In modern society most individuals pride themselves upon being free of pagan idolatry, but can mankind unreservedly plead not guilty of Christian idolatry? Mary Baker Eddy sets forth the following healing message on page 340 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry.—whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."
What are some of the phases of idolatrous worship for which we must watch out? The belief of life as existent in or dependent upon matter is one of the most common forms of idolatry. Such belief is like the worship of the graven images of barbarism, since it is tantamount to acknowledging a presence and power apart from God. The understanding that God is Spirit, Life, destroys the idolatrous belief of life in matter with all its accompanying ills, its superstitious beliefs of human parentage and heredity.
God is supreme, the All-in-all of existence, the Life and Principle of being. However, God's supremacy cannot be demonstrated in our experience while we entertain the misconception that our well-being is maintained by means of wonder drugs, physical hygiene, therapy, mineral baths, diet, and so on. Yet, through cherishing just such convictions, many Christians in the world today are unconsciously dividing their allegiance between God, divine Life, and a belief in a mortal existence.
