The Denver Jewish news., 1922-01-11
"Why Jews Turn to Chri-
stian Science"
CONTINUED from Page IL

seuulously spreau. though we Know II
To he false. though we know that the
ultimate fate of irreclaimabe Christian
Science Jews will he the abandonment
Of Judaism i'm any event and ultimate
ly either the acceptance of one form or
another of doSmatic Christianity or else
lapse into religious nihilism.
These Jews who are attracted by
Christian Science do not seem to I'M
dcrstand that Christian Science is
first. last and all the time Christian
and that il js Christian in an orthodox
sense rather than in the way in which
liberal Christianity may be said to he
Christian. Though Christian Science
is not one of the older traditional
historic Christian movements. 1t is not
10 he classed with the newer or more
liberal or more nearly modernist
Christian churches. While Christian
Science divergcs far in some respects
fl ON the central teachings of orthodox
Christianity. it is as truly to be classi-
fed with the orthodox Christion
tIuTtlltS us ANY VI tiit
churches In Christendom.
This adherence of Jews to the Chris
,ian Science movement will. it may
again he predicted. prove Il fugitive
fancy rather than an abiding love.
None the less, it must he made clear
tliat one can no more be II jew and
n Christian Scientist at the same time
than one can be IL jew and a Buddhist
Unitarian at the same time, OF Ro-
man and Lutheran simultaneously.
One cannot he u Christian Scientist
and II jew at one and the same time.
cog may prove to lie in Its attitude to-
ward disscnters, Judaism has n certain
measure of organic integrity and is
made up of body of definite teaching
with which the doctrine and practice
OF Christian Science are and forever
must remain irreconcilable.
The Christian Scientist has no place
md can have no place within the
ranks of Israel. True it is that the
jew who is II Christian Scientist. who
adopts Christian Science rs psychic
life-prescrver." does not change the
fact of his race Jew withal he re-
mains in the matter of blood and race
and those cousciousnesses and expert
cncos which are antccedcnt to his own
days
II will little avail to resort to pro-
scription. Ms is proposed in the case
of such Jews ns accept Christian
Science in the place of medical pre-
scriptions They upon whom the ties
of Israeli .'it So lightly that they are
willing to become Christian Scientists
Will not he tcrrorized by our bans of
communication Indulgence in bans
is net u Jewish pastime. IN Christian
Science II certain number of Jews VIII
abide until the day of awakening or
Of discnchantmcnt come. ENcom-
nunication cannot he availing. for
after all Christian Science is not Il
rival Of the synagog nor yet II re-
tgious fellowship of all. nor must il
hc dealt with AZ if it were. =,
How are we to account for that ap-
parently unaccountablc thing. the
locking of n considerable number of
Jews in New York and nearly all the
larger cities in America to Christian
Science meeting houses? That Christ
ian Science should make the faintest
impression upon the sons and daugh-
tcrs of Israel is not only surprising
hut profoundly disTuicting. Rome and
the great churches of Protestant
Christendom. have. as | have said,
hnttcrcd in vain upon the wallis of
Israel. which have withstood every
Charge and assault. No Christian
church in two thousand years has sue
ccSSfully appealed to amy considerable
number of Jews. Christian Science
seems to win no inconsilcrable number
of Jews in our timc-it may be be-
cause ii is not n religion rather than
because it is n religion But in any
event, the appeal of Christian Science
TO Jews shows. alas, how uuanchcr-
cd some Jews have spiritually become
how ignorant some Jews are of re-
iigion in general apd Of their own
religion in particular To knowing
and reasoning members of the House
uf Israel Christian Science cannot
make appeal
Among the reasons which move
Science and in many cases to become
disciples of the movement, is the very |
high value which Jews set on life. /
Jews believe in safeguarding health. !