Cynthia P. Barnett: Mistaken view

There was a serious misconception about Christian Science that appeared in the April 3 Point of View “A dangerous end to vaccination bill.”

The writer, a caring physician, was misinformed that the Christian Science church tells its members what their health care decisions should be. It does not. Members are expected to decide these important personal issues for themselves.

As for vaccinations, the founder of our religion, Mary Baker Eddy, clearly stated her position more than once: “Rather than quarrel over vaccination, I recommend, if the law demand, that an individual submit to this process, that he obey the law, and then appeal to the gospel to save him from bad results.”

For these reasons, our church did not take any position on the Senate’s vaccination bill. The sponsors all know that, and several journalists have agreed to correct these misconceptions in their reporting.

This story was originally published April 7, 2015 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Cynthia P. Barnett: Mistaken view."