Editorial April 1, 1922 Issue

The Handling of Error

Ella W. Hoag

Occasionally, Christian Scientists are heard to say; It is "old-fashioned" to handle error; it is no longer necessary to do it; what we need to do now is to dwell in the absolute truth. Now, the handling of error is certainly "old-fashioned." It began in the garden of Eden, when God asked that heart-searching question: "Adam, where art thou?" and then proceeded to analyze, rebuke, and cast out evil. This handling of error has been going on ever since, and will continue until the last belief in error has been destroyed.

It is also true that the necessity of the Christian Scientist is to dwell consciously in absolute Truth. This is the goal he is constantly striving for; and he will never be satisfied until he attains it. Attain it he cannot, however, unless he handles error, and handles it at each step of the way. If any one is inclined to doubt this, let him look into his own experience in trying to demonstrate his way out of evil. How often in attempting to hold his thinking in the realization of the truth—in the contemplation of spiritual good alone—has he found himself drifting off into inane or even into positively evil thinking? And why is this? Because Truth has uncovered error in his thinking and he has not handled the error thus exposed.

In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 24), in speaking of Jesus' teaching on this subject, Mrs. Eddy writes: "The Nazarene Prophet declared that his followers should handle serpents; that is, put down all subtle falsities or illusions, and thus destroy any supposed effect arising from false claims exercising their supposed power on the mind and body of man, against his holiness and health." This would certainly imply that the only way out of evil is through the handling of it, and that the failure to handle it would result disastrously. Since the handling of error is therefore a necessity, he who recognizes and accepts this will be enabled to go forward in his demonstration of the allness of God, good,—but not otherwise.

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