I often hear people scoff at the idea of moral values, thinking they’re pointless and restrictive. The world today mostly equates morality with sexual propriety. But moral integrity is needed in all directions, and brings benefits to all of human experience. It can take courage sometimes to live a moral and ethical life, but the powerful healing that is supported by living up to our highest moral sense cannot be dismissed.
In fact, Mary Baker Eddy, author of the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, wrote often about how our grasp of morality relates to our healing ability. For example, the chapter in Science and Health titled “Christian Science Practice” begins by highlighting many of the moral qualities that are essential to successful healing. And elsewhere she writes, “It is impossible to be a Christian Scientist without apprehending the moral law so clearly that, for conscience’ sake, one will either abandon his claim to even a knowledge of this Science, or else make the claim valid” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 261). We simply cannot discount moral law. If we did, we would miss the importance of this necessary Christian element that undergirds the healing practice of the Science of Christ.
You can find a list of moral qualities in Science and Health that illustrates how following the moral law supports our ability to heal both our own ills and the ills of others. In the “Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind,” Science and Health describes three degrees of development leading out of mortality: “Depravity,” or the physical; “Evil beliefs disappearing,” or the moral; and “Understanding,” or the spiritual (see pp. 115–116). The second degree, “Evil beliefs disappearing,” is defined as follows: “Moral. Humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance.” Expressing these moral qualities supports our growth in spiritual understanding. Through this moral and spiritual growth, physical beliefs are gradually put off, and healing is realized.
