CHRISTIAN SCIENCE by J. O. Beard

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 4, 1903

“CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.”

By J. O. Beard

IV. Self-Contradictions and Inconsistencies.

IT is difficult to know where to begin the discussion of this section, because Mrs. Eddy’s theory is so contrary to all recognized phenomena of life that she is continually using words and expressions that contradict her own position. Indeed, her entire system is so strained and unnatural that it seems an impossibility to use language that is always consistent with it. A few examples will make these contradictions very apparent.

In “Science and Health” (page 582) she defines matter as “illusion.” On page 173 she says: “Nothing we can say or believe regarding matter is true, except that matter is unreal,” and she many times repeats in various forms the same idea. Her whole theory is based on the claim that matter has no existence; that everything is mind or spirit, that mind is intangible to material sense; that is, we do not see, hear, feel, taste, or smell matter, because these are illusions of what she calls “mortal mind;” “for Spirit [a synonym for mind] and matter can not mingle.” Page 80. She says, “Material sense is an absurd phrase, for matter has no sensation” (page 481), and “the corporeal [that is, material] senses are the only source of evil or error. Christian Science shows them to be false.” Page 485. She asserts, “Christian Science sustains with immortal proof the impossibility of any material sense, and defines these so-called senses as mortal beliefs, whose testimony can neither be true of man nor his Maker.” Page 484. Yet she is continually using expressions contradictory to this position.

For example, she says, “Christian Science strongly designates the thought that God is not corporeal, but incorporeal,—that is, bodiless.” Page 10. But her next words are, “Mortals are corporeal,” which must mean that they have a body. Again: “Jesus was the Virgin’s Son. In the flesh He was appointed to speak God’s word to human flesh,” etc. Page 228. But as flesh is illusion (page 577), she makes it read, “In the illusion He was appointed to speak God’s word to human illusion.” And that is a fair sample of many of her illogical statements. She says, “The invisible Christ was incorporeal, whereas Jesus was a corporeal or bodily existence” (page 229); that Jesus had the same body after His resurrection that He had before (page 350), and that He had “material blood.” Page 330.

She tells us, “If you wish to know the spiritual fact, you can discover it by reversing the material testimony, be it pro or con.” Page 22. That is, if you believe you see a tree, deny that belief; say there is no tree there. If you hear an explosion, deny hearing it; call it only an illusion. If you are cold and hungry, assert that you are warm and full-fed—not a very comforting doctrine, to be sure, and one that “Christian Scientists” rarely carry out. Who ever saw one of them that did not eat, sleep, wear an overcoat or wrap in the winter, keep up a good fire for warmth, and otherwise live like common people? But Mrs. Eddy says of eating, “The fact is, food does not affect the real existence of man.” Yet she hastens to admit that “it would be foolish to venture beyond our present understanding, foolish to stop eating until we gain more goodness.” Page 387.

Is it not manifestly foolish to put one’s trust in a theory which, at its very best, leaves one compelled to live like a common sinner? But her excuse for eating and doing otherwise like the rest of us, will not stand. Did she not just tell us that “food does not affect the real existence of man”? Did she know that when she wrote it? If she did, then she can live without eating. But if she did not know it she should not have written it. She claims to have discovered this science in 1866, and asserts over and over that she and others have demonstrated and proved it. Yet, after all this experience for over a third of a century, she says it would be foolish to stop eating, tho “food does not affect the real existence of man!” Out with such nonsense. If her theory is correct, no one eats; we only delude ourselves into that idea and, having discovered the delusion, she surely should cease to be deluded.

On pages 116 to 118 she several times repeats this claim that food does not sustain life, and says on page 373, “Heat and cold are the products of mind.” These illustrations might be multiplied almost without end.

So abundant are these self-contradictions that statements can be found in Mrs. Eddy’s book to contradict almost every point made in these articles. Yet the writer has been very careful that all quotations and statements should correctly represent the paragraph or subject from which they have been taken. To illustrate, in the first article several quotations were given which denied the possibility of sin, called it a material illusion, and told us Being (or spiritual man) could not fall. This is in harmony with her general theory; yet she says, “We must cause the error to cease that brought sin and death” (page 214), and, “the way to escape the misery of sin is to cease sinning,” for “sin is the image of the beast, to be effaced by the sweat of agony.” Page 222. Indeed, so absolutely contradictory is her theory to every thought of the mind, to every evidence of the senses, and to every fact of existence, that, in order to justify her own position, she calls every one else crazy. She says, “There is a universal insanity, which mistakes fable for fact throughout the entire round of the material senses,” and calls it “this general craze.” Page 406.

But here is a hard problem. She says, “Good [her synonym for God] itself never causes evil or creates aught that can cause evil” (page 258), that “there is but one Mind” (page 226); that Mind (as she also calls God) created all (page 206); that “there is no room for His opposite” (page 234); that “nothing possesses reality or existence except Mind” (page 226); that Mind can not cause evil (page 259); that the devil is only a lie, a false belief, an error (pages 575, 245); and that God controls all (page 239). Then will Mrs. Eddy kindly tell us the source of mortal mind, with all its illusions about material things? God did not create these errors, man could not create them, and she assures us there is no devil. She informs us we are strangely afflicted with delusions and illusions, yet has left no possible source from which they could originate.

Still further, her every effort to propagate her faith is a contradiction of her theory. She has written a book which we are urged to buy, read, and believe, because it is the only source from which we can learn the truth. But when we read it, it tells us to deny every evidence of our five senses; for every evidence they offer is false, and matter has no existence. Therefore we have no hands to handle her book, no eyes to see it, and no mouths to pronounce its words. And the book itself is only an illusion; for, according to Mrs. Eddy, there is neither printing-press, type, nor paper. And when we accept the illusion, she insists we shall delude her into the belief that we pay her $3.00 for the supposed book, tho there can be no money. That is, she denies the existence of the five senses, and then appeals to those very senses to examine and approve (what she calls) evidence of their own non-existence. This is confusion worse confounded, and we beg to be excused. We do not care to be deluded into following an illusion. We remember the good Book says, “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19.

We will next consider the healing of disease and excuses for failures. J. O. BEARD.