Evening star., 1915-12-27
SAYS CAUSE Of DISEASE
IS MENTAL, NOT PHYSICAL
Virgil O. Strickler Lectures on
Christian Science at Polls
Theater.
Declares Healing of the Sick Is Not
the Primary Object
in View.

That the body is nothing but a con-
glomeration of chemical elements, in
cluding lime, water, chalk and few
other things, and that mind is every
thing. was the assertion of Virgil o.
Stricken, member of the board of lee
tureship of the First Church of Christ.
Scientist, of Boston, in the second of
his series of lectures given in Polls
Theater yesterday afternoon Mr..
Strickler was introduced by, Senator
Moses E. Clapp of Minnesota, and his
address was heard by large audience.
The healing of the sick is not the
primary object of Christian Science"
the speaker declared. although it is
true that Christian Science has healed
teaches that the cause of all disease
and sin is mental and not physical. and
that both sin and disease may be cured
by one and the same metaphysical
process. namely, the substitution of
spiritual truth in place of error and
false beliefs in the human conscious
ness. -
Recognizes the Difficulties.
-"I know how hard it is for persons
who are not acquainted with the
derstand what is meant by mental
causation.' the speaker said. Human
ity has been accustomed for centuries
to consider that all causation is vested
in matter, that when we begin to dis
icuss the subject of mental causation
we are dealing with something that is
unfamiliar to many.
When 1 was told that there was no
intelligence or sensation in the human
body | said that the thing was so mani
festly absurd that no intelligent per-
son could believe it for moment, and
healed through Christian Science l
came very near turning my back
upon it.
at was pointed out to me that this
body which people worship and fear.
and which most people get down on
their knees before every day and say
| to it. oh. body, what can 1 do for you
today to keep you from hurting me?'
is composed of something over 10 per
cent of water. and that the balance Of
1t is chalk, lime, starch, potash and a
few other things-that it is matter,
just IS truly as the ingredients of the
dirt and wood are matter.
Result of His Research.
Il then learned that there could be
no more intelligence or sensation in
matter when in the form of flesh, bones
dirt or stone, which fact is proved
whenever an opiate is given to a per-
son, and the human mind is put to
sleep. The body may then be cut and
gashed and the nerves lacerated, with
out the slightest indication of intelli-
gence or sensation.
Il thus learned that sensation and
intelligence do not reside in the hui
man body apart from the human
mind.
Just as certainly as the human body
has suffered from disease and discord.
and has gone down in wreckage in all
of the ages of the past as the result of
wrong mental government, Christian
Science is proving that in the future
the body will respond with health and
harmony, when 1t shall be governed
| by that mind which was also in Christ
Jesus.
Alleges 'Invaluable Service"
! AT this point Christian Science per-
forms an invaluable service to man
kind by explaining how each one may
! take possession of his body and gov
ern it harmoniously. Christian Science
| here declares that no one is under any
| obligation whatever to allow-the So
called mortal mind to dictate the
| terms and conditions upon which he
may live. but. upon the contrary. it is
| the right and privilege of every one to
| be governed by the law of spirit in
| stead of the so-called laws Of matter.
and that by telling the truth to NOR
tai mind, and thereby destroying false
belief to preserve his body in health"
| The lecture is to be repeated at s
| o'clock tonight at First Church of
Christ. Scientist. Columbia road and
| Euclid street.