of you fathers should
be good enough for you any more
than that the wooden shoes and
leather clothing of your fathers are
good enough for you; or that your
| fathers ignorance OF the laws OF
gravi tatiOn, the form Of the earth,
| the rules of navigation, the power of
| steam, compressed air. and electricity
| is good enough for you. The fallacy
of your position is somewhat graph
cally illustrated by the effort recently
made in one of the European parlia
mentS to reeStabliSh capital punish
mert for some of the minor offences.
| The proposition was, of course, quick
| ly aSSailed as an effort to return tC
the barbariSm of the fathers. Where
upon piOuS advocate of the measure
closed an imprisoned recitation Of
the fathers penchant for decapitation
with the declaration, 81 do not
hesitate to have my constituents
advised that if hanging was good
enough for my fathers, it is good
enough for me-" The fact is the
world has drifted away from the gray
of it's morning into the greater light
of it's MONDAY; we have drifted away
from our fathers thought respecting
all questions OF moral, social, political
and civil government, and by reason
thereof, and only by reason thereof,
have reached a higher civilization
and nearer approach to the perfect
good of men, than any yesterday has
ever known: and clearly the ultima
tum of human attainment will be &C
complished only when we assert ouI
inherent right, our inherent duty, to
determine for ourselves with what
thought of God we will stand before
His great judgment bar, when the
books are opened and all secrets re-
under our own opportunity, and not
or under the lesser opportunity of
It is quite apparent that the anita
gonism of the good people of the ole
churches to Christian Science grows
out Of their impression that it i.
neither Christian nor scientific. Ii il
is not Christian, it is Of little i'm
pOrtance whether it is scientific ol
not. If it is Christian, that is if it is
the religion that Jesus taught anC
demonstrated, then it would require
not only very bold, but very reck
less, Christian man to question it!
scientific attitude. Let Us then meet
the important question:: sis il
lChristian?" If it is not, it is not
only open to your antagoniSm, bu1
invites and should receive it. [ pro
pose to test its Christian character
from your profeSSed estimate of the
Christian religion, and if it reache!
your standard, some one else and moi
you, must continue the antagOniSm
[ make the assertion that there is moi
a single principal that any intelligent
man for five hundred years has re-
garded as an essential OF the religion
of Jesus Christ, that any conScien
tiouS person of average intellect, ir
the old churches, would have tt
surrender in accepting all that is
claimed for Christian Science. L
this is true, it places us at once upor
a common plane of belief, and neces
Sarily excludes antagOnism, end:
discussion.
Now what are the essentials of the
religion Of Jesus Christ? Evidently {
, prime essential of that religion il
belief in God, the one only living ant
true God, all powerful and everywhere
present, "Who made all that was
made and pronounced all that be
made good" infinite in wisdom, power
justice, mercy, truth and love-a
Spirit to be "worShipped in spirit and
in truth" Christian Scientists be-
lieve in. worship and adore such &
God. Do you? Another essential OF
the religion OF Jesus requires belief in
the Christ, belief too, in the sense
which Jesus used the word-truSt
faith, reliance; belief in and reliance
upon his Messiahship, his redemption
and the salvation he brought. We
accept this wholly, absolutely. Dc
you? Another essential of the religion
of Jesus requires the acceptance OF
the Word of God, contained in the
Old and New Testaments, as Gods
revelation of Himself to man, fol
mans guidance to eternal life Christ
| ian Scientists do this. Do you:
! Another essential of the religion OF
Jesus commands the acceptance OF
the Ten Commandments as Gods laws
of requirement and restriction, to be
reSolutely and absolutely kept, one
not less than another. We do this
Do you? Another essential of the
religion of Jesus is that you shall
| holioro i, tha onl cl,,tu ~