Article June 24, 1916 Issue

The very able contribution in a recent issue on "The Gospel...

John M. Tutt—St. Joseph, Mo.

Profitable Farming

The very able contribution in a recent issue on "The Gospel of Power," contains an unfortunate reference to the Christian Science teaching on the subject of sin,—unfortunate in that the statement while true does not when taken alone adequately present what Christian Science really teaches regarding sin. This statement is, "The Christian Scientist vows that sin is all an error of mortal mind."

It will probably be conceded that sin is erroneous in its nature; it will also be granted that the all-creative God is not the author of sin. Since, then, the divine Spirit, or Mind, did not produce the error called sin, it lacks a divine origin. Now Christian Science, consistent with the Scriptural premise that "all things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made," concludes that since sin, or error, is not good,—that is, not the product of God,—it lies wholly outside of reality, hence should be properly classed as delusion, or erroneous concept of mortal mind. St. Paul declared that the carnal or mortal mind "is enmity against God." It is therefore quite clearly the procurer of all evil. St. James teaches to the point as follows: "Every [mortal] man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

But, you say, how does all this help one to be saved from sin and its consequences? If sin is a delusion of the carnal mind, as Christian Science proves it to be, then it is possible for the sinner to awake from the delusion, hence from the suffering it causes, by the process of learning the truth. Awaking from the delusion, he will turn from it, since no man can continue to be deceived by a lie after its erroneous nature is apprehended. This was the mission of Christ Jesus, he said, and this is the mission of Christians today,—to "bear witness unto the truth."

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June 24, 1916
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