Newspapers used to be simple. Everybody got roughly the same news in the same bundle. That was true of The Christian Science Monitor, too, for the first 100 years of its existence, which made it convenient to follow Mary Baker Eddy’s desire that “every Christian Scientist, and as many others as possible, subscribe for and read our daily newspaper” (Christian Science Sentinel, November 21, 1908). That is actually a “duty” she set forth in her Church Manual (see p. 44).
The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science felt strongly that Christian Scientists needed to support news that is fair, wholesome, and constructive. More than that, however, she wanted Christian Scientists to use the Monitor to pray for the world—to let it inform them of issues that need the uplifting and healing consciousness of the Christ.
Like virtually all newspapers, today’s Monitor comes in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit the many different ways people want to get their news. So what exactly does it mean today to “subscribe for and read” the Monitor?
