OCR Text |
Show TEACHINO CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. To the r lltor of Tho Salt Lake Telegram. An anonjmous correspondent, using the initials ' X Y .," has evinced sufll-clent sufll-clent Intel est In my recent letter to jour esteemed columns on the subject of Chrlstlnn Science to write a courteous cour-teous replj. 1'roin the tone of his letter let-ter I Judge he does not underestimate the vital Importance of the tliemo under discussion, which Is In reality un In-llnltc In-llnltc one, and he may rest assured that wlntevcr conclusions we may reach for ourselves, the eternal facts of existence exist-ence will not bo changed thereby one iota It Is, however, essential that there thould bo some common ground of agreement, and I will therefore ask you for a little space to pojnt out whcicln our correspondent has missed my mennlng or lins misunderstood the postulates pos-tulates of ChrUtlun Science. Your correspondent reproduces cer-Hon cer-Hon quotations from the writings of I noted physlclstB nnd ps)chologlstH which nppenred In my letter, und then ii)s ' With these statements Mr. Mc-Cinikan Mc-Cinikan proves the Scientific Statement State-ment of Delnff, ns enuncl ited on page m of 'Science and Health with Key to the Scrlptuics ' " He h is done mo an Injustlte hete The actual words I used In youi columns In Introducing tho quotations In question were ' Without In any way admitting tint modern ph)slclsts or psychologists luivo stated the pieclse teachings ni Chilstlan Science, It may bo well to quote here the statements of recognized authorities In these brunches" After the quotations I auld ' Iho above quotations quo-tations reveal sumo of tho conclusions to which noted scholars who nro not Chrlstlin Scientists huve arrived, and they uie not In accord with the position assumed by the author of the brochure ln question" I am well aware thnt tho quntatlona I used do not ptovc the Sci-entillc Sci-entillc Statement of Delng; all I de-riled de-riled to Indicate by them was Hint recognized rec-ognized authorities In plDSlcs and ps)-ehnlogy ps)-ehnlogy did not rrofesH to know what mittei reilly was ind were obliged to take lefuge In metnih)slis for their explanation ex-planation of the operation of the material mate-rial senses (so-called) If noted ph)sl-clsts ph)sl-clsts of modern times have been obliged to acknowledge thit they did not know what mattei was, then there Is no reason rea-son wh) Mis lMd)'H explanation nf It ns ' mortal eirin ' should not bo calmly tonsldeted, and cvm accepted, bj Christian Scientists without exposing them to the charge of ' deceit Ing" themselves. them-selves. And If nuthorltntlve psychologists psycholo-gists nre obliged to confess that material mate-rial sense teiccptlon (so-ialled) Is really u state of mind ' then when Mis H Idy wiltcs In 'Science und Health" pngo 281 "According to Chrlstlin Science, tho truo senses of man 111c spliltuul, emanating fiom Divine Mind." there Is no reason why Uicieo who follow her should be singled nut uu not hnvlng "Btudled the laws of tho human mind" In 1 1 tit ll. If there- wcie any luuteilul science sci-ence (so-ciilteii) which could tell us what mattei 1 1 j lly vvus, mid toiild then define tense peiceptlon In terms of that explanation, theto might be some ix. cuse for the criticisms of youi correspondent, corres-pondent, but not oh mttteis now stand, He himself Is obliged to explain that mattei affects our niguns of sense 'In some unknown way.' In describing ensc perception, therefore, ho would have lo be reduced to the admission that lomi thing, nf whose ' Intimate is-senro is-senro ' he known nothing, acta In ' some unknown way" lit what lespect would such on ( xpl in. Ulon of tenso perception be Mipulnr to that of Mrs. IMdy, and would such an explanation show nnj gleam knowledge of 'the lawn of the human mlud than that evlnied by Christian Scientists, who believe the ex-plinitlon ex-plinitlon furnished by Mrs Hddyf In descilblng senc perception jour (oriespondent llnnlly reaches what ho uiilH 'the spiritual part ot us" Then he adds ' It Is licie wheio our silence Blops and wo get Into thn legion of the unknownbll" llut n science which slops nt tho very point whcie vital questions mlse uinnot be n science In nny tine atnse of the word, and must eventually 11 solve Itself Into guess-wink guess-wink 'In admit tho existence of "tho unknowiiblu Is to tuko refugo In ugnps-tklsin, ugnps-tklsin, but true science disptls mjstery and mystic Ism, ana j0SUs snld "Yo shall know the truth und tha truth shall make, ynu fuo' (John vlll, J2 ) To my comprehension, Mrs r. lily's tlinraiterl-Mitlon tlinraiterl-Mitlon of trim science Is exceedingly helpful 1 he term Science, pioperly understood, iifrrs only to the lawn n( (mil 11 nd jo his government of tho un. verse, Iniliislvn nf nun." (I, 1.8 "8c. ence nnd Health ) Writing of sound perception your ci respondent states. ' Human kjiosltii can at present go no further la aolrl the mystery " Then vv hy not turn to vine knowledge, to real Science, at vcaled In the Inspired Word ot the ble, nnd Interpreted In our day or M Hddy? Many persons ot Intel! u are turning with grcit satlifactloni peace to her explanations of theiepn lems In Christian Science Yourcorr pondent would not feel lonely In 11 company. Mrs Eddy hus well tun "Nothing wo tan say or believe rep Ing the matter Is Immortal, for mil Is temporal, and Is therefore a noi phenomenon, sometimes beautiful, wa)s transitory" (Science and Hei p -'77) This ' unknowable' 'of the railed material science, Christian 5 dice elucidates and explains today St. Paul, stundlng on the Artopv declared the 'unknown God unto 1 agnostic Athenians ot hla day T same Paul, believing Implicitly In 1 Master's promise ' They shall take serpents, und If they drink anydti thing It Bhal Inot hurl them' (Marki 18), wns able to shake off the venom Berpent which had fastened Itself n; his hand, nnd to do this without ren Ing nn) Injury, When all Is said and done yourt icspondent should know thatCbrtit Science does not deny the exlsl'nrt the infinite number of objects cor. tutlng tho universe. Including man. Is concerned with the essential ral of these objects It teichcs thatob't uro Ideas, and are therefore mtnui 1 that tho material concept whlcb placo upon them Is a false one, Ut' tory, vanishing and temporar) ever human sense, while to spiritual un standing It ceases lo have eita semblance of existence or reality ClulBtlan Science text-book (i)i 1 602, 603). "There Is but one Creator 1 0110 creation This creation consists the unfolding of spiritual Wi" ' their Identities, which are embrace) the Infinite Mind, and forever refl' These Ideas range from the Infinlttsu to Immensity, and the highest K are the sons and daughters of God I bespeak from those critics of p Hon Science who may not et miliar with the beneficent it" Chilstlan Science, more pa""1" their Investigations. WD MCIUCKA' |