MANY people are opposed to what they regard as a censorship. For one reason, the word "censorship" is often used loosely by people who think vaguely. This reason explains, at least partly, why more than a few people, not all of them actuated by hostility, have criticized Christian Scientists for protesting against objectionable books. The indications are that these critics have not known what Christian Scientists actually do in this regard. These criticisms, however, give us a reason for examining our position, for ourselves and for all who may desire to be correctly informed.
The right asserted by Christian Scientists is the right to protest against a publication which misrepresents our religion, its Founder, or its adherents. In short, we assert the right to defend and protect our religion and persons connected with it from public misrepresentation. Surely, there are but few fair and thoughtful observers, correctly informed, who are disposed to deny or deprecate such a right.
Fair and friendly observers may, however, say that protesting against an objectionable book is unwise; that the protests will be misconstrued and used to advertise the book; that they will do more harm than good by exciting curiosity and causing the book to be read. Such counsels as these present a question by themselves; they present a question not of propriety, but of wisdom. As such they deserve careful thought, and this they have had. Christian Scientists are convinced, partly by experience, that Mrs. Eddy spoke truly and wisely when she said, "A lie left to itself is not so soon destroyed as it is with the help of truth-telling" (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 130).
