Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-11-21
PRAISES CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE.
CONGREGATIONAL PREACHER SAYS
1T CURED CANCER.
Mentors His Sister in Sermon as One
So Benefited = Describes Anony-
mOcsly Other Cures
Of Scientists Hears and
Thanks the Pastor.

Somehow word got around Saturday
night that the Rev. Willard +. Ottar-
son of Bethany Congregational Church,
Tenth avenue near West Thirty.ffth
street, would preach on Sunday On
Christian Science. 1t was also
reported that Mr.. Ottarson's wife or
some near relative had been cured by
Christian Science and the Congrega-
tional minister would shortly resign
his charge and join the ranks of Mrs.
Eddy's followers.
So when services opened yesterday
morning in Pethany Congregational
Church there WAS pewful of reporters
and quite a representation of Chris
tian Science faithful and practitioners.
Among the latter was Eugene Cox,
chairman of the publication commit
tee, and Practitioner Willis Vernon
Cole.
In talk with the newspaper men
after the services Mr.. Ottarsot denied
any intention of resigning from the
church or leaving the Congregational
ministry and asked to be excused
from speaking for publication about
his family affairs. His sermon was
on "The Church and Healing lie
mentioned anonymously several cases
which, he said, had come under his
personal observation where persons
had been cured of cancer and other
organic diseases by Christian Science.
"Death and disease" said the
preacher, 'twould not be present
except for sin. All the evil in the
world is the result of sin and as we
believe that sin can be destroyed it
follows that death will be destroyed
also. Our fathers used to believe
that we sinned by necessity just as so
many now believe that we are sick
from necessity. l believe that men
will assume dominion over disease,
| for all truth will come to it's own
despite opposition. Man may be able
to reject disease, accident and death.
"We believe that God can cast out
| sin but we don't believe that He can
cast out disease. We have become
| bond slaves to drugs and large part
of the money workingman brings
home goes out to the druggists for
medicines a large part of which is
| alcohol"
The minister tnen went on to
| speak on the cures of Christ and the
early church. There was as much
need for them now as then, he con-
| tinued, and it seemed to him that
the church of to-day had lost its heal
ing powers and it might be that the
| new era now coming on would see
them restored. All truth, he said, is
not possessed by any one generation
| or church.
| Coming to cures by prayer Mr.
| Ottarson recalled instances in his own
experience ga New York PASTOR
| was one who had been healed of a
cancer by prayer, and woman "bed-
| ridden from paralysis for twenty
| years. had been made we'll in a few
| days. "My sister had cancer on her
| face" he stated. ''She told me that
she had been to famous doctors and
they explained to her that there was
no help. Then she prayed and had
members of her church pray for her.
The cancer was cured and that was
fifteen years ago. | have seen che
| Slight scar on her face where it was.
| ''When | hear men scott at Christian
Science, Mr.. OttarSon here men,
toned Christian Science by name for
the first time in his discourse-'I do
not laugh. / wonder If God is not
| revealing something to them. Jesus
said: 'Ye shall know them by their
works."
| The pastor then went on to give
| instances: "a well known New York
woman whose brother is very promi-
nent," and Who was cured almost of
total blindness by Christian Science,
was one. A woman given up to die
by eminent specialists" was cured of
blood poison and another a cancer
cure, where, the patient had been
given up by ''the most skikfnl physi-
clans in New York"
When Mr.. Ottarson reached the
doors of the church to greet the
departing congregation Mr.. Cox
introduced him to the score of Chris
tian Scientists who had attended the
service.
wasn't it Splendid" said one of
them grasping the pastors hand,
that you had the courage to deliver
/ such fine sermon ?''
There was nothing unusual about
my Sermon" said Mr.. Ottarson.-N.
Y. Sun.