Editorial January 23, 1960 Issue

SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION

Helen Wood Bauman

Theories of the evolution of various species of material life from lower to higher forms continue to appear. In general, these theories have little or nothing to do with the understanding of God as creator, but reckon life as starting from some minute form of matter and evolving in a direct material line. Some natural scientists find it difficult to conceive of the evolution of species without a supervising, directing force which they call nature but which they cannot explain. Others believe that there is no evolutionary force aside from certain properties built into matter itself. Still others believe that God works consciously through matter to produce physical formations.

The conflict remains between certain religious theories and those of natural science in regard to the beginning of life. But Christian Science presents a unique viewpoint, for it separates the material sense of life from the spiritual and declares that God is the creator of spiritual life only. It also declares that what appear to be material formations are mental concepts produced by the human mind and that these formations must give place to the spiritual formations of divine Mind, the only true creative Principle.

Christ Jesus was making a scientific distinction between material and spiritual forms of life when he said (John 3:6), "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." His many healings were proofs that the fleshly sense is unreal and the spiritual is real.

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