What a thrill even the word democracy brings to the heart of one who truly loves his brother man and expresses this love in the fervent desire that each and all shall have the same rights and privileges which he himself desires. Even among the vast number of those who believe in minds good and evil, intelligent and unintelligent, the thought of democracy always tends to awaken hope and stimulate to greater effort, since' its endeavor is to assure some measure of responsibility to each and to open the door of opportunity to all.
How far reaching, then, and how productive of good must be the results obtained when the true idea of democracy is put into operation by those who have a demonstrable knowledge of the spiritual fact that every child of God reflects at all times efficiency, intelligence, and good. Our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, urged upon her followers the importance of a democratic form of government in our churches. On page 247 of "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany," after stating that our church is "essentially democratic," she adds that "the church is the mouthpiece of Christian Science." How familiar to every Christian Scientist is the definition of "church" given on page 583 of our text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." How often has it broadened and uplifted our concepts and prevented a narrowed vision! How clearly then, with this definition in thought, can we see that the true democratic idea should be unfailingly expressed in every place where students of Christian Science are assembled for the transaction of business, whether in the annual meetings of our churches, the assembling of our executive boards, or even in the smallest of committees where perchance only a few are "gathered together" in Christ's name.
In addition to our Leader's unmistakable statements, our periodicals also are continually sending out to the field most convincing and enlightening articles on this subject. Still the need for these reminders continues, proving that democracy is not yet an established fact among us. The arguments at work to prevent the use of this wholly desirable method of church government are many and varied, and the consideration of a few of those most commonly voiced may be profitable to all. The first and perhaps most common objection to this form of government is that it consumes valuable time; and so that limiting concept of mortal mind, which has no place in eternity, is elevated in consciousness to a higher place than obedience, justice, and love. If we examine ourselves honestly, may we not find that our desire for hasty action is impelled by such mental qualities as impatience, apathy, love of ease, and the like? It also implies a failure to understand the importance of granting to every one whose love for the cause has presumably made him an integral part of any such assembly, every possible opportunity both for giving and receiving good. What business man or woman would be unwilling to sit in conference with others until long after midnight, if some important financial transaction were absorbing time and attention? And shall we hold of any less importance the true method of conducting our Father's business, which should always be the animus of the orderly procedure of our churches?
