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Forgiveness
THERE is old saying to the effect that "to err is human, to forgive divine." The human, or erroneous, concept of forgiveness is unlike the Christian, Scientific forgiveness. A dictionary brings out this distinction in the definition of the word "forgive": "To release from punishment or from obligation to make amends; cease to cherish resentment or displeasure toward." The first part of the definition describes the human, erroneous sense of forgiveness, while the second part more nearly indicates the Christian, scientific sense.
Christ Jesus did not release anyone from the necessity of working out his own salvation, nor did he ever ignore the necessary correction of error. But he emphatically did not "cherish resentment or displeasure toward" those who persecuted him. His Christian forgiveness was one of his crowning demonstrations of divine Love.
The study and application of Christian Science enables us to understand the difference between true forgiveness and the erroneous sense of it, and truly to forgive. It is plain that one cannot forgive until he understands what needs to be forgiven. In all the recorded instances of Jesus' forgiving his enemies, we cannot doubt that he discerned the nature of the error to be destroyed, but he did not accept the belief that the error was a condition of real being. Evil is not and never was a God-created condition; therefore it never had real identity, circumstance, or presence. Understanding that God is good, and good is all that really exists, Christ Jesus saw beyond the errors which claimed to be present. Thus the Master's demonstration of forgiveness was due to his absolute freedom from resentment, his pure consciousness of spiritual reality. He reversed the wrongs of mortal mind and knew himself above them.
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October 15, 1932 issue
View Issue-
Serving with Gladness
MARY H. CUMMINS
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Plowing and Pruning
KATE W. BUCK
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Loyalty
JULIA SALOME KINNEY
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Forgiveness
HARRY EDWARD DE LASAUX, JR.
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Truth God's Remedy
MILDRED BARNES SIMPSON
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Sunday School Attendance
ANDREW L. DEUSCHEL
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Fidelity
CHARLOTTE M.FOX
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Filling the Right Scale
CONSTANCE HEWARD
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Your issue of Tuesday contains some extracts from an...
Cecil E. Benjamin, Committee on Publication for Cape Province, South Africa,
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In Christian Science God is defined as infinite Spirit...
Kellogg Patton, Committee on Publication for the State of Wisconsin,
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A short notice appeared in your issue of Saturday last,...
Alfred Johnson, Committee on Publication for Yorkshire, England,
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In the address of a prominent medical representative reported...
Aaron E. Brandt, Committee on Publication for the State of Pennsylvania,
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An item in last Thursday's issue, which commented on...
Albert E. Lombard, Committee on Publication for Southern California,
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Much is said about Christian Science in our day
From a public lecture on Christian Science, delivered by Pastor Uhden in the Nazareth Church
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Freedom from All Unlike God
Duncan Sinclair
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Health
W. Stuart Booth
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The Lectures
with contributions from Loyd P. Lindsey, Thomas B. Gantenbein, Orin E. Carpenter, William S. Walker
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I wish to express my appreciation for the good that is...
Bernard Hiller with contributions from Via Hiller
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"A minutely described disease costs many a man his...
Evelyn F. Claxton
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I had never been a strong woman, and near the end of...
Elnora Mays Thompson
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Christian Science came to me when my need was urgent
Sarah E. Scrogin
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I am sending this testimony as an expression of gratitude...
Cora S. Bordage
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Christian Science has been my Comforter for a number...
Hazel Harper Harris
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The Meek
BEATRICE CLAYTON
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Signs of the Times
with contributions from Cyril Garbett, Frank M. Selover, James A. Reid, Ingley, James Black, B. E. Watson, Marmaduke Hare