How Christian Science Misuses Scripture
VERY many instances might be given to show how Christian Science, as it is called, disregards the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. In all these instances it teaches principles absolutely contrary to the express statements of Scripture. In this article, however, we wish to notice only one of these examples. The instance in hand relates to the death of Christ. The Scriptures plainly teach that Christ died for mankind. They teach this in unmistakable language. They put it forth with emphasis. They never allow the slightest question of the emphatic proposition. But Christian Science does not believe in death, and therefore can not consistently allow the Biblical statements of Christ’s death to pass unchallenged. It would, furthermore, be folly to send forth the teaching that is plainly antagonistic to the Scriptures unless something is done to make them seem to agree. If the New Testament teaches anything at all, it teaches that the death of Christ was vicarious, and reconciles man to God. But Christian Science denies that Christ ever died. Holding to the fundamental doctrine of Christian Science, that death is an illusion of mortal mind, in order to maintain, or seem to maintain, its claim of being Christian, it is driven to the necessity of seeking to modify the words of the New Testament, which teach the death of Christ. It is true that the word says, “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” But if you were so uninformed of the methods of Christian Science as to quote this text to a Scientist, you would speedily be disarmed, at least in the mind of the Christian Science disciple. This last-named individual would promptly open his copy of “Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures,” and with this marvelous key, which is supposed to unlock every supposed locked text in the Bible, he will show you how fatally you have erred (?) in taking the scripture just as it reads. There in the chapter on “Atonement and Eucharist,” you will find that this so-called key has taken strange liberties with the word of God. You will find that it has presumed to do with the language of the Spirit of God what you would not allow another to do with your own written words, what no government would permit for a moment with any of its important written documents. Thus you would see that the author of “Science and Health” had anticipated the quotation of this scripture against her doctrines, and she has entered into the citadel of truth ahead of you, and broken the point from this spear of the Lord; she has dulled the blade of the Scriptural two-edged sword. She smiles serenely at your inane efforts to break down her impregnable defense. In the book mentioned you will find the scripture under consideration has been quoted, but instead of its reading, “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son,” you will find that a single word has been inserted into the statement, which in effect revolutionizes it, and as corrected, makes it harmonize with the teachings of Christian Science. As thus quoted it reads, “We were reconciled to God by the [seeming] death of His Son.” To such lengths are they driven in seeking to retain their appellation of Christian! At this point the average person of common sense who has not been befogged by any of the chicanery of the “illusions of mortal mind,” will ask, “Why in the name of reason does this proof-reading of the sacred text make any real change in it?” And, of course, the only sensible answer that can be given is that the word of God is too high above the reach of man to be really changed by any of this foolish toying of words; but in the minds of nearly one hundred thousand persons, whatever Mrs. Eddy interprets the Bible to mean, just that and nothing else it does mean. And so the awful responsibility of changing the scripture to these many—and the others who will yet believe it—rests upon her shoulders, and upon the shoulders of those who helped to further the notion. If Mrs. Eddy says that this scripture should read “seeming death,” instead of “death,” as Paul gave it through the inspiration of the Spirit, Mrs. Eddy’s authority in the matter far overshadows any authority or rights that the apostle Paul may have in the matter. To them it is clear that Paul was aiming at the truth, but did not quite hit it; his statement must be emended in the new light which comes now through Christian Science. Instead of Christian Science being changed by its author to agree with the Bible, the Bible must be made to agree with Christian Science. But we wish to say with all candor that between the expression “death” of the apostle Paul and the paraphrasing of it into “seeming death” of Mrs. Eddy, there is a gulf as wide as the poles asunder. Seeming death is no death at all; it is merely an illusion. We know that this makes the statement agree with Christian Science, but does it agree with the facts? Does it at all affect the word of God? To make the words read as does Mrs. Eddy, is to say that we are reconciled to God by the illusion of death. We are reconciled to God by being befooled and befuddled. We thought it was death; it seemed to be death; and this illusory death reconciles. Was there ever more arrant nonsense? It would seem as tho the enemy of all righteousness must laugh outright at this extreme gullibility in swallowing such arrogant foolishness. Christian Science takes its presumptive pen and proof-reads and corrects Paul’s writings to suit itself; and when it has done its work, behold the man of God is represented to have written the opposite of what he actually said. Suppose you do an errand for a friend and9then in conformity to the facts write, “I have paid your bill,” how would you like the idea of some one’s intercepting the letter and writing in the word “seemingly” between the “have” and “paid,” making you say, “I have seemingly paid the bill”? Would it mean now what it did before? Would it at all express your thought? Would it be in accordance with the facts? And if the recipient supposed the amended statement was your statement, would it not make you a falsifier to your friend? You would certainly do all in your power to correct the statement, and you would lay the responsibility of the change of language upon the one who dared to make the high-handed amendment. God will certainly hold every soul responsible, every soul that dares to pervert His word. We will show next week what God has to say of those who change His word or pervert His Gospel.