Article June 21, 1947 Issue

"Like father, like son"

EDWARD IRVING PETERS

How often in an attempt to explain some characteristic we hear the expression, "He gets that from his father," or, "That is inherited from his mother"! This also may apply to disease, which mortal mind attributes either wholly or in part to heredity. Numerous human interests, abilities, and traits are justified as the consequence of similar tastes and qualities found in a parent or even a remote ancestor.

"Like father, like son" is one of the many limiting laws mankind imposes upon itself. Such a law often deprives one of his individuality, keeping him from developing energies and human capacities on his own initiative. It prevents him from overcoming his faults because he believes that, since he has inherited them from his parents, they cannot be corrected. This false law even goes so far as to sentence the unborn child to a life of physical discomfort because of an ailment of one or the other human parent.

This depressing claim of mortal mind is soundly challenged, however, by Christian Science. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy makes the following comments regarding the belief of heredity (p. 228): "The transmission of disease or of certain idiosyncrasies of mortal mind would be impossible if this great fact of being were learned,—namely, that nothing inharmonious can enter being, for Life is God. Heredity is a prolific subject for mortal belief to pin theories upon; but if we learn that nothing is real but the right, we shall have no dangerous inheritances, and fleshly ills will disappear."

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