Life, 1901-07-25 · page 12 of 20
Life — July 25, 1901 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 72 This page satirizes **Christian Science**, a religious movement prominent in early 20th-century America. The dialogue mocks Christian Scientists' belief that prayer and faith can cure illness without medical intervention. The narrative features a **Cadi (Islamic judge)** discussing children who died because their Christian Scientist parents refused medicine. The satire's logic: if Christian Science truly works, why do believers' children die? The pointed comparison to a "slave" selling false spiritual remedies suggests the religion exploits credulous followers financially. The bottom cartoon shows a **Revenue Officer and Deputy Mouse** inspecting a trunk, punning on the phrase "elephant in the room"—likely critiquing how Christian Science ignores obvious problems (illness, death) through faith alone. The satire attacks what it views as dangerous pseudoscience endangering children.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ld “ M ASHALLAH—God be praised !"" said the Cadi, as ~" he settled himself comfortably on the Carpet of Justice ;**I am glad that hot wave has passed. Such weather tempts even a great distributor of mercy to indulge too freely in the forbidden waters of the Giaours, which in hot weather means even worse after- thoughts than usual, What is the first case on the docket, Mustapha?" “The Christian Scientist who let his two young chil- dren die for lack of medical attention.”” “The Christian Scientist ! What is a Christian Scien- tist, Mustapha?” **T do not know, oh, Foun- tain of Justice, except that they seem to be,for the most part, simple- minded purchasers of religious gold bricks sold to them by clever knaves who work on their credulity. It would be well, Highness, to ask the man him- self."? “Wallah thaib—thou the slave enter.”’ The curtains were separated, and through them wae thrust a weak-eyed, small-chinned individual, with woolly side-whiskers, He bore a resigned and martyr-like expression, as though he expected the worst and was glad of it. “So, slave, thon hast permitted thy two small children to die in agony because thou wouldst not permit them to receive the medicine which would have saved their young lives. What sayst thou?’ “It was not agony, ob, Fountain of Mercy, but an evil thought—nor are they dead; they have simply become One with the Oneness of the One.” “Where didst thou learn this gibberish, son of Shitan?” “From our mother.” “ Who is thy mothe “Mary Baker G. Edd; “Well, thy mother, instead of teaching thee such foolishness, should have spanked thee soundly with the idea of pounding into thy system the common sense thou lackest in thy head.”” interrupted Mustapha, ‘the woman peaks of is not his real mother, but the head of She gains great wealth by selling silly hast spoken truth, Let PE * and un-understandable books to these credulous persons, who pay exorbitant prices for them.” “So. Where didst thou first learn of this cult, slave?”’ “From my wife, Sublime Highness. The blessed faith of self-absorption in the truthness of good came to me from her. She had been a believer and a buyer of books from our mother for a long time, and finally rescued me from error and brought me into the Oneness of the Them.”’ “As I thought. A weak-minded wife with a weak- brained husband. And why didst thou do nothing to save thy children’s lives ?"” “Because I did not believe they were ill, but that they were suffering from error.” “Did they believe this?’’ “Ido not know, Highness. They were very young.” ‘* So, in thy silly mind, thou hast dared to assume that thy delusion, or belief as thor callest it, would take the place of the castor oil which would have saved thy children’s lives. Mustapha !”” “Here, your Highness.”’ ‘Thou art justly entitled to any shekels Mother Eddy may have left in this fool's keeping. After thou hast secured them, sco that he is fed daily for the next three years on nothing but green apples and overripe cucumbers. Should he express any opinion of their effect on his system, let him be assured that what he experiences is not a pain, but an evil thought, or an error, And, by the way, let his fool wife be subjected to the same treatment. But, Mustapha, let not their books be taken from them, They have paid Revenue Officer: Youn TRUNK BEEN INSPECTED YET, MR ELEPHANT? Deputy Mowe : Ve sest RECN THROUGH IT, #tn, comicbooks.com