Editorial October 20, 1923 Issue

Criticism

Duncan Sinclair

How comes it about that almost without exception those who take up the study of Christian Science in earnest begin to bridle the tongue; and not only the tongue, but what is of far greater importance, the thoughts which control it? The reason is that they are becoming acquainted with the law of Love. It is possible that in the past they may have been ruthless on occasion in their use of the unruly member, bitterly sarcastic or scathingly critical at times; and often without any justification whatsoever, even from the human point of view. The tendency to criticize is far more baneful in its seeming effects than many a physical malady, and ofttimes far more deeply seated.

Harsh criticism is, to say the least of it, unchristian. It is the concomitant of paganism, the offspring of unjust judgment, or of thought divorced from an understanding of divine Principle. It is the progeny of the unregenerate human mind, that so-called mind which believes in both good and evil. All unkind criticism has that origin. The one who indulges it is being fooled by the lie that evil is real. Believing in the reality and power of evil, he himself becomes the tool of his own false belief, and imagines that every other one can be equally so. There can be but one true remedy for the critical tendency which hurts but does not heal; it is the truth about the allness of good, which Christian Science reveals.

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy uses the term "Love" as a synonym for God, as the Apostle John does. And throughout her writings she reveals the truth that man, God's spiritual creation, reflects God, or Love. Consequently, the more fully God, divine Love, is reflected, the more the real man is being demonstrated; and the greater is the influence for good in the world. Mrs. Eddy certainly does not underrate the value of reflected Love. She writes on page 454 of Science and Health: "Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action." Whenever love is in evidence, we may be sure the way is being illumined and inspired, and that right motives are controlling the critical faculty, making it subservient to the ends of truth and justice.

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