Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10
CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS
HOLD THE UNHEALTHY
OF MATERIAL THINGS
SAY THEY ARE SYMBOLS OF
SPIRITUAL AFFAIRS
The Followers of Mrs. Eddy Are Not
Bound by Their Belief to
Live Ascetic
Lives

Many people, when they learn the
fundamental teachings of christian
Science-for instance, that it declares
there is no matter-think that Christian
Scientists, in order to be consistent
with their theory, should be ascetlcs;
and they charge Christian Scientists
with inconsistency in that they build
fine churches, wear good clothes, live
in comfortable houses and not infre-
uuently are well-to-do. Christian
Scientists, however, are not incon-
sistent in these matters, neither are
they unchristian, as little examina-
ton will show.
Gods universe in all its parts is
spiritual, eternal and perfect. The
false mortal concept of the universe,
before it has been corrected by the
knowledge and application Of the
truth, makes 1t appear that the uni
verse in it's several parts is material,
and more or less temporal or perish
able, more or less imperfect, dis
cordant and inharmonious. Christian
Scientists recognize the falsity of this
concept; they recognize that 1t is but
an inverted, unreal sense Of the true
universe, and if they were able they
would blot out from consciousness and
experience this false concept, in order
that they might enter into the full
realization and enjoyment of true
knowledge. They are not able, how
ever, to effect this change at stroke
The best they can do is to remove,
one at a time, phases of the mortal
concept from their own consciousness
and from that of their fellows, by
holding theoretically to that knowl-
edge of the universe which they know
to be true, and by applying that
knowledge as best, they can to the de-
struction of opposing error.
When true knowledge is mentally ap'
piled to the false mortal concept, in
either narrower or wider circles, the
first effect is to destroy, step by step,
the false sense of inharmony, discord,
poverty. disease and decay, by the dem
onstration of the fact of eternal and
Interchangeable harmony and plenty in
the true universe. This Is ordinarily
the first sensible effect of the applica-
ton of true knowledge, since error
yields to the destruction of it's false
sense more readily along the lines of
apparent inharmony and discord than
it does along the lines of it's assertion
that the universe is made of matter.
The application of scientific UNDER
standing does not Immediately destroy
the false concept, matter, in its various
apparent forms, but it removes from
that concept, more and more, the sense
of discord, poverty, disease and decay,
all of which are contrary to God, to
Turth. This renders the human con-
cept, though still material in large de-
gree, more harmonious, more tolerable,
and hence more ideal. Belief is being
improved. The harmony, plenty,
health, and beauty thus scientifically
realized and demonstrated are genuine,
they are the beginnings of the true
Christ-consciousness although they
still seem to be associated with sense
of substance which is known to be
more or less false-which false sense
1t has not yet been possible for scien-
lists to destroy.
Attitude Toward Material
It is, therefore, clear that, if scien-
tifically demonstrated, it is more Cod
like, more like man in the image and
likeness of his creator, to dwell in
sense of plenty, to eat good food, to
wear good clothes, to live in good
houses, to build beautiful churches,
etc, than to dwell in a sense of pow
erty, discord and decay. Christian
Scientists fully recognize that it is
not Godlike to dwell in a sense of ma
terial plenty and beauty, and that they
should exchange this for the realiza-
ton of spiritual plenty and beauty as
rapidly as they can; but they know
also that to exchange scientifically the
sense of material poverty and discord
for the realization of plenty and
beauty, even in connection with the
false sense of matter, is to move in
the direction of Godlikeness, and thus
to fulfill the law of Christ.
1t will be noted that the mental atti-
tude of the Christian Scientist toward
material plenty and beauty is quite diff
ferent from the mental attitude of the
average man of ~ world. who regards
material things aS real and seeks them
as ends in themselves, with little or no
thought of God, Spirit, in connection
with them. His gain of material things
is in no sense the result of religious ac-
tion or demonstration. His happiness Is
almost wholly fixed upon the results of
his efforts for material gain. The Chris
tian Scientist knows that material
things are not real, that they are but
variable types and shadows of spiritual
things, which are real, harmonious, I'M
changeable, and eternal; and he dem
onstrates a more plentiful and harmo-
nious sense of material things not by
seeking these things as ends in them
selves, but by regarding and holding in
thought the spiritual things, of which
the material are but symbols.
Thus he gains his sense of plenty
and beauty by following the order of
demonstration laid down by Jesus:
Take no thought, saying, What shall
we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed? CFor
after all these things do the Gentiles
seek:) But seek we first the
kingdom of God and his righteous
ness; and all these things shall be
added unto you'-until such time as
you shall finally triumph over the ma
terial sense entirely. The Christian
Scientist will demonstrate plenty and
beauty in connection with the mate
rial sense If he can, and he usually
can; but he is far less dependent than
the average man of the world on the
sense of material abundance and har-
mony for his daily happiness
This is because he does not look
finality, but knows that they are only
shadows; that, though there seem to
be lack and inharmohy God and His
manifestations yet remain and he cam
not be cut off from them; that If he
continues to know this even the sense
of material abundance will be added
unto him, in such measure as is nee
essary fully to meet his human need.
The true Christian Scientist is very
careful not to entangle himself in the
meshes of the false belief of matter in
anv such way as to become a slave to
matter through sensual indulgence and
he is very careful not to take such
mental attitude toward matter, by in
any way regarding it as real, as will
tend to perpetuate this false sense in
his own consciousness or in that of
his fellows. The true Christian Sci
enlist is always looking forward, and
is always taking such a mental atti-