Article April 17, 1937 Issue

Youth and "the problem of evil"

[Written Especially for Young People]

ARTHUR J. TODD

Christian Science is known as a joyful religion. And why not, since it teaches and enables its adherents to prove that God is good, entirely and absolutely good, and that He never could make and never has made anything unlike Himself? Christian Science is based on the Bible. It teaches that the real heaven and earth, the kingdom of good, is present here and now, that we are never out of it, and that we can prove this for ourselves bit by bit as we try to put into practice the spiritual truth so far as we have grasped it. This good heaven and earth is the birthright of every one of God's dear children. Hence, Christian Science offers to youth something very precious, very substantial. It offers the prospect of a religious experience which should grow happier and more satisfying day by day. Armed, then, with this understanding, we can face each day bravely and cheerfully, knowing that our Father-Mother is infinite good, and that His love is always present.

Hence, we can be absolutely sure that good is not unusual, exceptional, or the result of some extraordinary "happy chance." Good is supremely natural; therefore to be expected, declared, claimed, and accepted, for it is the manifestation of the ever-present Principle, divine Love. As usual, Mrs. Eddy, going straight to the point on this question, tells us (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 119) that "God is natural good, and is represented only by the idea of goodness; while evil should be regarded as unnatural, because it is opposed to the nature of Spirit, God."

In spite of all this, human belief often talks to us as if there were a world quite the opposite of God's good world, as if there were a law of evil opposed to the divine Principle of good. This ancient so-called "problem of evil" sometimes puzzles young students of Christian Science. It is not so much a philosophical problem as a practical issue with them. For example, a high school junior who had been quickly restored from the effects of an injury sustained in an automobile accident, was full questions. "How can I heal myself or be healed," he asked the practitioner, "if I don't know what is the matter with me? Shouldn't there be a diagnosis?"

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
In an address which was published in your paper on...
April 17, 1937
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit