Editorial February 15, 1919 Issue

Evil Drives and How to Stop Them

William D. McCrackan

Drives imply organization, which may be used for good or evil purposes. The war has made mankind familiar with military drives and also with drives intended to arouse a wholesome public sentiment. In every instance mental preparation was necessary, and when the purpose of the drive was evil it was undertaken by organized evil. This uncovering of the secret processes of mental evil has shocked the unprepared thought, but Mrs. Eddy in safeguarding her discovery of Christian Science was obliged long ago to expose these malicious undercurrents, and her loyal followers have been aware of the intent of evil to hide itself while it perpetrated crimes. The only real drives are the operations of divine Love, healing and uplifting mankind.

The outcroppings of occultism in the conduct of the world war must be considered in the light of Science until the lessons they teach have been learned. For example, the stimulation of hate in the German people, who are for the most part kindly by nature, was not left to chance but was artificially produced by drives of organized evil, using books, pamphlets, newspapers, lectures, schools, and other agencies. The "Hymn of Hate," the will to hate, the imprecations taught to children, such as "God punish England," were treated jokingly by the English speaking peoples, but they were only outward expressions of an organized evil whose intent was as deadly as that of the Zeppelins and the submarines. In the conduct of the war it was noticeable that every great military drive of the Central Powers was preceded by a debilitating cloud of mental suggestions intended for the Allies. The only purpose in recalling these phenomena is to prevent them from again deceiving the world. When the Allies felt strong enough to advance, they destroyed the plans of their military opponents. When the true Christian relies sufficiently upon God to take the mental offensive against evil, he foils the tempter's plan. God's command stops the momentum of evil's drive, whether it be frankly physical or secretly mental. By keeping spiritually above the enemy propaganda the individual is safe; for he is led by spiritual inspiration and revelation, which the enemy cannot understand and therefore cannot control. Drives of jealous hate designed to induce disobedience and disloyalty cannot destroy that love which is protected by the strong walls of joy and gratitude for God. Christian Science with its healing power builds a sure defense. Evil insinuations, suspicions, and distrusts cannot penetrate the portals of a well guarded mentality.

An influenza drive is only an evil influence with a medical label. When found out by Science it changes its name, tries to prove an alibi or sugar-coat itself and appear innocent. As a last resort it tries to make itself popular, but it still remains a mental suggestion of fear. When this evil spreads itself it is called an epidemic, and seeks to have people accept it at its own valuation; but Mrs. Eddy gave the effectual means of stopping such drives when she wrote (Science and Health, p. 374): "Hatred and its effects on the body are removed by Love." Drives of hate are stopped by the presence of Love. The delusive belief in a death angel is destroyed by the angel of Life. The dictionary gives a description of influenza that may not be generally known. In Webster's Collegiate Dictionary we read that it was "formerly attributed to the influence of the stars." Certainly the star in the East, representing the Christ, and the star in the West, representing Christian Science, have the real influence to bless mankind with health and to correct superstition about any supposed evil influence exerted by the stars. The starry gems of the sky should be a joy.

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