Article June 22, 1918 Issue

To material philosophy evolution has been a ready theory...

The Christian Science Monitor

To material philosophy evolution has been a ready theory with which to explain many things concerning creation,—and still leave the subject where it was in the beginning. To the practical, man, however, if he thinks of evolution at all, the subject is something of a bugbear. It is hard on anyone, for instance, to be made to believe that mankind is only the victim of a remorseless law which, very slowly, but none the less surely, grinds material creation back into its original dust or nothingness.

Most of the students of material evolution seem to get very much interested in what might be called the intermediate steps of the subject. All goes well until reason demands to see what the legitimate outcome of the theory will be then the situation suddenly reminds one of the ancient belief that the earth was flat, since you have to be very careful lest you go too far, for material evolution having had a suppositional beginning must also have an ending.

The theory can, of course, begin and end in only one of two conclusions, either that matter is as real and self-existent as Spirit, God—in fact is God, Mind, or creator, which is out of the question—or that matter is found to be nothing. For this reason, evidently, few believers in material evolution seem to have the courage to go to the bitter end of their theory, for to do so would mean to give up materiality and seek Spirit as the All-in-all. It is not strange, therefore, that material evolution has much to say of theories, supposed to explain present material conditions, but offering nothing trustworthy either as to the beginning or the ending of these conditions. This, however, is really the important part, for if mankind once understands the beginning and ending of so-called material existence, the remainder of the theory will harm no one.

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