Editorial October 26, 1968 Issue

The Relation of Morality to Health

William Milford Correll

One who understands that sin is the cause of suffering and death can see the relation of morality to health and well-being. The current attack on morals could well be considered a health hazard, for whatever undermines the integrity of society and the individual has a weakening effect on physical health and may well express itself in disease. Mrs. Eddy says: "A moral question may hinder the recovery of the sick. Lurking error, lust, envy, revenge, malice, or hate will perpetuate or even create the belief in disease."^{Science and Health, p. 419;}

This is not to say that all sick people are troubled by immorality. There are other fundamental factors such as fear and false belief that enter into the causes of ill health. But all too often the relation of morals to health is considered unimportant. For instance, the medical doctor does not normally take into account the moral condition of his patient. He believes in material causes and treats disease on a material basis, whereas the Christian Scientist approaches healing the sick from a mental and spiritual standpoint. He understands that causation is mental and that moral factors enter into the condition of his patient and sometimes determine the outcome of the case.

In a broad interpretation sin may be considered anything that is contrary to the nature of God, Spirit, the All-in-all. The belief of life and intelligence in matter comes under such a classification. But moral fault is something different in that it refers more specifically to the willful abrogation of moral law, the law that has been given to us through the Ten Commandments and the Christian teachings of the New Testament. The moral law supports a progressive state of thought that will enable one to demonstrate God's presence and care as he proceeds on the road to more spiritual understanding and more spiritual living. One cannot attain the harmony of spiritual being without first being moral.

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