Onpage 197 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy writes, "The less that is said of physical structure and laws, and the more that is thought and said about moral and spiritual law, the higher will be the standard of living and the farther mortals will be removed from imbecility or disease." Having proved this to their own satisfaction, it is not to be wondered at that Christian Scientists are tempted to be disturbed over the constantly increasing amount of time devoted in our public schools to the effort of building up our children through the inculcation of faith in and obedience to so-called physical laws. While the underlying motive may be an honest desire to bring out a greater degree of perfection, in many instances it would seem that the main effect apparently is only to fasten upon the children's thoughts greater or lesser mental and physical defects.
This state of affairs may continue until the majority of those concerned are aroused to the fact that the present system is in many ways not only futile, but a menace to the welfare of our youth. Superstition and fear are ever foes to enlightenment and progress, and so it is scarcely surprising to find this form of error desiring insidiously to encroach upon our school systems; and the astounding thing is that it is so little opposed. It is now working most freely in the lower grades, with the result that certain classes of children, whose education of necessity seems to be limited to the few years spent in our primary and grammar schools, are in many instances failing to receive the training due them in the rudiments of education, because of the time and attention that teachers are required to devote to teaching them to be afraid of their bodies. Many of these children, not instructed in Christian Science, go forth from their school experiences anticipating disease rather than health, looking for evil rather than good, thus fearing, and perhaps expressing, whatever of evil mortal mind may decree, until through suffering they are forced to seek the higher or spiritual education.
While we may not ask at this time that Christian Science be taught in our schools, we surely may expect to see a decrease rather than an increase of the inimical practices now seeking a firmer foothold. We who recognize the danger cannot afford to overlook it for an instant; but we are required to bring to bear upon the situation all the wisdom at our command, in order that we may be sure that we are taking the right steps at the right time and in the right way. Murmuring over a wrong condition avails nothing in removing the condition, but tends rather to cause us to overlook the "still small voice," ever present to show us our part in establishing in human consciousness the fact of the kingdom of heaven here and now.
