Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-06
Jews and Christian Science.

Omaha, Dec. 5.-To the Editor OF
The Bee: The Jewish religion and
the Jewish conception of God is the
primal source from which the reli-
gions of all the world gain their in
spiration.
In majesty and grandeur. Jehovah,
the Lord God of Israel. fulfills the
ideals demanded by the first COM
mandment, Thou shalt have no other
gods before me-"
The Old Testament, the Bible of
the Jews, contains the form of all
that is known about God and man.
1t proclaims the omnipotent God as
Spirit and man created in his image
and likeness. Its seers and prophets
understood and practiced Gods law
for the healing of the nations from
their sins, their sickness, their poverty
and their woe.
Small wonder that the God of Is
rael, who created man in his image
and gave him dominion; the Psalms
of David, which teach the spiritual
life of man and the protecting power
of God, and Thou wilt keep him in
perfect peace whose mind is stayed
on Thee of Isaiah should find their
way into the Christian Science serv-
ice
The question is asked "Why is it
that these verses when read in their
service mean so much more to Chris
tan Scientists?" The question is not
answered by saying that Christian Sci
ence has Incorporated Judaism and in
the same moment that Christian Sci
ence is not religion.
If this is a sufficient answer. the
collateral conclusion as to Judaism
being a religion becomes more embar-
RAISING than Christian Science.
There seems flaw in the argument
to say that Christian Science is not
religion, but that a Jew ceases to be
a Jew the moment he accepts Chris
tian Science.
If Christian Science is to be de-
nounced as only a system of healing,
why adjure the sick among the Jews
not to seek Christian Science because
their own religion offers the same rem
edy by prayer to God? The same thing
cannot be a system in one place and
a religion in another.
Rabbi Cohn says: ''In Judaism we
find the same help, only infinitely
finer, infinitely more beautifully ex-
pressed. | often think the concepts
of Christian Science merely words"
They are merely words, but to the
sick and respondent, who have found
some measure of health and hope,
they are Life.
In this is found the answer to the
question. 1t Involves MO attack upon
Judaism or the slightest detraction
| from its wonderful place in history,
for spiritually we are all children of
Israel
| We do regret threadbare attacks
upon Mrs Eddy. They are not true
and that kind of thing does not help
to establish good feeling among neigh
bors One might as reasonably con-
iure up something about Moses or
his mother and expect to get any
where with it in an attack on the
Jewish religion.
We must win on the strength of
our own title and not on the weak
ness of our adversary. Misrepresen-
tations and misconceptions of other
religions will not inure to the
strength of our own. 1t is what you
have to offer, not your pulling down
ability, that will build for righteous
ness. s.
The Jews are a proud people and,
the source of their pride rests on no
mean foundation. They have right
| to and should be proud of the fact
| that they have given to Christian Sci
ence the cornerstone of its whole
structure, Hear, o Israel: The Lord
our God is one Lord"
| CARL e. HERRING.