Why "Christian Science game" in a 1902 college-slang article?

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>'The "Knockers" are a party of juniors who have adopted a scheme to
>prevent complaints about the food or "knocking."  At the table, if any one
>forgets himself and "knocks" he has to pay for all the extra dishes
>ordered.  The scheme has caused an improvement, the  men say, in the bill
>of fare, and they refer to it as their "Christian Science game."'
>
>     Why "Christian Science?" Would anyone perhaps know?

I don't know much, but I can guess.

The typical lay person, I think, equates/equated "Christian Science" to
"faith healing" or "healing through prayer". The [jocular] idea here is
probably that the food can be improved by [silent] faith or prayer, while
[loud] complaints will have no good effect.

-- Doug Wilson


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