Article May 26, 1906 Issue

It may be said that Christian Scientists, in common with...

CALEB H. CUSHING

Portland (Me.) Evening Express

It may be said that Christian Scientists, in common with other religionists, recognize that in mortal experience there is a claim of evil to be dealt with. Christ Jesus taught his followers to pray to be delivered from evil, and in John, 8:44. our Master tersely and comprehensively defines the devil, the father of all evil, as a "liar," having "no truth in him;" and shows him to be, not a creation of God or of man. but a self-constituted falsity. Christian Science is in strict agreement with the Master in this definition of evil, and logically holds to the conclusion that evil is unreal in the sense of not being a God-created entity.

Paul tells us in Romans. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good," and a Christian Scientist realizes that to fully understand the unreality of evil as well as of disease, he must grapple with and overcome them; and that Christian Science enables him to do this more effectually than any other teaching. Christian Science shows that a belief in the reality and power of evil must of necessity lessen one's faith in God as omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent good. It has been aptly said that we should not fear sin but fear to sin. Christian Science teaches that sin brings inevitable suffering, that the only way to escape the misery of sin is to cease sinning, and emphasizes the fact that one can never be rid of sin by ignoring it, for one must cease sinning in order to have it absent from consciousness.

Christian Science does not encourage or tolerate any form of immorality, but demands absolute purity of conduct and thought. After all, the test of Christianity is contained in Matthew, 7:20, where Jesus says, "By their fruits ye shall know them;" and in Galatians, 5:22, 23, we find "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." It is the desire of every conscientious Christian Scientist to add from day to day to his store of these spiritual fruits.

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