The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-19
DEFENDS HER BELIEF
Miss Harrison Speaks for the
Christian Scientists.
Replies to The Charges Made Against II and
Urges That it is From the Divine
Healer.

3
April 9Th, found a most striking article
given first place under Spirit of tho
Press" This was right to my judgment,
since the religious press should stand
first for all that is good. What startled
me was the absolute injustice of % and
90 (to HIMSELF (the writer) The edi-
tor of the Press Standard is well known
! throughout the State as foremost in many
movements. His interest in education,
/ temperance, religion and many good
/ movements keep him before the public,
! which no doubt is proud of his versatile
| gifts, and of his untiring energy when
once his brilliant intellect is enlisted to
/ carry into effect any of his chosen work
| Still, he is human, just as the Legsla-
/ ture which he 50 commends on most of
! its work, and so condemns on the two
points in which he chances to differ from
| them, and he seems to feel sure he can
convince "the right-minded people of this
good commonwealth" that the next body
elected by them to make the laws do not
| lower it's standard of morality" or make
a cloak for 'pious frauds.
| 1t is plain that the religious editor APP
proves of the Bible STANDARD of morality
in that most sacred relation-marriage
as does this writer, if he does harshly
condemn the Christian Scientists for ap-
! proving the Bible standard of healing the
sick Yet this minister of the Gospel of
Christ Jesus has sent forth a decree that
! the following amendment has ruined a
materia medica bill:
! hot ha1
! ply to any person who ministers to or
! cures the sick by prayer to Almighty
! God without the use of drugs or any ma
terial means"
| AS the most careless public might see,
this amendment does not curtail the pow
, er or privilege of any physician, regular
or quack, who really do good through ma
ter.al means they use"
| What can faithful prayer to God ruin?
Worcester says a quack is zone who
pretends to skill or knowledge which he
does not possess" Since the Christian
Scientists do not pretend to understand
material medicine or means, nor their re-
quirements and make no such boast, how
can he be quack? Surely the burden
| of quackery must be on any one who
without sufficient knowledge of Christian
! Science to heal a single case according
| to its teaching, would undertake to en-
| Tighten a States people or elect a body
| OF law makers to vote on the subject
If one did not know that every minis
! ter believes in the power of prayer to
heal the sick, this editors own words
would convince the public that no man
! should have right to pray to God for
of physic There is certainly no author
/ ity in the Bible stating that medicine is
any more a necessary accompaniment to
prayer for the healing of the sick than
/ there it is for the healing of the sinner
In every case Jesus said: ut is the
Father that doeth the works The News
and Observer did full justice to the cause
of Christian Science recently and it's
readers everywhere are too familiar with
the spirit of the Christian Scientists dur
ing their effort for justice to be in the
| least influenced by invective, ridicule, or
such evident attempt on this critics part
| to belittle the Christian womanhood in
the State and that of a woman whose
| successful efforts to lift up and heal the
sinful and sick are known over the whole
f, world and loved wherever understood.
| Let us see why this Christian gentle
man so loathes this womanhood. Because
they pray and do not believe a dose of
medicine is necessary to assist God in
His work Of healing the sick? He calls
them ''silly women their Christian eff
forts 'pious fraud because they prefer
to trust God instead of man. The dis
corning public has long ago seen the jus
| tice and wisdom of the Assembly in with
drawing from the people of this State two
of it's privileges as citizens-religious lib
erty and personal rights. Everyone sees
their wisdom in leaving the pocket book
of each individual in the hands of the one
who earns and owns it's contents.
The fight this reverend divine is MAX
ing is wholly against his own misconcep-
| tions of Christian Science and the pur-
pose of those engaged in it. We worship
God, the God that st. John said was
Love. No woman wishes less to be wor-
shipped or teaches so absolutely the wor-
ship of God as Mrs. Eddy.
Then he makes alIusion to the death of
children under Science treatment Chris
tian Scientists, better than any of their
critics, know of the failures within their
ranks, but Scripture says, that even the
disciples failed sometimes to heal cases
brought to them, still Jesus did not call
His system of healing "pious fraud be-
cause their faith and understanding had
not reached His.
However, case in New York serves to
answer this: One child died of dyptheria
in New York under a Christian Scien-
fist, / las died during six months under
doctors. Now why attack Christian
Scientists for the one death and not the
medical profession for the Las? Why
not wait until Christian Science loses its
Las and the medical profession /? Why
not call these childrens parents "dupes''
| the deaths child murder" The average
| loss under doctors medicine far exceeds
| those under Science, but we do not blame
| the conscientious physician. We, too,
| highly value their every effort and sue
cess N allaying pains and suffering
| But the money question seems moro
real to this gifted editor than anything
else connected with this legislation He
virtually admits that we may kill so we
do not charge for it, if it becomes mat
ter of charity it is all right. Scripture