In approaching the belief of evil from the standpoint of Christian Science, it might be noted at the beginning that the apparent presence of evil conditions among mankind is not denied. If we look through the lens of human belief, we find on every hand the evidence of sin, crime, misery, disease, poverty, etc., and Christian Scientists do not pretend to close their eyes to this deplorable state of things. On the contrary, the Christian Science movement was organized and is operative today for the express purpose of helping to change this state of things, and to bring about the state of consciousness spoken of in the Scriptures as "the kingdom of heaven." There is no more excuse for misunderstanding the position of Christian Science in this respect than there was in the case of Jesus when he declared evil to be void of all truth and then proceeded to destroy its works.
The disagreement between the teachings of Christian Science and the doctrines held by other Christian denominations is not as to whether evil, so called, is present to human consciousness, but as to its nature and the proper method of dealing with it. Mankind have no choice but to take up this problem, either on the basis that evil is true or that it is false; and this decision will be the keystone to the whole situation and to one's success or failure in grappling with it. The popular systems of theology and medicine, and the religious and reform movements growing out of them, have elected to meet evil on the basis that it is true and real. Christian Science proposes to combat evil on the basis that it is neither true nor real.
It is not claimed that evil has no testimony to offer in its behalf, but that this testimony is not based on the truth, and therefore should not be accepted. Christian Science does not contend that there is no material sense-evidence that something exists besides God, but that, admitting God's infinitude, something besides Him is not possible, therefore such evidence is not to be credited. To be consistent, from the Christian Science point of view, one must abandon his belief that God is omnipotent and omnipresent if he would regard evil as a reality; or on the other hand he must abandon his belief in an existence or power separate from good if he would accept and abide by the statement that God is All. Assuming to hold to both of these positions is like a mariner trying to steer his vessel both north and south at the same time; but is not this the attitude of those who claim to believe in an infinite God and a universally present devil? What reasonable expectation or hope of success could such a course offer in Christian practice any more than it would in seamanship?
