Article November 6, 1978 Issue

Understanding the unreality of evil

DOROTHY H. JONES

A sometimes misunderstood aspect of Christian Science is its radical stand regarding evil—that evil is nothing because God, good, is All. Consequently, one may find his progress in this Science proportionate to his knowledge of what constitutes the false belief called evil as well as to what he really understands of the nature of God.

Mrs. Eddy writes much on the subject of evil—as to both what it seems to be and what it seems to do. But her conviction that evil, in reality, is nothing and that it must be Christianly and scientifically seen and known as nothing is fundamental to the demonstration of its unreality. In her book Unity of Good Mrs. Eddy asks: "What is the cardinal point of the difference in my metaphysical system?" And she answers: "This: that by knowing the unreality of disease, sin, and death, you demonstrate the allness of God. This difference wholly separates my system from all others. The reality of these so-called existences I deny, because they are not to be found in God, and this system is built on Him as the sole cause. It would be difficult to name any previous teachers, save Jesus and his apostles, who have thus taught."^{Un., pp. 9–10;}

Christian Science reveals God as omnipotent and omnipresent good and logically concludes that His creation must therefore be wholly good. Consequently, Christian Science explains, the plaguing effects of evil are not natural or inevitable conditions but impositions upon humanity, devilish lies that the carnal, or mortal, mind would tempt us to believe.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Understanding the unreality of evil

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access