Imperial Valley press., 1917-01-29

THE GERM IS ONLY AN EFFECT
With all proper respect to the bac-
teriologists who are conscientiously
striving to rescue the race from de-
struction, it may do no harm for US
to be reminded that the germ at any
rate is not a cause, but is an effect
of something else, and that thus far
all that has been said for the germ
theory Of disease has come from those
who do not know what a germ actu-
ally is, or where or how it origi-
mated, or whence it derives the intel
ligence and power with which it is
supposed to go about its work. The
tendency of the human mind to be
most afraid of things of which it
knows the least is especially notice
able in the history Of the germ theory
of the origin of disease.
However, we are not here for the
purpose of criticising the practice of
medicine. Indeed we cheerfully ac-
knowledge that medicine is affording
many instances where relief might
in the present state Of development
Ol Thought Dl lilOSt WHO tuIIl DItISI-
ably to material methods. This means
that Christian Scientists would be the
last persons in the world to attempt
to deny the use of material remedies
to those who prefer such remedies and
who are satisfied with the results OBJ
tanned therefrom.
As a matter of fact. Christian Sci
ence and material medicine are ,striv-
ing for ends entirely different by
means utterly unlike; therefore no
reasons exists for anita gonism between
them, and there is no such antagon-
ism where the true nature of the
work of each is understood.
AS already stated, the healing Of
disease is incidental and not the
prime object of Christian Science
practice. But because this is not
generally recognized outside the
Christian Science ranks, and because
the healings do constitute important
proof of the correctness Of it's teach
ings, it is pertinent to refer briefly
to some of the evidence that Chris
tian Science does heal disease.
A WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT
The extraordinary growth of the
movement is in itself an impressive
testimonial to the efficacy of its
healing. Although the Christian Sci
ence church was established only
forty years ago, there are today more
than sixteen hundred such bodies in
various parts of the world. While
the largest numerical representation
is in the United States, where Chris
tian Science had it's beginning, it's
churches are to be found quite nu-
merously in England, Canada, and
Germany, and they are to be found
also in France, Ireland Scotland,
Wales, Holland, Italy, Norway, Swe-
den, Switzerland, South Africa, Aus
tralia, New Zealand, China, the Phil
ippines, Argentine, Mexico, Panama,
the West Indies, and Bermuda. From
virtually every quarter come reports
of continuing and substantial growth,
corroborative evidence of which is
found in the fact that the demand for
the authorized literature is increas-
ing so rapidly as to tax the constant
ly enlarging publication facilities. In
one large American city the Chris
tian Science church now number al
most score, and a leading newspa-
per in another large city recently es-
timated that the increase among the
adherents of Christian Science in that
city during the preceding year had
been approximately one hundred per
cent.
In ten years past the number of
Christian Science organizations in
creased seventy per cent. The actual
net gain in number Of organizations
was 667, or an average of little bet
ter than one per week throughout the
ten year period. The fact that the
net increase last year was sixty-five
organizations shows the rate of in
crease is being well maintained. In
the ten years referred to, the men,
bership of the Mother Church, the
parent organization of the movement,
has increased one hundred and six
teen per cent, and at the latest an
nual meeting of the Mother Church
the report of the Clerk showed that
the number of new members received
at that time was the largest in the his
tory of the Church.
These data are cited because of
their significance in the light of the
fact that this movement, which in so
brief a period has become world wide,
has been recruited largely from among
those who turned to it for healing.
1t is a fair inference that if these null
titudes, or any considerable propor
tion thereof, had found on coming
to Christian Science that its prom
isns of healing We're fraudulent or
mistaken, there would have been such
. revulsion among its adherents that
the movement long since would have
passed into memory. The proposition
of Christian Science from its Begin
ming has been to all men, as it is to
you, namely. that nothing need be
accepted with regard to it that cam
not be demonstrated to satisfaction
in the individual experience of the
student. Christian Science has no
means of attracting or holding fol
lowers except its superior ability to
meet their human needs, and if it
had failed to do this to any appre-
ciable extent the closing chapter of
its history would have been written
long ago. So, then. the rapid, wide
spread, and steadily increasing growth
h., 80,