Article June 1, 1935 Issue

Rights

ANNA FRIENDLICH

What are rights? What are our rights? Christian Science enunciates the exact truth about rights, individual and collective. Our rights are whatever things we inherit from God, whatever things we inevitably possess by reflection, perfect and infinite endowments. Such are our rights, which no power can take from us, because omnipotent Principle has planted them inalienably within our real being. The Magna Charta of Christian Science stands, says Mrs. Eddy, "for the inalienable, universal rights of men" (Miscellany, p. 254). No legal statute, no ruling, no legislative code or combination of human forces, is capable of separating from us these rights and privileges. They are as inalienable as the right of the leaf to be green; they are as universal as divine law. The Magna Charta stands "for equal rights and privileges" (ibid., p. 255). Certainly; because every man's right is included in the full representation of good. He cannot be deprived of the rights and privileges that appertain to him; they come into his experience in divinely natural order as the unfolding of Principle in his thinking.

True, mortals are busy striving to achieve these rights by countless material laws and processes. Therefore we have governments, communities, federations, and organizations to protect our human rights. Wherever the democratic ideal prevails, it is recognized that men have the innate right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." It is noteworthy that human organizations are centuries old, and have failed, century after century, to maintain these rights adequately. We know why: they looked to men and not to God, to human concepts and human governments and tribunals, instead of to divine law. The right to life—what is Life? God. What is it to live? To know God and His Christ; so Jesus affirms. Here Christian Science has come to make it possible for men to know God scientifically and demonstrably.

Correct government necessarily is a manifestation of Truth. Christian Scientists are empowered to demonstrate their rights by knowing the truth about God and man. Every Christian Scientist knows that just as many of his rights will be recognized as he thus demonstrates. He knows that these rights in their fullness are his inalienable possession right now, and just as much liberty will appear as he will allow to appear. He knows that his chief obstructionists are the sins he himself allows. His rights will come into manifestation as the errors he admits—selfishness, dishonesty, impurity, and various others—cease to block the way. He will have life, liberty, and happiness in proportion to his obedience to the divine requirements. The scientific prayers of all true Christian Scientists, who are knowing daily, hourly, the government of Principle—knowing the impotence of human self-will—these prayers, commingling, are potent to eliminate the domination of evil over human liberty.

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