The Marshall republican., 1914-05-01
lfIS SCIENCE REAL m
SIGHT INTO LIES MYSTERY
'irgil O. Strickler of Mother Church
Tells Of Efficacy Prayer By
The Sick

tDAt " makes no 0ifferenCe what re-
lirious beliefs they entertain. so long
"a they are sincere In them. A mo-
ment's reflection. however. will SHOW
that such a theory is pernicious and
destructive, for II Is perfectly plain
that II n thing f. not. In fact, true, no
amount OF sincerity on the part ~ the
believer can ever make il true. 40
engineer evor arrived At n correct re-
suit. no matter how sincerely he uay
have believed that his processes were
correct. IL they were not &C IN fact.
With respect to many things. II
may I've unimportant whether the
thing believed IL true or not. but with
respect to the things that people be-
lieye about God, and about themsel-
yes, and about their Relationship TO
God, they ara vital. because II viii be
shown that the things believed with
respect 10 these matters. laws
that are binding upon the believer.
God.
In trying 10 ascertain what consti-
tutes religion the very first subject TO
be considered Is that which relates
10 God. Everyone must agree q at
a correct understanding OF God IS
essential ms the foundation of rellg-
Ton. Any system Of religious teach
ing that Is founded upon an imperfect
or erroneous conception of God must
necessarily fail TO bring to It's adlicr-
ents the help and comfort for which
they seek. When We look about US
and see the splendid fidelity OF men
and women 90 their religious beliefs.
and then see how much sufferiag and
failure they experience. and how far
short they come OF attaining the
good which they 80 honestly seek, II
Is n fair deduction that there Is some
thing wrong about their understand
Ing OF God.
No offense will be given. therefore
by the statement that the average
person has a very indefinite and ne
bulOus conception OF God. II you
were TO ask a dozen people TO tell you
who and what God Ia. you would get
u dozen different answers. There are
some who think God Is a person. How
many people there are who, when
they kneel down and close their eyes,
and rcyerently pray TO God, have In
mind a person. or n form, or an I'M
age, TO which they pray. And how
many others there are who think Of
God ~ a being OF anger aud resent
meni, who send failure aud suffering
to those who displease Him! And
are there not a great many others
who think Of God as "a being who liy-
es In a far-off country called Heaven.
and That IL Is necessary for people to
die, and go there. In order To see Him
There are only a few OF the incor-
rect beliefs which people entertain
about God. when Il Is remembered
that Jesus has said that II Is the
knowledge OF the truth that shall
make men free, In the face OF such
confusion OF belief about Him. Is Il
strange that people are sick and that
they die? Is II not apparent that
what humanity needs Is n demonstra-
ble understanding OF God In place OF
theoretical and speculative beliefs
about Him?
Yet, all the while people have gone
on believing these erroneous things
about God, the Bible statements con-
corning Him have been perfectly
plain. The Bible says, for instance,
that God Is Love. and since He Is IN
finite, lie must be infinite Love.
Christian science says therefore thai
Infinite Love cannot be the aut'. or OF
evil, either In the form of sickness or
SIN. and that, no matter what one
may think about evil, II must be &c
counted for In some other way than
as being a part OF the creation OF Cod
Now, note the significance OF that
statement, for II God did not create
evil, and IL Is manifest that lie could
not have created II, then II follows
absolutely that evil Is not eternal.
God created must he eternal like Him
self, and IL God were the creator OF
evil, then evil would be eternal, and,
hence indestructible.
Christian Science presents q scien-
ufic method Tor the destruction of
evil. No matter IN what form IL muy
present itself u the indiyid ial,
whether rs sickness. sin, unhappiness
sorrow or distress. Christian Science
says, that since II IL evil, IL may be
destroyed and that the destroyer OF
evil In every case Truth, precisely At
Jesus has declared. Wherever YOU
find a Christian Scientist, Therefore
you viii lind a person who is hocest.
iy striving TO destroy evil ont OF hir
or her experience by means of the
scientific method which Christian
Science presents. While Il may De
true that no une. thus far, but Jesus
has been able to rluka a perfect dem.
onstration over evil. yet every one
will concede that Chi istian Scientists
have, at least. made rome progress
and have succeeded TO some extent
In destroying bell. sickness and sin
for themselves I'D others.
The Bible further discloses tina,
God not only is Love. but is also ON.
~nipresent. IL HAT Is SO. then lie 4,
everywhere, Tor that Is what the WORD
means. lie fills all space. and Is In
one place In precisely the same de
gree and to precisely the same extern
that lie Is In every other place. Doc,
that not lit oIe's thought above tn,
concept of a limited God? And Is A
not plain that 81 long as people he
lteve In, a limited God, who Is limited
as to His soria. dwelling place, OF
goodness, they will continue to suffeI
from limitations Limitations will
respect TO life and the duration thore
lof. strength, nleL,al capacity. success
Hove, spirituality and every goof