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22 chapters
London: WATTS & CO., 1922
London: WATTS & CO., 1922
In this brochure the author makes an earnest endeavour to understand Christian Science and define its mission. He scrupulously verifies all his citations and references, and appeals to the judgment of those who are willing to hear both sides of the question. "The blood, heart, lungs, brain, have nothing to do with lif e." "The daily ablutions of an infant are no more natural than taking a fish out of water and covering it with dirt would be natural." "Christian Science is more safe and potent th
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What is Christian Science?
What is Christian Science?
Y ou do not understand Christian Science" is the usual reply of the followers of Mrs. Eddy to any one disputing their claims, or trying to point out the many inconsistencies in their creed. If it is impossible to understand Christian Science, how does it expect to propagate itself? To answer that one must accept the doctrine before one can understand it would be like asking a man to see before he opens his eyes, or to think after he has made up his mind. It is just as useless to try to understan
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Why I Discuss Christian Science
Why I Discuss Christian Science
I f asked why I devote time and labour to the discussion of such seemingly foolish propositions as those propounded by Mrs. Eddy, my defence is that I am very much interested in the people who accept Christian Science, and would like to be of service to them, even though they may hold me and my motives in derision. Then, again, I feel that if we stand idly by while the Christian Scientists are concentrating all their efforts, sparing neither time nor money to spread their doctrine, we may wake u
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Mrs. Eddy's Mentality
Mrs. Eddy's Mentality
T he founder of Christian Science was, indeed, one of the busiest women of her day. She was preacher, writer, teacher, missionary, organizer, manager, etc. But even a superficial reading of her books will show that her activity resembled that of children at play rather than of men at work. Mrs. Eddy's mind displayed all the qualities and defects of primitive man. Though incessantly active, she followed in all her mental efforts the line of least resistance. Children are never at rest of their ow
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"Mortal Mind"
"Mortal Mind"
M rs. Eddy's efforts to explain what she calls "mortal mind" give us an even better insight into her mentality. Though constantly denouncing mortal mind as the source of all human ills, the author of Christian Science makes no serious attempt to account for its origin. The fundamentals of Christian Science as expounded by its author are summed up in the following statements:— God is All in All. God is Good, God is Mind. God Spirit, being all, nothing is matter. Life, God, omnipotent good deny de
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Mrs. Eddy's Prayer
Mrs. Eddy's Prayer
I t is reported of Mrs. Eddy that every morning as she arose from her bed she repeated the following prayer: "Clad in the panoply of Divine love, human hatred cannot reach me." Her followers have expressed great admiration for this, the "Mother's daily prayer." But to be forever thinking of human hatred, and to live in constant dread of it, shows a broken-down mind. Only a person haunted by the fear of human hatred would beg daily to be delivered from it. If on getting up every morning a man wer
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Is Christian Science Scientific?
Is Christian Science Scientific?
T wo words spell the name of this so-called "health religion"—"Christian" and "Science." Let us see if there is anything scientific about Christian Science. To begin with, men of science never try to suppress inquiry, because inquiry only helps to advance their cause, which can advance in no other way. Science is investigation. Eddyism, on the other hand, is a dogma. Science is knowledge, verified, classified, and placed within the reach of all. Eddyism is a copyrighted cult. Science is free; in
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Is Christian Science "Christian"?
Is Christian Science "Christian"?
E ddyism is no more Christian than it is scientific . Between the teachings of Jesus and those of the Boston lady there are irreconcilable differences. It is the claim of practitioners in Christian Science that they are following the example and applying the method of the founder of Christianity in the healing of the sick. This is one of the "telling" arguments used by Christian Science lecturers in their appeals for converts. But if it can be shown that the method of Jesus was in many respects
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Arrested Mentation
Arrested Mentation
P erhaps the term which best describes the thinking which leads so many to accept Mrs. Eddy's teaching as both scientific and Christian is what the psychologists call "arrested mentation." The majority of people reason admirably up to a certain point, and then they suddenly come to a full stop. Having followed the right path to a considerable distance, they then deliberately refuse to follow it further. To speak more plainly, there are many people who reason correctly enough on some subjects, bu
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Do Christian Scientists Use their Minds?
Do Christian Scientists Use their Minds?
D espite the frequent use of the word "mind," there are perhaps few people who use their minds less than Mrs. Eddy's disciples. Mental development is possible only where there is freedom to think, to experiment, to differ, and to originate. Are Christian Scientists permitted to think for themselves? Are they at liberty to differ or to express original views? To repeat or imitate another very little mind is required. All the Christian Science topics, lessons, and instructions are issued from head
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Examples of "Reasoning."
Examples of "Reasoning."
O n the fly-leaf of Mrs. Eddy's now "famous" book appears this quotation from Shakespeare: "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so." This is given a place of honour in her book because it is supposed to prove the truth of Christian Science. But a wee bit of clear thinking or of the power of analysis would have helped Mrs. Eddy to see that her opening quotation completely destroys all that she advocates in the rest of her book. The doctrine of Mrs. Eddy is that all is God; t
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Do Christian Scientists Practise what they Preach?
