To be the child of God is to be dearly loved. It is to be created in God's image. It is to fulfill the Father's holy purpose and be endowed with all that is needed to do so. And it is thus to enjoy divinely granted rights that can never be subverted. In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy declares, "God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience."Science and Health, p. 106.
The God-bestowed rights that we have the privilege and responsibility to practice in our lives include the right to redemption, the right to be healed through prayer, and the right to be who we truly are. Each of these liberties finds support in the rights of "self-government, reason, and conscience." And the exercise of these liberties is absolutely crucial to our proper worship of God, to working out our salvation, and to illuminating the darkness and ignorance in human consciousness.
The gospel of God's saving grace, made manifest in the redeeming, healing, and Truth-revealing activity of His Christ, is the most important message the world can hear. Our understanding and demonstration of divine Truth are essential to meeting the pressing needs of both individuals and all mankind.
