Article October 22, 2012 Issue

An answer to violence against women

Nancy Mullen

Despite the progress women have made in the past few decades toward securing equal rights and protections, violence against women continues to be a major problem around the globe. Even in countries where women have made the greatest strides, the media frequently report rape, murder, and domestic violence against women. But being a woman doesn’t have to mean being a target for abuse. Nor does it have to mean practicing martial arts. There’s another form of defense that I’ve found quite effective.

Learning how to defend oneself spiritually brings real protection and freedom from fear. Spiritual defense starts with an understanding of God and His creation. The Bible tells us, “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). And how could it be otherwise? I’ve found that by embracing the idea that God is wholly good, I cannot at the same time fear that some evil might be lurking in a dark corner of God’s creation. To understand that God is ever present and all-powerful means we can rest assured that He is governing His creation harmoniously every moment. 

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, explains, “There is no door through which evil can enter, and no space for evil to fill in a mind filled with goodness. Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 210). 