Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-05-10
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
AND ITS TEACHINGS

Edward a. Kimball eXpounded the
teachings of the Christian SCIENTISTS
last evening at the opera house to a
good sized audience. The speaker was
introduced by Rev. staff, and spoke
in part as follows:
1t is self-eyident that certain things
have existence. 1t iSgenerally known
that they have cause, origin and
basis by reason of which they exist.
Some people declare the cause to be a
blind fUrce; others that it is some sort
Of Intelligence, and theology affirmS
that it is a conscious intelligence or
entity which many designate God.
A concenSuS of enlightened belief
concerning God is that he is one su-
preme, infinite, self-eXiStent, all-in-
elusive, spiritual, individual conscious
belng-the sole creator of all that has
actual existence. Also that God is
Good, Life, Truth, Love. OmnipreSent,
and OmnipOtent, that he is the only
laWmaker and holds in his grasp the
destiny of all men.
Christian Scientists subscribe to all
these poStulates without reserve, and
yet our religion is in some respects
quite different from that of others.
Why? In her effort to enlarge the
human conception of the infinite God,
Mrs. Eddy has added somewhat to the
technical definition of deity, and
affirms, among other things, that God
is divine mind and that this mind is
good.
God is either mind or mindless. The
mind that is god, and which includes
all wisdom, intelligence and science,
is good. This mind is the antipode of
what the bible calls the ''carnal
mind" or that which Mrs. Eddy deSi-
gnateS mortal mind" the mind of
sin, which is enmity against God.
The science of mind declares that
to the extent that man is governed by
the divine mind, he will manifest
perfection, health, life, welfare, pros
perity-the ampleneSs and complete
ness OF harmonious existence. 1t was
this mind which was also in Christ;
which cancelled temptation and sin,
healed the sick, raised the dead, raised
Jesus from the dead, and Overcame
1.-The world, the flesh, and the devil -
''To be carnally minded is DEATH" Sin
and diseases are the offspring of this
carnal mind; they are no part of the
nature or of the procurement of the
divine mind.
God is good, in nature, design power,
action, substance, and operation. Ali
that he has made and done is good.
His laws are good, and He has already
done everything that is essential tO
the supreme welfare of man.
Conversely we repudiate the effort
solve the mystery Of evil by assuming
that any part of it has been instituted
by god, or that he needs to involve
himself in or with evil in any way OF
for any purpose, or that he does sc
involve himself.
God is not only life, but has ordained
life and is the law of life and health
for man. The theology of Christina
| Science is consistently parable
throughout with this declaration. II
also declares that God has created
man that he might have being, anC
not for the purpose of inflicting upon
him inveterate agony and disease.
i We repudiate all assumption that
his law is the law of sin and death
Sickness is contrary to god, and god is
contrary to it. God is the natural
healer of the sick, and is able, willing
and ever ready to save mortalS from
the evils imposed upon them by az
utterly perverted sense If existence.
The world generally believes that
evil is an enduring entity, having a
basis in truth; that it is as actual anC
substantial as good, or god, and that
its indeStructible Immortality will be
manifested in an eternal hell anC
devil. If this were true, and evil as
an entity were consequently indies
tructible, then the entreaty of Jesus
to resist and overcome it must-nf eds
have been mOckery. But, on the
con trary the career of Jesus is ir
demonstration of the power of some
thing to abolish evil, its pretense ant
presence. Is it thinkable proposition
that orr master sought to equip {
mortal man to destroy something thai
god has made, and is therefore part
of infinity? Do Christ and Chris
tianity ask of you something that
cannot be done?