The Washington herald., 1906-12-10
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

Mr. Norwood, in his reply TO my letter
in your excellent paper, Monday, No
vember g. practically admits what l say.
His sPecious plea that Christian Science
is antipodaI 10 Suggestive Therapeutics
will lot be accepted by intelligent people.
lie says that disease is mental If so,
then the mental power can cure II. and
that is one Of the principles Of Suggestive
Therapeutics. His statement about dis
ease is logically a universal one. Does he
mean that all disease is mental? Is
valvular heart disease mental? is
gangrenous foot mental? Is an ankylosed
joint mental? Is the toothaehe mental?
When Christian Scientists talk thus they
are only proving the charge made against
their teachings, tnat they are unscien-
tfc.
No one questions the fact that the
mind has an influence over the body, and
also that the body has an influence upon
the mind. There is "A vital nexus be
tween them. This viii explain the diff
ference between the conduct Of the doc
tors and Christian Science healers. The
former act more reasonably than the
latter The doctor tries to ameliorate the
suiferings OF the diphthertic patient,
while the Christian Scientist let's the
child or adult suffer while she sits
around denying the disease and reading
from that Kabbala of mystery, Science
and Health" which has so frequently
Iproven to be unhealthy science. II the
cases cured by Christian Scientists have
been and can be duplicated many times
by Suggestive Therapeutics, why do they
hold TO the absurd Eddyized QUimbyism
as necessary teaching for the healing Of
disease?
Mr. NoTwoOds admission that all the
cults TO which I referred cured disease
by suggestion, is fatal 70 his non sequi-
tur method of reasoning. His statement
that Christian Science has nothing in
common with those teachings is. pure as
sumption. and Is probably true in one
sense. at least. viz. that there is some
sense and reason in their philosophy.
while in Christian Science these ele-
mcnts are absent
The only redeeming feature of this
system is the utilization Of suggestion in
the cure Of disease.
The claim made by Christian Scientists
that they cure disease as Christ did is
another non sequitur. He healed disease
instantaneously; Christian Scientists. as
a rule, give number of treatments.
Christ healed gratuitously; Christian Sci
entists charge for their treatment. or ex-
pect pay. Christ never failed to cure any
disease, Christian Science fails frequent
~. There is neither analogy nor compari-
son between them The claim that is
made that they have adopted Christ's
method is an unwarranteG presumption,
for which there is not an iota Of proof.
How can Christian Scientists admit
that our faith (practice) has aught TO do
with Suggestive Therapeutics while
Christian Science is absolutely antipodal
20 it. and Science and Health is com
plete refutation OF such theories? ?" This
sentence Of Mr.. Norwood's in construc-
ton is about as Ineligible as some Of
Mrs Eddys. Christian Scientists can and
viii admit that Suggestive Therapeutics
has to do with their practice when they
exercise their reason and logic.
If I taught and pTacticed Brahmanism
or Mormonism, then / could be called
such But what has that 10 do with the
question at issue?
THE greater works" which the believer
should perform does not refer TO the
healing of physical disease in the con-
texts. but something greater than that
and larger in scope. But this method of
misquOtng Scripture and Perverting its
teaching is in harmony with the usual
method of Christian Science teachers and
healers.
do not worry over Mrs Eddy's skill
ful play upon words and SCTipturdl inter
pretations in Science and Health" with
its involved senseless. ridiculous, absurd
incoherent. stupid. Un-Christian, and un-
scientific statements and teachings.
Mrs. Eddy does not believe in matter,
but her life and actions prove that she De
leves in matrimony and money. When
Mr.. Norwood undertakes to defend Mrs.
Eddy's ''skilfUl play" on words and Scrip
tural teachings. he must remember that
she has also been playing at different
times of life I'm different beliefs and prac-
tees For instance. she has been a mem
Der Of one or two Christian churches; she
has been a Spiritualist and a lecturer
for that cult; she has been a magnetic
healer, and ! have been informed that
she leaned also toward theosophy. and
now she is a Scientist. This is playing
around considerable. and with her multi
fold and multiform experiences she can
"skillfully play on words and Scriptural
quotations and teachings.
Why Mr. Norwood tried to mislead
your readers by saying that the United
States court decided that Mrs. Eddy did
not plagiarize from Quimby. if he knew
the, facts in the case Eddy VS.. Arens
is a little stranger. He ought TO re-
member a quotation which he makes in
this article under review. 'Ye shall
know understand the truth. and the
truth shall make you free" Not free"
to mislead,
Christian Scientists act very reasonably,
but talk very unreasOnably. They are
very much like common folks" in every-
day matters.
Mr. Norwood need not lose any sleep
over my coming into the Christian Scien-
tist fold. as long as l have my reason
and common sense.
] shall take great pleasure in studying
my Bible. but life is too short to waste
it IN trying 20 understand that abraca-
daba, Science and Health"
Let me close with Paul's warnings.
Refuse Drofane and old wives fables,
and exercise theyself unto godliness.' and
Avoid prOfane and vain babblings and
oppositions of science falsely so-called,
which some protesting have erred con-
cerning the faith" C. F. WINBIGLER