Article March 11, 1922 Issue

"Loose him, and let him go"

RUTH INGRAHAM

In the Message to The Mother Church for 1901 (p. 20) Mrs. Eddy uses these words: "We have no moral right and no authority in Christian Science for influencing the thoughts of others, except it be to serve God and benefit mankind. Man is properly self-governed, and he should be guided by no other mind than Truth, the divine Mind." And she further states, "The Christian Scientist is alone with his own being and with the reality of things." And in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 58) we read: "There is moral freedom in Soul. Never contract the horizon of a worthy outlook by the selfish exaction of all another's time and thoughts."

Those who are at all acquainted with the Christian Science textbook have learned to curb their early zeal to "treat" right and left, without the permission of those whom they wish to benefit; but it takes a considerably greater degree of the Christ-spirit to give up the exercise of loving tyranny in the family circle. Mortal mind, always ready to seize the role of virtue if it can thereby urge its claims more convincingly, argues that the object of this solicitude would otherwise be deprived of protection and guidance necessary to his welfare. It accuses him of inefficiency, inability to take charge of the conduct of his own life; and great anxiety is felt for him by the one who has entertained this sense of personal responsibility regarding him, but who is now timorously trying to let him go. When this effort is continued, and the new mental attitude maintained, mortal mind may charge the student of Christian Science with coldness, indifference, or some phase of selfishness, although there is the most earnest wish to be truly loving, to take hands off and no longer to meddle and dictate. Sometimes these arguments are voiced; perhaps more often they are silently urged; but the battle is no less severe because fought mentally, and so unseen. All honor to those who are scientifically endeavoring to leave one another free to work out the problem of being. The results of their work will appear; and in return they, too, will experience a freedom before unknown.

Certain typical instances might be cited, in which mortal mind is limiting, stultifying, and deforming what should be a harmonious and beautiful relationship, and obtruding a very ugly element into the sanctity of home life. The error may be personal sense, self-will, stubborn ignorance of another's rights, or a jealous care which is not really loving but merely self-deceived into the belief that it is so.

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