Do Christian Scientists Practise what they Preach?
M rs. Eddy teaches that the material universe is an illusion. Do the Christian Scientists try to live up to this? I say, do they try, because to try is about all that any one can do, as it is an utter impossibility to really live up to such a belief. Let us see if there is any difference between the way we treat our bodies and the way Mrs. Eddy's followers treat theirs. We believe the body exists, and therefore we protect it with clothing. The Christian Scientists do the same, although they shou
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Christian Science Cures
Christian Science Cures
I t is urged, however, that Mrs. Eddy's teachings have been demonstrated to be true by the remarkable cures they have effected. I need not question these cures. I hope all of them are genuine. I love humanity too well to wish that its ills were not cured at all rather than that they should be cured by Christian Science. But when every claim is conceded, all that will be proved is that Christian Science has cured some sick people. Of course it has. I hope the Christian Scientists will be equally
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Christian Science Testimonials
Christian Science Testimonials
M rs. Eddy devotes one hundred pages of her Science and Health to testimonials from people who have used her "nostrum," very much as vendors of patent medicines are in the habit of doing. But while, as a rule, testimonials in patent medicine books are signed in full, those in Science and Health give only initials. Rheumatism, hernia, fibroid tumour, insanity and epilepsy, cancer and consumption, Bright's disease, and many other diseases, according to these testimonials, have been "quickly cured,
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Get-Well-Quick
Get-Well-Quick
C hristian Science, instead of being either scientific or Christian, comes very near being, and in fact is, a sort of get-well-quick system, suggestive of the get-rich-quick scheme of the speculating fraternity. The gambler does not have to learn a trade or to build up a business in order to secure a footing in the commercial world, or to establish a reputation for honesty and efficiency. He does not depend upon these things for a living, since the throw of a dice, the colour of a card, or a luc
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Christian Science Fashionable
Christian Science Fashionable
H ow, then, explain the remarkable growth of Christian Science? But the imposing edifices, the prosperous looking disciples, the number of automobiles in front of their churches, prove only that Christian Science is fashionable—that is all. The question we are discussing is not Is Christian Science fashionable, but Is it true? Does the rapid growth and wealth of Mohammedanism, for instance, with its Alhambra and Alcazar, its illustrious and extensive conquests, prove its Divine origin? Does the
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Christian Science and Witchcraft
Christian Science and Witchcraft
W ithout wanting to give offence, I would say that Christian Science is, in many respects, the modern version of the witchcraft belief, which smote New England some three or four hundred years ago. If mental treatment can cure, according to Mrs. Eddy's admissions, it can also kill. Over her own signature Mrs. Eddy declares that her last husband was killed by poison "mentally administered." The devil possessed witches, too, were supposed to be able to injure and kill people mentally. Mrs. Eddy te
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Marriage and Death in Christian Science
Marriage and Death in Christian Science
L et us now investigate some of the other teachings of Mrs. Eddy, which are at present more or less kept in the background, or which are presented only to those who have become adepts or advanced students of the cult. A careful perusal of Mrs. Eddy's miscellaneous literature will show that she practically denies sex, marriage, birth, death, the home, the family, as well as education and morality. It seems a serious accusation to bring against any one posing as a reformer or as the founder of a r
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"Suffer it to Be So Now"
"Suffer it to Be So Now"
A ccording to Mrs. Eddy, marriage, like death, suggests materiality, and is therefore an error. The words of Jesus, that in heaven they shall be like the angels who do not marry nor are given in marriage, are quoted to prove that sex is an illusion of mortal mind. Of course, the Eddyites marry, but only for the same reason that they die—because they are not sufficiently advanced in Christian Science to demonstrate over these errors. In the Christian Science Sentinel , June 16, 1906, and in the C
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The New Autocracy
The New Autocracy
M rs. Eddy has banished all freedom of thought from her Church, as Luther and Calvin did from theirs. Christian Science is as distinctly hostile to the liberty of teaching as were the dogmatists of the Reformation. In the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons definite instructions are given to read the following explanatory note before reciting the lesson-sermon:— Friends,—The Bible and the Christian Science Text-book are our only preachers... The canonical writings, together with the word o
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The Menace of Christian Science
The Menace of Christian Science
I magine again what would happen to our educational system if it were to pass under the control of Mrs. Eddy's party. The majority of studies now pursued would be eliminated from the course. No Christian Scientist would see the need of knowing anything about physiology, anatomy, chemistry, biology, botany, geology, or any of the fundamental physical sciences. To teach these would be an admission of the reality of the material universe and a denial of the doctrine that all is illusion and error e
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Christian Science and Morals
Christian Science and Morals
M orality, too, as a scientific study, will be banished from the schools under Eddyism. In the Infinite there is no more room for sin than there is for disease, and, since man is but the image of the Infinite, he is as free from sin as he is from disease. Mrs. Eddy practically denies the possibility of sin in Christian Science. At the age of fifty-six, on January 1, 1877, Mrs. Eddy contracted a new marriage, this time with Mr. Asa G. Eddy, giving her age as forty, as shown by her marriage licenc
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