"EVERY kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." So spake Christ Jesus many centuries ago in emphasizing the self-destruction of evil. To the student of Christian Science these words of the Master's have added significance, for he has studied Mary Baker Eddy's helpful explanation in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 60),"Evil in the beginning claimed the power, wisdom, and utility of good; and every creation or idea of Spirit has its counterfeit in some matter belief." The opposite of unity is separation, and all mortal experience is the counterfeit of true, spiritual existence. Therefore it is evil, or animal magnetism, that claims to divide, but it is doomed to desolation. The Christian Scientist knows that this is so, because he knows that there is one Mind, God.
This Mind is expressed through its spiritual idea, man, individually and collectively, so all are of one Mind, the same Mind, God, good. Man as Mind's idea is one with the Mind which creates him; hence Christian Science unfolds the indivisibility of Mind and Mind's ideas. As these wonderful facts of true being are understood, it is seen that all of Mind's ideas are ever united in one grand brotherhood, having unity of purpose and accomplishment. Therefore, the understanding of Christian Science and its practice unites; it does not separate or divide. Mind's continuous and infinite activity does not and cannot divide its ideas, but is constantly uniting them in close bonds of love and harmony.
Our Leader uses the term animal magnetism for all evil. She knew that evil, or animal magnetism, was but the supposed absence or opposite of God, good, who is All-in-all. Hence she understood it to be unreal and powerless. But she also recognized the importance of understanding how evil claims to operate and devoted an entire chapter in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," to the unmasking of animal magnetism. Here she exposes evil, its claims and modus operandi, so that the student of Christian Science may instantly recognize it for what it is and destroy it through knowing God's allness.
