Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-02
A PROTEST

w HAT must a man believe? A few
w days ago an able exponent and
" exemplar of Christian Science
addressed a great and intelligent Los
Angeles audience, composed of people
of culture and refinement, who were
willing TO rise in a body and testify
that Christian Science had been of in
calculable benefit to them, physically,
mentally and morally. 1t would be a
rash man who would face several
thousand of his fellow citizens and
say. You are all wrong. Everybody
In this hall except me is mistaken
and hallucinated."
But along comes an assistant Bap-
fist minister, who, according to
newspaper report. "heaps ridicule upon
the pet theories of the Christian Sci
ence cult" that is to say, practically
heaps ridicule upon thousands of his
fellow citizens of Los Angeles who at
tended the Christian Science meeting
in the Shrine auditorium, and says
1.-THE trail of the dollar is over it ALL"
although if he were asked to prove
this assertion he might find he had
as hard a task as squaring the circle.
No. Whatever may be said for or
against Christian Science, we must re-
fuse to believe the trail of the dollar
is over it any more than it is over
any other Christian church. Many
churches, especially in eastern centers,
support a salaried staff as big as that
of some city governments. Minister,
assistants, choir singers. etc, ETC., etc,
are all paid for their work No serv-
| ice is held at which a collection is
not taken, and frequently members are
asked to pledge certain amounts to be
contributed regularly, which amounts
are indistinguishabl from dues"
This is all right, because ministers and
helpers must live; we presume the
man who accused Christian Science of
being merely a dollar-marked cult does
not spurn his salary envelope at the
quarterly pay day. When we hear he
has done that we will be prepared to
acknowledge he may possibly have
right to attack Christian Science or
any other form of religious belief and
organization, to heap ridicule upon
it," to call it "preposterous," and to
assert 1.-THE trail of the dollar is over
it ALL"
Again this accusing Christian minis
ter said of Christian Scientists, Their
great cry in defense is, Judge us by
our fruits but if you look closely you
will find that the fruits which seem
to make the tree so beautiful and de-
ceive so many are fruits merely tied
onto the tree, and not generated from
the sap"
All who have the pleasure of num-
bering among their friends or acquain-
tances citizens who are Christian Sci
entists or interested in Christian Sci
ence will agree with us this is little
short of being libelous. AS resentment
is out of the range of Christian Sci
ence we will make bold, in behalf of
our Christian Science friends, to res
sent this cruel and uncalled for mis-
statement. We may add, If mis-
statement as gross were made with
regard to Baptists, Catholics, Episco-
palians, Methodists, Presbyterians or
Jews we would resent it no less Wig
orously. What a world Of harm I'M
informed talk does! And another
Christian minister, DR.. Torrey, in the
Christmas month is preaching, not
good tidings of great joy, but terror
izlng tidings of fire and birthstone!
This editorial expression Of opinion
must not be misunderstood. 1t is not
an Endorsement of any cult or organ
ization or form of religious teaching.
But it is a protest in the name of
Americanism, of fair play and Of gol-
den rule Christianity, in which we be-
lieve first. last and all the time.