The dedication, in Boston, of a Christian Science temple costing over
two hundred thousand dollars, and for which the money was all paid in so
that no debt had to be taken care of on dedication day, is a notable
event. While we are not, and never have been, devotees of Christian
Science, it becomes us as students of public questions not to ignore a
movement which starting fifteen years ago has already gained to itself
adherents in every part of the civilized world, for it is a significant
fact that one cannot take up a daily paper in town or village--to say
nothing of cities--'Without seeing notices of Christian Science
meetings, and in most instances they are held at "headquarters."
We believe there are two reasons for this remarkable development, which
has shown a vitality so unexpected. The first is that a revolt was
inevitable from the crass materialism of the cruder science that had
taken possession of men's minds, for as a wicked but witty writer has
said, "If there were no God we should be obliged to invent one." There
is something in the constitution of man that requires the religious
sentiment as much as his lungs call for breath; indeed, the breath of
his soul is a belief in God.
But when Christian Science arose, the thought of the world's scientific
leaders had become materialistically "lopsided," and this condition can
never long continue. There must be a righting-up of the mind as surely
as of a ship when under stress of storm it is ready to capsize. The
pendulum that has swung to one extreme will surely find the other. The
religious sentiment in women is so strong that the revolt was headed by
them; this was inevitable in the nature of the case. It began in the
most intellectual city of the freest country in the world--that is to
say, it sought the line of least resistance. Boston is emphatically the
women's paradise, numerically, socially, indeed, every way. Here they
have the largest individuality, the most recognition, the widest
outlook. Mrs. Eddy we have never seen; her book has many a time been
sent to us by interested friends and out of respect to them we have
fairly broken our mental teeth over its granitic pebbles. That we could
not understand it might be rather to the credit of the book than
otherwise. On this subject we have no opinion to pronounce, but simply
state the fact.
We do not, therefore, speak of the system it sets forth, either to
praise or blame, but this much is true; the spirit of Christian Science
ideas has caused an army of well meaning people to believe in God and
the power of faith, who did not believe in them before. It has made a
myriad of women more thoughtful and devout; it has brought a hopeful
spirit into the homes of unnumbered invalids. The belief that "thoughts
are things," that the invisible is the only real world, that we are here
to be trained into harmony with the laws of God, and that what we are
here determines where we shall be hereafter--all these ideas are
Christian.
The chimes on the Christian Science temple in Boston played "All hail
the power of Jesus' name," on the morning of the dedication. We did not
attend, but we learn that the name of Christ is nowhere spoken with more
reverence than it was during those services, and that He is set forth as
the power of God for righteousness and the express image of God for
love.
(_The New Century_, Boston, February, 1885.)