Article March 16, 1912 Issue

Every new invention, discovery, or reform meets with...

E. M. Ramsay

Edinburgh (Scot.) Dispatch

Every new invention, discovery, or reform meets with the opposition of the world, and therefore the students of Christian Science are neither disturbed nor surprised that this Science, which is transforming their lives, should likewise meet with the opposition of those who do not understand either its aim or its methods. And yet its aim is the aim of all who have the welfare of the race at heart—the amelioration of man's lot, deliverance from sin, sickness, and misery of every kind, and the forwarding of what the Bible calls the "kingdom of heaven."

The methods employed to this end are no doubt very different from those generally adopted, because Christian Science presents its students with a new view of the nature of man and of man's connection with God, and with a new view of the nature of sin and illness. From their personal experience Christian Scientists have become convinced that these views are only new to the thought of this age; that they are true, and entirely in accord with the gospel teaching. Christian Science teaches that, speaking absolutely, nothing can be real which is opposed to the nature of God, the infinite, ever-present, and all-powerful good. If a thing constitutes no part of God, the creator, it can form no integral part of His effect, man made in God's image and likeness. Hence the real nucleus of man, the permanent undying individuality of man, is "incapable of sin."

In order to be able to distinguish between the real individuality of man and all the sin, sorrow, and materiality which we see expressed in what we call persons, we must cease looking upon the outward shape; we must look a little deeper. We see that in every true friendship we have ever formed, we were primarily attracted by some quality of head or heart which our friend possessed. Thus our friend was in the first instance a combination of good qualities. Those traits and habits which did not command our respect were less than our friend. Thus it is the truth, the God-qualities which we manifest, that are really the man. If every good quality is the reflection, the expression of God's nature, what are we to say of the bad qualities? They are not qualities, realities, but false belief in the absence of good, minus quantities, beliefs that somewhere in ever-present, infinite good there is a spot where good is not. It is plain, therefore, that evil is not a thing to be fought, but a false sense to be banished by the knowledge of good. The belief in evil as a power, an attraction, a necessity, a part of man's nature, must be cast out by the profound conviction that good alone is powerful, normal, necessary, attractive.

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