Article March 11, 1933 Issue

Freedom from Debt

HERBERT L. FRANK

One of the important needs of mankind is to understand how to demonstrate freedom from debt. To some, the prospect of achieving this freedom may appear to be remote, or even impossible, and they may be tempted to doubt God's presence and His power to help them to reach this goal. Such an erroneous conclusion is rebuked by Mrs. Eddy's statement in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 58), "There is moral freedom in Soul." The ability to do right, then, is derived from God, and is, therefore, not subject to any material circumstance or condition, but is, and always will be, ever present and available. Meeting a financial obligation demonstrates moral freedom, since financial problems are essentially moral problems, involving, as they frequently do, the exercise of conscience.

Debt involves limitation, unhappiness, and bondage. Well has it been said, "When you run in debt you give to another power over your liberty!" This statement is similar to that in Proverbs, "The borrower is servant to the lender." To be wrongly in debt is to be in bondage, because debt interferes with a person's freedom to do as he chooses with that which should be his.

In Christian Science we recognize that we have debts or duties which do not pertain to the payment of money, but which, when faithfully discharged, have a definite relationship to the demonstration of all good. Some of these duties are set forth by Mrs. Eddy in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. VIII, Sect. 6), where she makes it obligatory upon "every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind," and says, "By his works he shall be judged,—and justified or condemned."

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