According to Christian Science sin springs from ignorance...

David A. Giel, Committee on Publication for Holland

Het Vaderland

According to Christian Science sin springs from ignorance of the nature of God, and consequently of the true, eternal nature of man as a child of God. This leads to error about real, permanent happiness, and therefore builds on sand. But as ignorance and error are essentially negative, sin is unreal in the absolute sense of this word. But Christian Science by no means denies that sin appears real to human consciousness. Consider what Jesus said of the devil: "He is a liar, and the father of it;" and let us not forget that the unfolding of Christianity in its purity and oneness commences in the New Testament.

When sin's house of happiness begins to rock, the sinner tries every available means to support and prop it, until he begins to see the futility of his efforts. At this point suffering commences, arising first from fear, then from conscience. When suffering becomes unendurable the sufferer opens his self-made dream-cell and, while looking out for help, lets in the light of Truth. The light of Truth brings repentance and conversion, which make him say, "I will arise and go to my father." Through putting off error, man reconciles himself to God, not vice versa, for Truth can never reconcile itself to error. Recognizing Truth, error vanishes into nothingness, and there is nothing left to suffer or to be punished.

Disease is produced and maintained by a belief in a power apart from God, or by an erroneous concept of God. In that light disease stands on a par with sin, and is equally unreal, in the absolute sense of this word. It is suggestion, which presents its terrifying thought-images or phantoms.

Christian Scientists derive their increasing assurance, not so much from the outward symptoms of healing, as from the fact that they feel in their inmost experience the mental and moral uplift accompanying it, whereby they derive a permanent release from their troubles. Also, outsiders who have known a person before his becoming a Christian Scientist, when they see him again after a lapse of time and years of practical Christian Science work, are generally surprised at the favorable change in him.

When thou wishest to delight thyself, think of the virtues of those who live with thee; for instance, the activity of one, and the modesty of another, and the liberality of a third, and some other good quality of a fourth.—Marcus Aurelius

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