The Washington herald., 1906-11-26
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.
Rev. Mr.. winbigIer, of First Baptist
Church, Answers Mr.. Norwood.

/ Rev. Mr.. WiRbigler, of First baptist
Church. Answers Mr.. Norwood.
Editor Washington Herald:
It was somewhat Of a surprise to see in
The Herald. Tuesday, November 2, a re-
ply 10 an excellent review Of my book.
Christian Science and Kindred Subjects:
Their Facts and Fallacies." If Mr. Nor
wood viii read the book he will probably
find all the demonstration he needs for
/ the establishment Of the five funda-
| mental propositions which he does not
deny. but tries to explain away in a
| mystical manner. He will also find proofs
/ for the statement, THAT Christian
Science Is unchrlstian and unscienuhc'
/ II is unchristian because it denies the
| fundamental doctrines Of Christianity.
such as the new birth or regeneration,
the atonement, Christs divinity, Gods
personality and sin. It is uuscienuhc be-
cause ii takes issue with science, it's true
meaning and methods. Science Is the sum
total of our knowledge, which comes 20
/ US through our senses and reason. The
denial Of the material and tangible leaves
no place for observation. evidence. and
/ reasoning II there had been a sweet
reaSOnableneSs' manifested by Mr. Nor
wood in reading the book before he
rushed into print, he would not have
written in ignorance as he has, and
stated things which he did Christian
Science is opposed TO the generally ac-
cepted views Of the Christian churches,
from the first church until the present
time. If, as he says, Christian Science is
compassionate" why does its "healers'
frequently leave sufferers to die without
giving a little reasonable, material help?
He says it Is helpful" How? Is it'll
helpful to a child having diphtheria 70
neglect the ordinary assistance that COM
mon sense calls for and permit the little
one to die. as has been the case a mum
Der Of times in this practice?
No one denies that Christian Scientists. |
so-caIled, have been instrumental in cur
ing some diseases, but not by the utiliza-
ton Of the crude and inconsistent and IN
reasonable principles which they present !
Every cure which they really effect can
be explained on natural principles. Every !
cure claimed by them can be duplicated /
over and over again by suggestive thera- /
than they ever wrought have been effect !
ed by Charcot De Luys, Bernheim, Moll, |
Tuckey Bramweu, and others. Cures /
have been wrought by SpiTituaIsts. Men |
tai Healers, Christian Scientists, Indian /
Medicine Men. POwwOwers. NOOdooists. /
the FaIirs OF India, Occultists, Magnet /
lists. and by any and every pretender. /
quack, and fraud DO these cures prove /
that they all hold correct views as 10 the 4
nature, treatment, and cure Of disease?
The principles Of a number of these cults I
arc fundamentally opposed 10 the pTinci- /
pies Of the others, therefore they cannot 4
be correct and true. The truth Of the 1
matter is, that there is very little, If any, /
vital connection between the teachings /
and efforts 10 heal in a pumber Of the 1
classes referred 20 above and in CETIs-
tan Science particularly The principle /
Of cure utilized by all those classes may I
be comprehensively stated as follows:
The sUbconscioUs mind beirg controlled F.
by suggestion. and that mind controlling 4
the vital functions Of the body, when a .
curative suggestion is utilized certain .
remedial effects follow, which result in 4
a partial or complete recovery from dis
ease. This is the secret Of all cures.
If Christian Scientists Will be honest /
with themselves and lay aside the mys
teal. hide-and-seek statements OF
Science and Health" and quit their
special pleadings and insinuations, as in
this article, and say openly and honestly 1
that We are utilizing the principles OF
Suggestive Therapeutics. there would be
very little, Il any, objection TO their ex-
istence or work
The Scriptures which they quote In
defense of their positions are frequently
torn from conteEtual relationships and \
are given an application not warranted,
and made 10 express an entirely con-
trary teaching from the context The \
warning against wrestling the Scrip
ture" ought 10 be noted by these people.
Let me Illustrate what 7 mean. Every
Scripture cited by Mr.. Norwood in con
hrmatiOn Of his position. If he will ex-
anime the cOuteXts, be viii find opposes
every position which he takes Take for
instance few samples Of Mrs Eddy's
method OF Scripture Interpretation. For
eX3mple, Adam She says, The word
Adam is from the Hebrew Adamah.
sigrifying the red color Of the ground /
dust nOthinEness. Divide the name
Adam into two syllables and il reads a \
dam or obstruction. This suggests the
thought OF something fluid, OF mortal /
mind in solution. &c. What can reasona-
bic and sensible people think Of persons
who accept and the author who promuI-
gates such teachings as Biblical and
SCientic2 Mrs. Eddy devotes three
pages Of her book TO giving the meanings
Of the word devil. She concludes that
he does not exist, and the word may mean
anything from evil through varying
stages to Animal Magnetism The
dove OF Scripture which symbolizes the
Holy Spirit she claims becomes "a sym
bol of Divine Science" The CITY of ,
Jerusalem IS mortal belief and knowI- 4.
edge, obtained from the five corporeaI
senses
It does seem to me that the warnings
Of Paul, TO refuse profane and old
wives fables and 10 avoid profane and
vain babblings and oppositions of science
falsely sO-called which some PROCESSING
have erred concerning the faith" are
very pertinent to the cult of Christian
Science. J
l am doing the very thing which Mr..
Norwood suggests ought to be done
preaching the gospel and warning the
people against those things referred to
BY Paul. When l wrote my book l had
lrst made a study Of Science and
Health the real Bible Of Christian
scientists. I read the work through care I
'ully three times, and candidly I con-
- I'M --.'.e'i VI Il Setileu Ike Jne
speech in Alice in WOnderland'-' Never Z
imagine yourself not to be otherwise
han what it might appear to others that
what you were or might have been was
lot otherwise than what you had been
would have appeared to them to be other 4
wise" I have talked with many inteIIi-
rent persons who have read Science {
md Health" and they feel the same T
way about the Elusive style of that /
)OoF.
Let me request Mr.. Norwood, before