Article February 26, 1916 Issue

A writer in an issue of the Express attempts to prove the...

F. Elmo Robinson

Lebanon (Ore.) Express

A writer in an issue of the Express attempts to prove the existence of a personal devil, and thereby establish the power and reality of evil. In so doing he has taken occasion to misrepresent the teachings of Christian Science concerning the nature of evil.

Ages of religious teachings, which have included the belief in a personal devil, have failed to liberate mankind from the seeming power of evil and its effects; but Christian Science, instead of personalizing evil and investing it with power and authority, is uncovering its subtle and deceptive nature, thereby making possible its destruction,—the demonstration of its nothingness. Now that form of teaching which is most effectual in emancipating the individual from the thraldom of evil will naturally make a tremendous appeal to burdened humanity. The fact that through Christian Science multitudes have lost their love of sin and have ceased to indulge false appetites and desires, is the strongest possible testimony to the superiority of its teachings, since the Master said, "By their fruits ye shall know them."

Christian Science teaches the infinitude of God, good, and hence precludes the possibility of an opposite called devil, or evil. In Christian Science evil is treated as a belief, as an experience of the carnal or mortal mind, to be overcome through the operation of the Christ, Truth, in human consciousness. The contention of our critic that the denial of evil would make possible greater accomplishments of evil, is quite paradoxical when one understands what is meant in Christian Science by such denial. Christian Science does not deny that to erring mortal sense there is an appearance or claim of evil and disease, but it demonstrates that this claim is pure deception,— is false, is nothing. This teaching by no means encourages one to ignore evil, nor does it encourage the indulgence of evil. The love and practice of sin is possible only to those who believe it to be something. Only as it is believed to have power to attract and satisfy is it indulged.

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