Editorial April 25, 1914 Issue

Causation Spiritual

Annie M. Knott

A good many seekers after truth are puzzled by the questions asked them respecting Scriptural topics, some by friends in the older churches, and others by students of Christian Science. Thoughtful people are often troubled by the seemingly contradictory statements found in the Bible, most of which are satisfactorily explained in Christian Science; but if difficulties come up, it always simplifies the process greatly to go back to the fundamental teaching of Christian Science, that God is the only cause and creator, instead of dwelling upon the thought that sin is the cause of all disease. It cannot be denied that on the plane of mortal belief sin and disease do appear to be closely related, and Mrs. Eddy says that "God has sentenced sin to suffer;" but she also says that man as God's idea "can neither sin, suffer, be subject to matter, nor disobey the law of God" (Science and Health, pp. 322, 372). This coincides with what is taught in the first epistle of John, especially the statement, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not."

As we read the ninth chapter of John's gospel, it is evident from a question asked by the disciples that they held a strong belief in sin as causation, also in heredity, and their question gave the great Teacher an opportunity to lift thought to the plane of spiritual causation, when he refused to consider the prevailing belief as to sin and its effects, and declared for "the works of God." Now if the man in this case had possessed the usual material sense of sight, it would not, from the Christian Science view-point, have been one of the works of God, for it would, like all material things, have been destructible. All that God creates expresses divine perfection and cannot be destroyed, and the belief that man is separate from God is of itself sufficient to account for all the suffering in the world, without reference to any specific phases of sin.

This, however, offers no excuse for sin, which is its own proof of belief in separation from God, and which tends to perpetuate the false sense of existence through a belief that evil has power. It does not, however, follow that the same mental conditions obtain in the case of two or more persons suffering from the same physical ailments, but all disease is the result of error, of belief that man is material and governed by material law rather than by spiritual law. Strange as it may seem, it is usually much easier to lift mortals out of sin and disease than to have them give up the error of belief in materiality, and this was recognized by Christ Jesus when he declared that it would be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah,—the most grossly wicked cities of ancient days,—than for the people who rejected the healing truth which he was offering humanity. In Science and Health (p. 472) we read, "Error is a contradiction of Truth," and whether it is manifest as sin or disease it is always this. It denies constantly that man is spiritual and declares him to be material, and when this lie is destroyed by Truth, salvation is realized.

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