Article October 22, 1979 Issue

Unmagnetizable man

NAOMI RUTH WHEELER

Beyond the world, beyond the moon, beyond the farthest galaxies, there is God. And deep within our most spiritual thoughts, we find Him. No matter which way we turn, divine Spirit is there. In fact, God is everywhere. He is All-in-all. Therefore He is the only attraction. How can there be any other?

The physical senses, however, insist that we are mortals at the beck and call of sin, ailments, and decay; that evil is real and has irresistible power. In Revelation John depicts "a great red dragon" and declares, "His tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth."^{Rev. 12:3, 4;} This dragon represents all evil, which Christian Science calls animal magnetism. The strategy of evil lies more in attracting than attacking. Its action claims to be magnetic. Note that the Revelator records that a third part of the stars were drawn by the dragon's tail, by the animal belief of mind in matter, and cast to the earth. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "Its basis being a belief and this belief animal, in Science animal magnetism, mesmerism, or hypnotism is a mere negation, possessing neither intelligence, power, nor reality, and in sense it is an unreal concept of the so-called mortal mind." ^{Science and Health, p. 102;}

During Jesus' wilderness experience preceding his healing ministry, the devil tried to abort the Master's mission. He attempted to draw Jesus away from his divine destiny through doubt: "If thou be the Son of God . . ."^{Matt. 4:3;} He tried to lure him with the offer of personal power, wealth, and fame. He even tried to trick Jesus by quoting the Scriptures: "... for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee." ^{v. 6 ;} But the devil's suggestion that Jesus cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple shows the limited nature of evil's claim to power. It could only suggest; it couldn't push!