Christianity came into being and was established in countries where many systems of religion, philosophy, and mysticism were practiced. The proponents of these theories opposed Christ Jesus and his followers on every side. In this age Christian Science has come into being and has met with similar opposition. Mrs. Eddy realized that many of the systems with which early Christians had to contend are still prevalent, although some of them have different names. She warns of them when she writes in Science and Health (p.129), "Animal magnetism, hypnotism, spiritualism, theosophy, agnosticism, pantheism, and infidelity are antagonistic to true being and fatal to its demonstration; and so are some other systems."
Our Leader, knowing the importance of handling deceptive isms, has devoted a chapter to spiritualism and one to animal magnetism in Science and Health, and her Message to The Mother Church in June, 1898, is entitled "Christian Science versus Pantheism."
The chapter on spiritualism is entitled "Christian Science versus Spiritualism." One of its headings is a Bible verse taken from Isaiah (8: 19), "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God?" This particular ism is the doctrine that the departed become spirits and that those still on this earth can commune with them. This is not true. Such a procedure is exposed in Christian Science as a phase of mortal mind-reading. The distinction between mortal mind-reading and immortal Mind-reading is one of the important points to understand in order to heal, and it is made clear in this chapter.
