The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-03
FORUM
Christian Science VS.. Christianity.

some of CHRISTIAN science NHcn dp
reared in the ArdmOreite. The object
of this article and of those which
NAV follow is to compare some OF
the teachings of Christian Science
with the teachings of the Bible. II
the tenets of Christian Science be
true. then the Bible is not true and
does not set forth a correct standard
for man to follow, for the doctrines
of the one are in direct and positive
contradiction of the other. If the
Bible is not true, then the Christian !
religion is a farce. In this discussion |
il shall be my purpose to present in
fair and impartial manner state
ment of some of the salient and fund |
amental principles of Christian Sci |
ence and the position of the Word |
of God concerning the same propo' |
stions.
The term christian Science is
a misnomer because it is used as the
name Of a religion. Religion Is not
a science and no amount of philosop-
hical reasoning or anything else can
make it a science Briefly stated,
science is Accumulated and estaD-
lished knowledge, which has been
svstemized and formulated with ref
erence to the discovery of general
truth or the operation of general
laws" Primarily the word means
knowledge and any branch of system
atiZed knowledge may be termed sci
ence. but any one of all the sciences
= is just as much "Christian Science
as another Religion may be defined
e as being "The outward act or form
Il by which men indicate their recog-
{ hilton of the existence of a god or
: gods having power over their destiny,
+, TO whom obedience, service and honor
d are due" It is a system Of faith and
!, worship. Thus We see that religion is
not a science, and if Christian Sci
t ence is a religion and its leaders GER
s tainly say that it is, then it is not a
d science and is deceptive even in It's
r very name.
One of the fundamental PROPOSE
tions of Christian Science is that
e. matter does not exist. 1t is held that
:, Spirit only exists. Spirit is God. God
a, is GOOD and God is all therefore all Is
d; good and all is Spirit That Chris
e. tan Science presents this proposition
=; in no uncertain terms may be readily
y seen from the following quotations
d. "My first plank in the platform OF
o, Christian Science is as follows;
e, There is no substance in matter;
matter is mortal error; matter is the
81 unreal" Matter and evil are un-
real" But say you, is stone spiritual?
= To erring mortal sense, no. but to un-
e erring sense, it is a small manifesto
= ton of mind. Take away the mortal
/. sense of substance, and the stone
L itself would disappear" The ques-
u tion is asked, How can | believe
- there Is no SuCu uHlHS "S i'''
when | weigh over two hundred
pounds and carry about this weight
daily?" And the following learned
q and enlightening answer is given:
, BY learning that matter is but mani
. fest mortal mind. You entertain an
f adipose belief of yourself as sub
stance" According to Christian Sci
! ence. weight is therefore not ques-
tion of scales but depends upon the
! belief of the individual. Then If one
, could bring himself to believe that
I he is as light as a feather and any
consistent Scientist should be able TO
believe that. he would float with ease
upon that unreal, non-essential noth-
ingness commonly called air. But we
, note that even the adherents of Chris
/, tian Science are cOmeplled TO ac-
, knowledge by their actions that the
great law of gravitation actually and
really exists and that they must
, daily take it into consideration. 1t Is
, said that matter will be finally prov
en- to be nothing but a mortal illu-
] sion" What you call matter was
, originally primitive error in solution
Another absurd statement is that
, Gender is a quality of mind, not OF
matter" There is, therefore, really
neither male nor female. Hence the
distinction of sex in human body Is
, altogether in the mind and not in the
. body. Bones have only the substan-
= tiality of thought which formed them
They are only an appearance, a sub
iective state of mortal mind. The So
called substance of bone is formed
first by the parents mind through
self-division. Soon the child becomes
.,,~o+o irdividuolized thOught-