A Question which sometimes presents itself both to Christian Scientists and to others is whether natural science is a legitimate study for a Christian Scientist. The question is a normal one, since Christian Science teaches that the real substance of the universe is Mind, Spirit, God, which has no material aspects and no destructive tendencies; whereas natural science studies what most people consider wholly material.
Matter, however, is not a substance which we have to call nothing; such a feat would indeed be difficult! Matter is a mental misapprehension of the nature of substance, which has been believed, accepted, and feared for much longer than natural science has existed at all. Really, natural science is a highly organized study of what Christian Science classifies as the beliefs called matter. It searches for the truth concerning these beliefs, and in this search many, and sometimes revolutionary, changes have taken place in the views held by natural scientists. Natural science is continually evolving, and its theories continually undergoing modification.
Moreover at the present time natural science is one of the most powerful and influential bodies of thought at work in the world. The innumerable inventions resulting from its application have transformed civilized life in a way few could have dreamed of two centuries ago. To mention only a few instances: machines have nearly abolished the need for hard physical labor; airplanes have greatly reduced the barriers of time and space; computers can calculate at incredible speed; cameras make very accurate pictorial recordings instantaneously.
