Suffrage

Christian Science in its infinite variety is declared and manifested in any and all forms of activity. The leaven of Truth, taught by Christian Science, is in operation to-day, just as it was centuries ago, when Jesus gave to the disciples the parable in which he likened the kingdom of heaven "unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavvened." It is interesting to observe that, in this parable, a woman contributed to the leavening of the whole; and it is a woman, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, and the Founder of the Christian Science organization, who has given to this age the leaven with which to leaven the whole; and this leaven is manifestly in operation to-day.

The absolute truth, as taught by Christian Science, frees mankind from sin, sickness, and death. Death, a belief of inactivity, is destroyed by Truth, which teaches and proves that in the real universe there exists only spiritual activity; therefore inactivity, the antipode of activity, cannot exist. Christian Science has unfolded the fact that man is made in the image and likeness of God, that God made all that was made, and that He endowed and blessed man with unbounded rights, privileges, and opportunities. Since God has endowed man without limit, it naturally follows that man and woman have equal rights.

Man is not a lawmaker, but the reflection of the one law-making by God. A man, then, cannot make laws that limit and bind; he cannot create laws which hold him, as well as woman, in bondage. Ignorance of right and of God's law has seemed to hold both men and women in bondage for centuries, to the laws that men thought they had a right to make and to enforce; but, as the truth of law is revealed, it sets men and women free from restraints imposed by material laws and conventions.

Since Truth has revealed the equality of God's law, and the uniformity of this law has been learned, woman has discovered what her divinely bestowed rights are; and she has also learned to demand that which belongs to her; and since she has made her demand, she has seen man-made laws give way to God's law, and each day she is entering more and more into her divine inheritance.

Woman's suffrage to-day is in the United States an established fact, and it is of interest to consider the influence that Christian Science has over this activity; for Christian Science educates and uplifts, because of its perfect divine Principle; it teaches the need of doing all there is to do in the way of Principle. Students of this divine Science are awake to the requirements of the world and are thoroughly informed on all subjects; for they have learned to abandon former restricted ways of thinking.

This Science distinctly states, in the words of Mrs. Eddy (Science and Health, p. 269 ): "The categories of metaphysics rest on one basis, the divine Mind. Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul." Therefore the student of Christian Science has learned that suffrage is not to be taken materially; that since God has created all there is, He includes true suffrage in His infinite creation; and it is necessary to know it as the divine idea in Mind; and that it is not a material something that is subject to change and decay. The commonly accepted meaning of suffrage is the privilege of voting; and, naturally enough, woman's suffrage gives the right to women to vote. The thought of voting usually brings the thought of going to the polls or to a booth on a specific date to cast a ballot; and the ballot is usually a list of names on a strip of paper, upon which one's choice of candidates for various political offices is to be indicated.

Now the student of Christian Science does not go to the polls to do only this. This is a requirement of the day, therefore it is conformed to; but before this paper ballot is marked and cast, the realization must be gained that there is just one ballot to be marked and cast, and that this ballot must be cast for that which is in accord with absolute and divine Principle; and there is no hesitation in doing this. There may appear on the paper ballot many perplexing questions, but there is just one answer to all these questions, and that is that Principle governs, and this government is manifested.

Mrs. Eddy writes in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," (p. 268 ): "In the material world, thought has brought to light with great rapidity many useful wonders. With like activity have thought's swift pinions been rising towards the realm of the real, to the spiritual cause of those lower things which give impulse to inquiry. Belief in a material basis, from which may be deduced all rationality, is slowly yielding to the idea of a metaphysical basis, looking away from matter to Mind as the cause of every effect. Materialistic hypotheses challenge metaphysics to meet in final combat. In this revolutionary period, like the shepherd-boy with his sling, woman goes forth to battle with Goliath." To-day woman does go forth; she indeed goes to the polls to battle with Goliath, but she goes clad in the armor of divine intelligence; for she is letting God's law direct her and she does not fear any of the material questions, or amendments of proposed autocracies; these usually have a delusive promise, but in reality threaten to take away once again the freedom that has been sought and won.

Since the divine idea is the true suffrage, it is omnipresent in Mind; and it is omniactive, and just as operative the day before and the day after the day called election day as it is on the day specifically so called. Woman's suffrage has given woman the right to vote, and Christian Science has given to her the knowledge to protect her vote; and this right and knowledge must be used every day, that it may be kept bright and shining. It is necessary for a woman who wishes to understand suffrage in its infinity to register a vote for Truth every day, and to devote herself absolutely to the service of true suffrage; then she will realize "Woman's Rights" as Mary Baker Eddy has so beautifully revealed them in her poem of that title (Poems, p. 21):—