Editorial September 8, 1934 Issue

The Real Utopian Plan

W. Stuart Booth

Ever since Sir Thomas More issued his work called "Utopia," in which he pictured a land enjoying perfection in laws, politics, and government, men have referred to the theories and plans of governmental idealists as Utopian. In so far as human ideas and ideals are not based upon and expressive of divine Principle, to that extent they are inherently imperfect and impractical; and so unfortunately there seems to be ample justification for Utopian planning and reformative endeavors in human governmental schemes and systems. Those who dwell upon the imperfections and injustices which are evident in human affairs, may become so disturbed thereat that they accept and advocate one of the many extreme human plans purporting to be corrective. Generally speaking, these schemes and endeavors are inherently weak and ineffective, and occasionally actually harmful; at best they are but partial palliatives and deal with effects instead of causes.

The outstanding practical idealist of all times was Christ Jesus, who came proclaiming and proving that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Judging by his doctrine and the results of his practice, we are led to conclude that he understood that God, good, is omnipotent and omnipresent, and that discord and evil are unreal and impotent; he negated evil in all its phases, healing sickness, comforting the sorrowing, liberating the sin-bound, and overcoming death. He rebuked hypocrisy, injustice, and selfishness, and urged the acceptance and expression of the love which reflects divine Love; "therefore," said he, "all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." In his teaching and example he pointed the only practical Utopian plan. His plan was direct and simple, not secretive nor subtle, for it was God-inspired and God-directed.

Christ Jesus was the premier scientific Christian for all time. He dealt with the causes of human discords and difficulties, which he found in so-called mortal mind in the shape of selfishness, fear, greed, jealousy, envy, hate, animality, and the like. He knew that release from and dominion over these disturbers of the peace could be gained, not by a mere change of human systems of national government, but rather by the reformation and Christianization of the individuals comprising the nations. He healed or destroyed the diseases which appeared on the bodies of his patients by rebuking and correcting the errors of thought which produced the ills. Likewise the discords of the body politic can be healed only by amending human consciousness with divine Truth and Love.

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