Article January 17, 1970 Issue

What Challenges Are We Accepting?

RAYMOND JACKSON ALLEN

As the image and likeness of perfect God, man is always perfect. In everyday human experience, however, mankind have to demonstrate this fact progressively. One doesn't become perfect by merely declaring that he is; he has much work to do. Mrs. Eddy makes this clear when she writes, "The divine demand, 'Be ye therefore perfect,' is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable."^{Science and Health, pp. 253, 254;} Further on in the same paragraph she says, "God requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won."

The student of Christian Science finds himself striving to reach this goal of perfection. In making this effort he encounters obstacles and opposition. Error tempts him to accept discordant conditions as real and as hindrances to his progress. The challenges of error spur him on to greater effort. He grows spiritually by facing up to error and overcoming its impositions and pretensions.

Worldly thinking tries to justify evil by giving it a glamorous and adventurous role in the scheme of things. And traditional theology has taught that God put evil into the world for the purpose of forcing men to grow stronger by having to battle with it.

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