Article August 20, 2018 Issue

Political animosity—don’t get pulled in

John Quincy Adams

Recently there has been a great deal written about “bots” (web robots, or software applications that run automated tasks over the internet), particularly Russian bots, infiltrating social media and spreading misinformation with the intent to foment dissension and division among citizens. In the United States, for example, such activity fuels the fire in what many feel is already an extremely politically polarized nation.

There is an effort to alert the public by identifying and uncovering the social media accounts that are run by bots—often masquerading as humans—so that people aren’t fooled by their divisive intent. It’s important to perceive this underlying malicious intent to undermine good and further cultivate a schism, but Christian Science, the law of eternal good, goes even deeper and reveals the root of the problem as the deceptive influence of what is termed animal magnetism.

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy explains animal magnetism as “the false belief that mind is in matter, and is both evil and good; that evil is as real as good and more powerful” (p. 103); thus, it logically follows that the one true force in defending ourselves from this belief is an understanding of God, who is all-powerful and ever-present Truth. Christian Science reveals animal magnetism as powerless because it has no authority from God, good, who is infinite. Adhering to our devotion to God and His eternal goodness, we can trust Him, knowing that He has given us the perception that forewarns and forearms us to prevent any effort of evil to invade our demonstration of spiritual liberty.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Political animosity—don’t get pulled in

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access