Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-09
DEFENDS CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
Some Reasons Why the Doctrine Is
Believed to Be Wholesome
and InteIIiuent

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7.-[Editor Her.
aId1: 1t is deplorable that the Metho-
dist ministers manifested intolerance
enough in their meeting the other day
to keep more people out of their church
than the Christian Science will keep
out.
They are worried as to what shall be
done to stop their members from going
after Christian Science teaching.
They seem to regard 1t as an immoral
or wicked doctrine, one that should be
preached against, reasoned against,
discouraged, discountenanced; one that
| is probably dangerous to society and
especially to the Methodist denomina-
| ton.
The reverend brethren should ask
themselves if the Christian Scientists
do not follow the teachings of Christ
when they say God Is Life, Truth and
Love?
DO those ministers remember what
Christ said to his disciples when they
forbade those casting out devils in his
name, who followed not with him?
If Christian Scientists do good, let
them alone; If they are bad, their fruit
will be bad; then the press and pulpit
can and should be arrayed against
them.
Christ said, They that believe on
me the things I do they shall do and
greater things.
Now, Christ gave utterance to those
words or he did not. Which shall we
believe?
If he uttered this saying it is true or
false. Which shall we believe?
He restored sight and hearing to the
blind and deaf, healed the sick, clothed
the lunatic in his right mind and raised
the dead
He said those that believe on him
shall do the same things and greater
Did he speak the truth or do we fail to
understand him. He did not say that
the disciples and Paul only should do
those things, but they that believed on
him.
If 1t is contended that he used this
power to impress his doctrine on the
ignorant people of his time, 1t is only
reasonable to believe he would have
delegated it to those following for the
same purpose.
So what things" did Christ mean
they that believed on him should do
if 1t were not healing the sick?
He went about doing good, but he
did not rebuke others who did good in
his name simply because they were not
of his immediate company.
Christian Scientists believe what
Christ said when he told the people
that If they being evil could give good
gifts to their children, that God much
more should give good things to them
that ask him.
They also believe him when he says:
Whatsoever ye ask in my name ye
shall have it." If we fail to get all we
ask for the fault is in US, not in the doc
trine.
Christian Scientists, nor people of
other churches, have not attained the
full measure of spirituality as 1t is in
Christ Jesus. but Christian Scientists
have probably grown as much in this
direction as any church and more than
others, in some instances.
They are cheerful and happy, have
charity toward their neighbor, are good
citizens believe in God, practice Christ's
teachings, love one another. 1t is to-
be hoped that the Methodist brethren
will not resort to any unchristlike
methods or means to stop the people
from following Christ anywhere.
1t is devoutly to be wished that those
ministers may join with Christian Sci
entists and all other good people in
bringing the world to knowledge of
the truth as 1t Is in Christ Jesus.
The writer is not a member of any
church, but believes the doctrines
taught by the lowly Nazarene.
A. e. HASTINGS.