The recent court cases against Christian Scientist parents have caused wide public comment. Some newspaper editorials have expressed genuine support both for these parents and for the freedom to practice spiritual healing but there has also been considerable inaccurate reporting in the media and much condemnation of Christian Scientists' reliance on prayer for healing.
Possibly the most common public response is represented in the searching sometimes troubled questions that have been asked in good faith by people who are normally inclined to tolerance but wonder whether turning to God for healing is really practical. The first two letters excerpted here were written to individuals who raised such questions in the media. These letters were not originally intended for publication and go into greater depth than most published letters-to-the-editor could. The remaining letters were published in newspapers in recent months and indicate something of the range and spirit of answers being given to these questions in the press.
. . . After reading [your] article I wished we had talked more—at least until we'd gotten past some initial stereotypes and legal cliches, poles apart though we clearly are.
