Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-10-15
A LECTURE
Christian Science
Virgil O. Strickler, C.S.B.
Member of the Board of Lectures
ship of The Mother Church, The
First Church of Christ,
Scientist, in Boston,
Mr.. Stricken in his lecture said:

AS 1t becomes more generally UNI
derstood that through the ministry
of Christian Science people are be-
ing healed of sickness, sin, unhap-
piness, worry, fear, and other dis
cordant conditions, there is an ever
increasing desire upon the part Of
the general public to learn how
these results are accomplished. 1t
is the purpose of this lecture to ex.
plain how Christian Science does
these things. There is no mystery
about Christian Science healing, nor
is it difficult to understand. 1t can
be stated without any reservation
whatever that every person who is
willing to do so may learn through
Christian Science how to heal sick
ness and to destroy the desire to sin,
for himself and others.
MANY DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS
1t is said that there are more than
two hundred different kinds of the
Christian religion alone, not to men,
ton the hundreds of other forms Of
religion that are not Christian. 1t
is a fact that people do entertain
widely differing religious beliefs. In
many instances the differences are
irreconcilable, and yet every one be-
lieyes with all of the sincitity ns
which ne is capable that his own par
ticular beliefs are true. 1t must be
conceded that, in the main, all peo-
pie are equally honest and equally
sincere in their religious beliefs. The
only reason why they are grouped to-
gether in different forms of religions
is because they honestly believe that
that through their own particular
form of religion they will find the
good which they so earnestly desire.
AS one considers the subject of re-
ligion from this broad viewpoint it
becomes entirely plain that most
of the people in the world are be-
lieving as their religion many things
that are not true.
Every one will recognize not only
the desirability, but the necessity, OF
exchanging false and erroneous be-
liefs about religious matters for
positive truth.
True religion consists of spiritual
truth, and not of erroneous beliefs
hence it follows that ones religion
is limited to the amount of spirit
eous religious beliefs are only so
many delusions that serve no other
purpose than to obstruct spiritual
growth.
Christian Science aims to destroy
erroneous religious beliefs by sub
stituting a knowledge of truth in
place thereof, and to destroy out o.
the human mind all evil qualities
by planting good qualities in their
stead. 1t wages relentless warfare
against all wrong mental qualities
1t seeks to substitute love in place
of hate, unselfishness in place of
selfishness, honesty in place OF dis
honesty, and truth in place of error
1t lays tremendous emphasis upon
the necessity for bringing into cap
tivity every thought to the obedience
OF Christ" I'll Cor. 1850, as the
Bible commands. 1T shows that the
cause of all disease and sin is mental
and not physical, and that both sick
ness and sin are destroyed by the
evangelization of the human mental
ity with truth and love. 1t teaches
without any reservation whatever
that the truth taught and practiced
bv Jesus, when understood and APP
Piled, is sufficient without drugs Oh
any material means to heal the sick
and regenerate the sinner, and
Christian Scientists everywhere are
engaged daily in demonstrating an3
proving this to be true.
Every student of religion should
begin to give heed to what the Bible
teaches concerning the importance
OF looking to the mental rather than
to the physical for deliverance4 from
human discord. We read in Romans
S:6, 4, ITO be carnally minded Is
death; but to spiritually minded is
life and peace. Because the carnal
mind is enmity against God: for i;
is not subject to the law of God
neither indeed can be- Again In
Philippians 2:5 :" is said, LET this
mind be in you, which was also III
Christ Jesus" and in Romans 1872
BE We transformed by the renewing
OF your mind.
These significant statements from
the Scriptures leaves no room FOL
doubt as to the cause of sin. disease
and death, or their cure. The carna
mind is nothing more nor less thar
the unregenerated human mind. II
is the human mind in it's natura
state, when filled with hatred, sci
fishness, deceit, dishonesty, and othe
evil qualities, and with superstition
and false beliefs. These evil ant
erroneous mental qualities result il
sin, disease, and death, and in al
human discord
The command is to get rid o
erroneous mental qualities, and t
have in us the Mind which was ais
, in Christ Jesus" for in this Mine
there was not single sinful quality
nor any superstition or false religion
belief. Thus the human mind is re
newed by the destruction or enron
eous and sinful mental qualities, an'
the substitution in their place 0
qualities that inhere in the Mind 0
the Master.
AS this renewing process goes on
sickness, suffering, and discordan
conditions begin to disappear, an
when it is finished, and every morta
thought has been brought into sun
lection to Christ, then man Will o
transformed from a SHINING, suffef
ing mortal into state OF peace an
harmony. The carnal mind with i