The Delta independent., 1915-11-12
Christian Science Lecture Delivered
AtI. @. O. F. Hall Last Evening

y
cred in Delta last night by George
Shaw Cook, C. S. B., and the language
in which he was introduced to his
large audience by our townsman
Judge r. A. King.
Judge King said
As the great Apostle to the Gentiles was
passing along. observing the objects of wor-
ship among the Athenians. he discovered an
alter bearing the inscription, To an IN
known Cod" Sezing upon this incident as
text he declared unto that cultured au-
dience gathered in the Areopagus that the
God whom they thus in ignorance worshiped'
dwelt among and could be known OF
them Huxley from the same incident in
vented the term ''agnostic' as fitting
designation of that class of thinkers who in
matters of religious faith neither admit nor
deny Thereby is illustrated the difference
between spiritual discernment and material
blindness.
To most of us. Christian Science means
little more than that system of religious
teaching based the scriptures, which
originated with the Rev. Mary Baker Eddy
about 1866, the most notable application
of which is the professed cure of disease by
mental and spiritual means, as defined in
the dictionary. Further than that Chris
tian Science to us, is an unexplored II not
undiscovered country; all its streams rivers
of doubt and the Scientists God an un-
known god, at least in His manifestations
of power in the healing of disease at the
present day. such as the true Scientist
teaches, and to which every one of them
gladly bear witness.
In this community some of our most in
telIirent and respected citizens hold to that
belief and offer themselves as witnesses
that it performs all that it processes.
am not a Christian Scientist. As to
some of its teachings. l say as yet do not
know ! am in doubt My position is that
of the agnostic. But my doubt does not
rise to- the degree of definite unbeliet! or
disbelief 1t is well expressed in the Ian
guage of Judge Mcfarland. in his letter
to Ironquill Il have doubted my immor-
tality, but l have not disbelieved it. have
doubted that Christ was God manifest in
the flesh but l have not disbelieved 1t.
with that attitude of mind give ready
hearing to any who come under the sane
tion of the local Christian Science Socitey
tn omen to us the door of enlightenment;
explain that which we do not profess to un-
derstand and to justify. If may be the
maintainance of that religion by proof oil
its benefit to mankind.
have mentioned Ironqull. Those of you
who have read his verse will remember for
you can not forget, his refeeence TO the
refrain in the ''Washerwoman's Song.
with the Savior for a friend.
He will keep me to the end"
and his conclusion in the following stanzas
Its a song l do not sing.
For l scarce believe thing
OF the stories that are told
OF the miracles of old
But ! know that her belief
Is the anodyne of grief,
And will always be friend
That will keep her to the end.
Human hopes and human creeds
Have their root in human needs;
And l should not wish to strip
From that washerwomans lip
Any song that she can sing,
Any hope that songs can bring;
For the woman has friend
Who will keep her to the end.'
To my way of thinking those verses ex-
press the charitable. christian consideration
that all of us of any creed or of no creed
should give to the beliefs and creeds of
others.
/ count it signal honor to be permitted
to introduce as the speaker of the evening"
George Shaw Cook, Bachelor of Christian
Science member of the Board of Lecture
ship of the Mother Church of Christ, Scien-
tist, in Boston, Mass. who will lecture on
the subject God is Good