The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-22
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE THEME
OF A POWERFUL ADDRESS
Remarkable Lecture Delivered at Orpheum Theatre Yesterday
BY Bliss Knapp-Says Spiritual Teaching Improves
Health as Well as Morals Of Men

terday afternoon to hear the lecture on
Christian Science delivered by Bliss
Knapp, g. s. b., member OF the Chris
tian Science board OF lectureship OF
Boston, Mass.
Hon. George E. Perley of Moorhead
introduced the speaker as follows:
II believe that the great call of
humanity today, the world over. a
call more insistent and prevailing than
aught else, is the call for a religion,
at once simple, natural reasonable,
practical workable, demonstrable,
spiritual; a religion not deeply invoIv-
ed in mysticism, and which does not
cling solely to blind faith; a religion
the faith Of which is founded on UNI
Outstanding and spiritual conception:
a religion not SO much concerned with
getting men to heaven when they die,
as in bringing heaven down to men
while they live; a religion which
teaches men to realize that the SPLEEN
did vision of st. John in the Apoca-
lypse, with the holy city descending
from heaven to earth, is q continuing
vision and q glorious reality, and that
the tabernacle of God is indeed with
men, and that He dweIIs with them,
n they are His people and He is
their God.
Il know that the age is intensely
materialistic, but materialism never
has satisfied, never can satisfy, the
ultimate longings of the human heart;
and above the rattle and rush and
roar of industrial activity, in the midst
OF the wild dash for wealth and fame
and power, amid the crumbIing creeds
and the loosening hold of the church
on the masses, I believe there are
more people than ever before who are
saying down deep in their hearts 20
that ] knew where I might and Him
who are listening and waiting for the
still small voice of God, and are pre-
pared to answer when it comes to
them. Speak Lord, for Thy v
heareth.'
To such an age as this and to such
an attitude of mind, Christian Science
comes with healing in its wings, pro-
claiming the slIness of God, His all
power, all-presence, all-intelliEence,
that He made man in His own image.
and endowed him with dominion over
all the earth, that He is the principle
and source of all life, that He is life,
truth n love, and that because God
- Ill ILLS LIGlA lllSIS Is no QLuGT DOW
er. no other mind in the universe and
that sickness, sin and death have no
real principle Or law, but are merely
beliefs of a mistaken consciousness,
that our God is He who ~pardoneth all
our ~iniquities and healeth all our di-
seases,' and that he cares not only for
our souls, but for our bodies.
In the midst of the intense cold
which has held the earth in it's grip
for several weeks past a little spar
row fell down in our front yard chilled
and apparently almost frozen to death.
Its eyes were closed, one foot was in
bedded in a piece Of ice, and it's life
seemed to be fast going Out. 1t was
brought into the house, and there, in
response to the warInthsand kind treat
ment and the attempt to realize the
great truth that God is the sparrow's
life, just as He is yours and mine, and
that it could not be held by the adj
verse conditions which seem to sur
round it, it gradually revived, and in
a few hours was hopping about the
room and eating rayenously Of the food
left there for it. We kept 1t through
the day and the next night, and the
following morning, it seeming to be
WHO'LL restored, we opened the window
and let it fly away. "A member OF the
family said to me isn't that a beauti-
ful illustration, a direct fulfillment,
OF those comforting words OF Jesus,
not a sparrow falleth to the ground
without your father!' Words followed
by that cheering promise Fear not.
We are OF more value than many spar
rows: it is your Fathers good pleasure
to give you the kingdom
The gentleman who win address us
this afternoon 1 need not say to
Christian Scientists, has for many
Years with tongue and pen, been do
ing valiant work in bringing Christian
Science to the minds and hearts OF
the people, and in bringing to them a
better understanding of what God and
mar is. He has today a message
FOR all of us, for old and young. for
believer and n~on-belieyer. Not all of
or you perhaps. will be able to agree
with all that he may say, but I ask for
your candid consideration and open
minds I o his message. I now have the
pleasure OF introducing to this audi
ence Bliss Knapp. of Boston, mem
QBI " AK UOuIA VI 1CNt0A N64tAP Va AtC
mother church."
In looking over this audience ] am
impressed with the number Of men
present. and yet they call Christian
Science a woman's religion.
The wonderful power that charac-
terized the life and works Of Christ
Jesus was in no more need OF cham
pions than the force Of gravitation.
The one, like the other, il eve oper-
alive and must be understood before
1T can be utilized. People embrace
Christianity not so much to help it
along as to be helped. Suffering hui
manfty has a right to be helped Of
God, and all men have an equal right
TO the healing and saving power that
9raced the teachings OF Christ Jesus.
IT has been the mission of Christian
Science to present these teachings in
comprehensive simplicity as to
restore their lost element Of healing.
Its religious ethics are generally APP
proved, not only because they con-
form TO the teachings Of Jesus, but be-
cause they inspire an optimism that
has made a vast contribution to hope.
brightness, and human happiness. The
one thing, however, that Is most criti-
cised and the one thing that ID most
responsible for the tremendous growth
of this movement, is the healing OF the
sick through prayer. Healing as well
preaching was d part Of the dis
duty In the early times, and
continued to be so for SOC years
0f the Christian era or until Con-
stantine wrought a change. But
Constantine nor any one else