Editorial November 11, 1967 Issue

A Modern Sense of Innocence and Purity

William Milford Correll

To some the ideas of innocence and purity would indicate a lack of experience or an isolation from the world. It might even seem that these qualities are not in vogue in the modern society, that they are held in some disrepute. Can it be that one can lose his innocence beyond recall and not experience the freedom that purity bestows? Certainly not if these qualities are seen as divine attributes and hence as eternally included in man's perfect nature as the child, or the likeness, of God.

Mary Baker Eddy evidently considered innocence a strong weapon. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures she speaks of lust and hypocrisy as the beast and false prophets and continues: "These wolves in sheep's clothing are detected and killed by innocence, the Lamb of Love. Divine Science shows how the Lamb slays the wolf. Innocence and Truth overcome guilt and error."^{Science and Health, pp. 567,568;} And she defines the "Lamb of God" as "the spiritual idea of Love; self-immolation; innocence and purity; sacrifice."^{p. 590;}

Christian Science teaches that evil is unreal because God is good and infinite. Evil is a misconception of reality. The whole effect of evil rests upon deception. But if one is innocent of gullibility, of belief in evil, then it has no power over him. The quality of innocence utterly demolishes the so-called strength of evil and overcomes it. Christ Jesus said, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."^{John 14:30;}

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