The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-07

auspices of the Christian Science socie-
spoke substantially as follows:
rule, and see how these MAY be APP
piled today. At the outset we shou.t
recognize the fact that careful study
of the gospel records shows that
Christian healing was effected through
spiritual and not material means
therefore, it can be explained, under
stood and practiced. only spiritually
This is point which should be clear
ly seen, for. there are many who dis
| believe in Christian healing as we'll as
in Christian Science healing because
such healing cannot be explained on
the basis OF physical or medical sci
ence. These opposite methods have
nothing in common, and it is manifest
that spiritual things must be discern.
ed. Since this healing is accomplish
ed spiritually, no other means being
used 1T can be discerned and demon.
strated only spiritually; that is, on
a spiritual basis which means meta
l physical basis, basis beyond physics.
and therefore apart from matter. Here
| IS where the trouble lies, for it is very
difficult for most of us to see how
| physical results can be obtained
through spiritual means. To the ma.
! terially minded, matter and materia:
law are supreme, and they have little
belief in any power beyond physics, OF
apart from matter, and yet less under
standing of it. Metaphysical or spirit
lal power is thought of as belonging
| to the supernatural, which many PEG
pie reject, associating it as they do
with mysticism and superstition
| Many do not believe in the efficacy OF
prayer for they fail to understand how
1 mere mental effort can bring about
/ physical change. They either deny
he spiritual healing of the earl!
church or declare it to have been i;
mere phenomenal exhibition OF divine
Or super-human power, and they there
lore make little effort to relate spir
itual power to present human needs.
One cause for this difficulty is the
failure to apprehend the mental ma
ture of existence and the relationship
between the inner world Of thought
and the outer world of phenomena
This is due mainly TO the prevailing
belief in matter, which is conceded to
be the greatest stumbling block to an
understanding of Christian healing
md to belief in the Bible itself. Let
is then consider this question, though
very briefly, with the hope of over
coming this stumbling block, and let
is do so first, from the viewpoint OF
the physical science on which all
agree.
KiNETlC NATURE OF MATTER. i
To human sense there is creative,
governing, controlling power or inf1u
ence called force, and substance
called matter, in which this force
seems to inhere and through which ii
acts. Yet matter has always been be.
.ieved to be an indestructible stuff,
| substance Of entity separate and apart
rom force or energy.
Recent research and discovery in
The physical sciences, however, have
rendered this view untenable, for the
init of matter, called the atom, which
always has been supposed to be the
smallest possible division Of matter
substance, is now affirmed by ply
sicists to be itself composed OF thou
sands of what are called electrons
These electrons. are infinitismal Gems
|, .ers of electrical energy composed 10
koositive and negative charges OF cleo
ricity vibrating with great velocity
is thus disclosed that this atom, the.
oasis of physical substance, is in fact
manifestation of force, and, there
/ fore, atomic aggregation, or what Is
called material structure and growth
IS form of manifestation of energy
or force.
To illustrator. If we take any ma
erial object. and reduce it by means
If mechanical and chemical processes
it's ultimate theoretical limits, we
.irst destroy what seems to he the
| object then we destroy the residue
,alled organized matter, reducing il
o molecules, then to atoms; then il
We separate the atoms into their con
| ;tituent electrons, there remains moth
ing of our material object but form
If energy, theoretical manifestation
| If force in which every vestige Of the
characteristics Of matter and of the
object has completely disappeared
What may be the nature and history
| of separated, freed electron which
all that remains, is something for
he physicist to puzzle over; and he is
uzzling over it for the solution is not
o be found in physics but in meta
| physics.
Thus from the physical stan -point:
natter is seen to be the appearance,
liberalization or pro. ection or force
If energy, and consequently what We
ouch, hear, see, smell, or taste is In
,act force. To illustrate: What we
ouch or feel is form of pressure
| which is force: what we hear is the vi
| )ratjon called sound which is force;
| what we see is the vibration called
| light, which is force; what we smell
| and taste isa form of chemical energy
/ )r vibration, which is force. Thus
matter is a manifestation of force
and is not what it has been supposed
20 be.
MENTAL NATURE or EXISTENCE
This, then, brings us to the view
Joint of mateTialistic philosophy and
psychology, from which it further ap
pears that the mental faculties whic.
We call sight, hearing, and the res
ire also out different forms of vibra
ion; consequently, so-called material
sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell are
themselves mental impressions super
induced by force or energy in some