The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-11

steam, compressed air, and electricity
is good enough for you.
Advance of the World.
The fallacy of your position is some
what graphically illustrated by the
effort recently made in one of the
European parliamentse to re-estab-
lish capital punishment for some Of
the minor offenses. The proposition
was of course, quickly assailed as an
effort to return to the barbarism of the
fathers. Whereupon pious advocate
of the measure closed an impassioned
recitation of the fathers penchant for
decapitation with the declaration,
81 do not hesitate to have my consti-
teuents advised that if hanging was
good enough for my fathers, it is good
enough for me-"
The fact is the world has drifted
away from the gray of the morning
to the greater light of its MONDAY;
we have drifted away from our faith
ers' thought respecting all questions
Of moral, social, political and civil
government, and by reason thereof,
have reached a higher civilization, and,
a nearer approach to the perfect good
of men, than any yesterday has ever
known; and clearly the ultimatum of
human attainment will be accom-
plished only when We assert our in
herent right, our inherent duty to de-
termine for ourselves with what
thought of God we will stand before
His great judgment bar, when the
books are opened and all secrets re-
vealed. For it is by our own thought,
under our own opportunity, and not by
the more circumscribed thought or
under the lesser opportunity, of our
fathers that we must be justified.
It is quite apparent that the anita
gonism of the good people of the old
churches to Christian Science grows
out of their suppression that it is
neither Christian nor scientific. If
it is not Christian, it is of little inn
portance whether it is scientific or not,
if it is Christian, that is if it is the
religion that Jesus Christ taught and
demonstrated, then 1T would require
not only very bold, but a very reck-
less Christian man to question its
scientific attitude. Let us then meet
the important question: ut is Christ
ian?" If it is not, it is not only open
to your antagonism, but invites and
should re ceive it.
propose to test it's Christian char
acter from your protested estimate of
the Christian religion, and if it reaches
your standard, some one else and not
you, must continue the antagonism.
1 make the assertion that there is not
a single principle that any intelligent
man for five hundred years has re-
garded as essential of the religion of
Jesus Christ, that any conscientious
person of average intellect, in the
old churches would have to surrender
in accepting all that is claimed for
Christian Science. If this is true, it
places us at once upon common plane
VI Uc1lCI, duu unnecessarily cACluuCS
antagonism, ends discussion.
Now what are the essentials Of the
religion of Jesus Christ? Evidently
as prime essential to the religion is
belief in God, all powerful and every
where present. "Who made all that
was made and pronounced all that He
made good" infinite in wisdom, power,
justice, mercy, truth and love-a spirit
to be worshiped in spirit and truth"
Christian Scientists believe in, worship
and adore such a God. Do you? An
other essential of the religion of Jes-
us requires belief in the Christ. belief
too, in the sense which Jesus used the
word-trust. faith, reliance; belief
in and reliance upon His Messiah
ship. His redemption and the saliva
ton He brought. We accept this who'll
ly, absolutely. Do you?
Another essential of the religion OF
Jesus requires the acceptance of the
word of God, contained in the Old and
New Stesaments, as Gods revelation
Of Himself to man, for mans guidance
to eternal life. Christian Scientists
do this. Do you? Another essential
Of the religion Of Jesus commands the
of the Ten Commandments
as Gods laws of requirement and res
friction, to be resolutely kept, one not
less than another. We do this. Do
you? Another essential OF the religion
Of Jesuc is that you shall believe in
the efficacy and duty Of prayer. We do
this. Do you? Still another essential
of this religion is that you shall love
God with all your heart and mind and
strength, and your neighbor as YOUR
self. To the keeping of this great