Editorial March 31, 1980 Issue

Call no man a fool

BEULAH M. ROEGGE

A wise man once said...

Are you waiting to hear more? Most of us want to hear words of wisdom, and more urgently we want to think and speak them. It is deeply satisfying to feel we've been wise. Conversely, there are few things more devastating than feeling foolish.

Included in the Sermon on the Mount is this statement of Christ Jesus: "Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."^{Matt. 5:22;} Strong words, and yet the truth that this warning embodies is almost too wonderful. We don't ever have to call anyone—including ourselves—a fool. The man of God's creating is always supplied with wisdom and always acts wisely. The human being who is striving to demonstrate his true spiritual nature can claim sound intelligence as a quality native to his real identity. He can expect the Christ to save him from errors of judgment. Consistent wise action in human affairs is a corollary of spiritual progress.