Editorial February 8, 1908 Issue

MORAL OBLIGATION

Annie M. Knott

There are few who realize how much more rapidly mankind would advance if professing Christian always endeavored to be above, never below, the world's moral standards. In spite of human short-sightedness, Truth is ever making its high demand for universal righteousness; God has never left "himself without witness," and whether consciously or unconsciously the world must always bow to the supreme decision of divine Principle. As it would be impossible for the race to go forward at all without some recognition of moral law and obedience thereto, we should rejoice at every indication of an awakening moral sense, and miss no opportunity to show that we honor right by doing it. Our revered Leader says, "True Christianity is to be honored wherever found, but when shall we arrive at the goal which that word implies?" (Science and Health, p. 359).

The great Teacher said, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." In Christian Science we do not think of heaven as a distant locality to be reached after death, but as a harmonious and progressive state to be attained here and now by the understanding of Truth and obedience to the law of Truth, of God. If, then, we fail to express a righteousness above that of the scribes and Pharisees of our day, we shall shut ourselves, and possibly others, out of heaven, harmony. If, for instance, we fail through indolence or selfishness to meet any of our moral obligations, we bring upon ourselves the deserved condemnation of even the most charitable, for no man can put himself outside the pale of this obligation,—God's law is for all and blesses all, and blesses most the one who best obeys it.

The Christian Science teaching which reveals God as divine Principle leaves us without excuse for heedlessness on the question of moral obligation. The old belief that one may perchance be excused or pardoned for a failure to do what the law of right demands, cannot appeal to the Christian Scientist. Our text-book says, "Principle is imperative. You cannot mock it by human will" (Science and Health, p. 329), and we should never forget that this does not tell of an arbitrary ruler, but of divine Love and wisdom, that insists upon our obedience; and this, as the Hebrew lawgiver has said, "for our good always."

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