River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-04-29

l28SQ& 8gSSELg) Isaiah 1:18) BE
What Il man believes or disbelieves
IS his own business, and not subject to
public criticism But when a number
VII people associate themselves, adopt
name, publish their doctrines to the
world and invite members, their doc
times are properly subject to public
criticism. They still preserve their in
dividual rights, however. Doctrines
only may be criticised; and these
should be honestly treated, not mis-
represented. This applies to every
creed, every cult; and all honest people
should welcome such investigation and
truthful criticism We assume that
Christian Scientists, therefore, will ap-
preciate what we now have to say as
much as, or more than, others We
trust that we always have this attitude
toward any criticism leveled against
our public teachings. We are therefore
following the Golden Rule laid down
by the Lord. and acknowledged by all.
The growth of Christian Science has
aStonished the world It's teachings
seem TO have appealed to a very in
tellIgent well-to-do class of people, of
considerable mental independence, pos
scssed Of considerable backbone" So
far rs we have conversed with them
we find that physical healing seems to
have been more or less associated with
their conversion to their cult Either
themselves or their friends have been
healed. Their realization of the cure
brought them religious conviction as
instead of the doubts and wonder
mentS Of their previous experiences
The awakening to this conviction that
there is a real power outside Of man,
i supernatural power aroused a re-
ligious sentiment such as they had
never known before. 1t seems to them
that they have started a new life.
The reason for this is that nominal
Christianity is merely form of god
liness, without power or conviction.
This form of gOdIiness has spread to
such an extent that the whole world
is styled Christendom-Chris King
dom In countries like Great Britain,
proximately ninety-five per cent of the
population are rated as Christians,
even though some of these are in pris-
on, some in insane asylums, and some
too young to think at all or be any
thing. In Italy, everybody is rated
observation-disclosures amongst some of
the Italians who come to our shores
Il. ,;..h Of I9n g
the Black Hand, the Malta, etc.
BewiIdered Christendom.
Additionally, a sincere class of
Christian people have, during the last
fifty years, been i'll great perplexity be
cause of the StupendouS nonsense in
termingled with Truth which was
handed down to us from the Dark
Ages. Under the increasing light,
thinking people have not been able to
swallow some of the mOnStr0uS state
ments of the creeds as readily as did
their forefathers. The persecution of
Baptists gave place to toleratiOn-that
they might baptiZe as they chose, even
though their teaching that immersion
is the door into the Church implied
that al the unimmerSed are outside the
true Church, outside the pale of saliva
ton. and hence prospectively subject
to eternal torture. Presbyterians and
MethodiStS. unable to down each other
Oh the subject Of Election or Free
Grace, agreed to live and let live.
The great churches which formerly
prosecuted al others as heretics, for
bidding any to preach except by their
ordinations, gradually found them
selves compelled to desist from making
their tenets too prominent. Thus peo-
pie are more or less bewildered as to
what are the differences between the
various denominations; and many con-
clude that the only difference is in
forms, ceremonies, ordinations. etc.
The doctrine that God had foreor-
dained 900 out of every 1000 to an eter-
nifty of torture in fire was gradually
looked at as too horrible to believe.
The alternative doctrine, that God did
not foreordain the matter thus, but
had not the wisdom or power to avoid
such catastrophe for His creatures,
was equally repugnant. As a cOnSe-
quence, preachers began to tell that
the destiny of the world was not literal
fire. but gnawing of conscience, etc
each manufacturing a He'll in accord
ance with his own wisdom or igno-
rance and 20 suit his congregation.
Under such conditions Christian Sci
ence was born, and has grown to its
present proportions. Three things es-
pecially favored it: ID its acceptance