Article May 13, 1939 Issue

Man versus Human Personality

ALBERT F. GILMORE

One of the first lessons Christian Scientists learn is the necessity of distinguishing between man, the real man, God's likeness, and the counterfeit, the human or material sense of man. To make this distinction is a fundamental need in the understanding and demonstration of Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy's teaching on this subject is so definite, so emphatic, that there is little occasion for confusion. On page 475 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she states, "Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements." And later she declares that man is made in God's likeness, and therefore is "spiritual and perfect."

A primary cause of this confusion derives from false reasoning regarding the nature of God and the character of His likeness. If a mortal be regarded as man, made in God's likeness, then the conclusion follows that God, the primary, must partake of the substance and nature of His likeness, mortal man. This leads to the anthropomorphic concept of God. Voltaire, clever cynic, put it thus: "God made man in His likeness and man returned the compliment." Justifiable reasoning, if a mortal be accepted as God's creature, made in His likeness! It is this improper reasoning which Christian Science definitely corrects; and the teaching goes so far, is so complete, that, if he be persistent and faithful, the student has no difficulty in grasping it.

Personality, that is, human personality, enters largely into this subject, for it is closely allied to the false concept of man. The words "personality," "personal," and "person" derive from the Latin word personare, "to sound through," the reference being to the masks worn by actors in the early days, through which their parts were spoken. This implies that person or personality is but a mask which conceals the real man, and through which human experience is expressed. Material personality is then the counterfeit, the image and likeness not of God, not of Truth, but of false material sense; the likeness of evil, not of good.

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