Article October 4, 1924 Issue

Just what the form of God is should be of little concern...

Brigman C. Odom,—Marshall

Messenger

Just what the form of God is should be of little concern compared with the understanding of His wonderful intelligence and goodness. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 255) Mrs. Eddy writes: "The human form, or physical finiteness, cannot be made the basis of any true idea of the infinite Godhead. Eye hath not seen Spirit, nor hath ear heard His voice." Therefore to know God as He really is, one should seek to become acquainted with His true individuality; and by this is meant His infinite divinity, embracing all His attributes, such as intelligence, wisdom, and power. Some critics of Christian Science say, "We believe in the personality of God, while Christian Science interprets God as Principle." The word "Principle," as one of several synonyms for God, is employed in Science and Health for the purpose of making clear to human understanding the nature of Deity. It includes in its meaning the sense of cause or origin,—one of the primary meanings given the word "principle" in the best dictionaries. Surely any definition of the creator which reveals Him more intimately to mankind cannot be a misnomer, especially when the definition discloses God's character sufficiently to arouse a faith in Him which heals and saves its possessor.

Evil, from the Christian Science point of view, is the negation of good; it denies that God is supreme; it has no relation whatsoever to the eternal Mind,—infinite good, and does not exist in it; it is therefore not true, and hence not real. Evil is entirely mental; under certain conditions—beliefs—it would say that its name is anger; at other times it labels itself malice, hate, impatience, strife, revenge, and so on. Evil has the elements of destruction in itself; hence that which appears as evil is of short duration; it is temporal, and is constantly changing; it is one thing to-day, and something else to-morrow. Good is ever good; it knows no evil; it does not change; it is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Evil is therefore without entity; it has no real origin or source, no intelligence, no existence. If one will read the works of Mrs. Eddy he will find in every page, in almost every paragraph, references to sin, sickness, and death, or to evil in some form. This teaching is not speculation or theory about the nature or origin of evil, it is the truth about it; it does not point out to one certain phases of error, or evil practices, and tell him that he should avoid them or overcome them, and leave him there to grope in the dark, but it shows him what the error is, and how it can be handled, overcome, or destroyed. It is true that Christian Scientists would not maintain hospitals as they are now maintained and conducted by medical authorities; however, homes for the sick and helpless could be provided by Christian Scientists, even as they are now in certain places. Christian Scientists prefer to follow the spiritual teaching of the Bible for health and longevity, rather than the prescriptions of medical doctors. The Scriptures, spiritually understood and applied, are the Christian Scientist's refuge from fear of disease, as well as from all other forms of evil.