Article May 25, 1929 Issue

Love's Chastening

MARGARET A. L. NOWELL

The ancient concept of the eternal punishment of the many and the salvation of the elect is in these days giving place to saner thoughts. By restoring the pure spirituality of the teachings of Christ Jesus, Christian Science has given to mankind the correct view of the subject, which is fraught with great importance regarding one's happiness and peace. Mrs. Eddy considered the subject of sufficient moment to include an elucidation of it in the tenets of The Mother Church. On page 15 of the Church Manual she writes: "We acknowledge God's forgiveness of sin in the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts."

A study of these two brief but powerful statements shows that they embrace and define the problem, and clearly point out the manner of its solution. Our Leader's presentation of it leads directly away from the traditional theories that have surrounded and obscured the subject, to a new and joyous view of the operation of divine Love in the destruction of all that produces suffering generally.

Many people may gladly accept the comforting teachings of Christian Science as to God's allness and His tender care for all His children, manifested in the ministry of healing which characterized the career of Jesus, and yet they may fail to discern the operation of divine Love in the correcting and chastening process indispensable to regeneration. This is largely due to the mistaken belief that chastening represents the arbitrary infliction of suffering by God, who is supposed to have created evil, which He afterwards condemned, but which He is either unwilling or unable to eradicate. Moses established in his age a better understanding of God's law of justice; but since the gospel of love has not been generally understood to be associated with the law of justice, correction has been regarded with fear and as a distasteful process, rather than as the ministration of divine Principle, Love, in the destruction of evil.

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