The Washington herald., 1909-01-11
Christian Science Defended.

Editor The Washington Herald:
Please allow me space 20 reply TO Mr.
Anderson Woods in his open letter to
Christian Scientists" in the issue OF Sun
DAY, January >. We thank MT. Woods
for his Bind words about Christian
Science. which he later qualities, however.
and he can be assured that whatever lack
OF praCtiCality he seems 70 think ne
finds in II Is due to his misapprehension
Of il, and not 70 Christian Science itself.
Its followers believe II 10 be a demon
strable system. and so far as Il is un-
derst0od and lived In daily life, has
proved itself 10 be such BY heali-g sick
ness and overcoming sin. II has brought
peace TO countless troubled hearts, healed
countless multitudes Of their sO-called
incursble diseases. destroyed bad habits,
and 10 a large degree is bringing the
kingdom Of Heaven on earth 10 many
tired and sin-sick hearts. These are its
Acknowledged work, seen on every hand
where Christian Scientists are to be
found. and joyfully sttested by the bene-
fciaries
All these blessings were brought about
by better apprehension OF what God is
70 man-of the presence and power Of
Divine love, rightly applied, and the con-
sequent impotence OF its supposed op-
posite. evil or sin. Yet Mr.. Woods in-
sIsts that Christian Scientists account
for the origin OF evil although he sd-
mits that the problem Of evil IS not
a practical one" Christian Science
states strongly and definitely that evil
is not a reality in the sense Of being Of
God and let's those who believe Il TO be
SO. account for g. But 7 mIgut say. IN
passing. that we shah never gain the cor
/ rect understanding OF the positive by
considering the negative. Experts IN
money say the best way to detect coun-
terfeit money Is TO be so thoroughly
familiar with good money that the
! counterfeit Is instantly detected. then
| il cannot deceive Us. one can never
/ learn the science % being unless he
works from a standpoint Of supreme
good. or God. and spiritual existence.
/ By doing this. IL VIII he found that God
[ Is omnipotent good: therefore. there is 20
I room for evil Then il would naturally
/ follow that the seeming reality Of evil
/ is Illusion. having Just exactly the power
that We give IL By faith IN IL and fear
/ q e. The work Of proving 4 an illUsion
| having no power over Us will also de-
/ liver US from il. both from its power and
/ from accounting for the necessity Of its
/ origin What we as Christians. are con-
cerned IN. is not tNe origin of evil. but
how We may most sfTeCtUally dispose
or il
! The question IS an individual one. and
can never he solved in the abstract. and
/ We are begging the question when We
/ place the responsibility upon some re-
/ mote time or person. What we need %
l know is Row evil seems 20 originate with
/ you and me. Then. as this Is done. and
/ the power of God. through the under
/ standing Of Christian Science. enables
him 20 overcome Il. he has learned al
/ there really is 20 know about IL. for the
| proof % It's Unreality is IN IT'S destTUc'
tion. As Mrs. Eddy says in one OF he'
( communion essays
/ -'Incorporesl evil embOdies Itself Il
! the so-caIled corporeaL and thus is man
| fest ln the flesh. Evil Is neither duan-
/ tity nor quality: Il is not intelligent. {
person or principle a man or a woman
1 a place OF a thing. and God never made
| X. The outcome % evil. called sin, i
| another nonentity that behtti%s Itself an
III L annIhilates its own embodiment
/ This Is the only annihilatiOn. The visi
bic sin should Be invisible, II ought no
70 be seen, felt. OF acted. and because i
! ought not We must know IL IS not, and
that sin Is q lie from the beginning-ar
Illusion. nothing. and only an assUmp
ton that nothing is something L is no
/ well 70 maintain the position that sin i
sin and can take possession Of Us anC
destroy Us. but well that we take posses
sion OF sin with such a sense Of its Hul