One of the many reasons why Christian Science continues to attract an ever-increasing number of thoughtful men and women into its ranks is that its teachings are both logical and practical. Mystery, mysticism, or impractical idealism no longer interests mankind as it once did, nor does it meet the human yearning for a better understanding of life and its meaning. Christian Science does meet this need by its scientific and logical presentation of the great truths taught in the Bible, and particularly in the words and works of our Way-shower, Christ Jesus.
In agreement with most presentations of orthodox Christianity, Christian Science teaches that God is infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Spirit; in other words, that He has all power, fills all space, and possesses all knowledge; that He is the only creator, perfect, and "of purer eyes than to behold evil." But when it comes to the acceptance and demonstration of that which logically follows from these premises, orthodoxy and Christian Science part company.
It is self-evident that an all-powerful, all-wise, ever-present, and infinitely good God automatically excludes the claims to presence and power of evil, ignorance, or that which results in sin, sickness, death, or inharmony of any description. It is also obvious that Spirit cannot create its opposite, matter, or make laws of any kind to govern matter. Failure to recognize the logic of these conclusions is responsible for most of the ills and discords which seem to beset mankind today, and prevents the enjoyment, here and now, of the freedom which Jesus said would be the experience of those who understood and applied his teachings.
Christian Science unequivocally accepts all the conclusions which naturally arise from these premises, teaching that the creation of Spirit, man and the universe, must be spiritual and must manifest the qualities of the Mind that conceives them; that this Mind maintains, protects, and sustains its creation, and that since God is the only creator, there is and can be no other creation. One of the many passages dealing with these logical and fundamental truths is found on page 207 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," where its author, Mary Baker Eddy, writes: "There is but one primal cause. Therefore there can be no effect from any other cause, and there can be no reality in aught which does not proceed from this great and only cause."
The writer was discharged from the British Army in 1919, certified as suffering from an organic disease of the heart which was incurable. Condemned apparently to a life of invalidism, he found final and complete healing through the recognition of the logic contained in these words, and many times since has received valuable aid through their study and application. Once when he related this healing experience to a business friend the latter exclaimed, "It all sounds very wonderful, but to be cured of a disease medically certified to be incurable is not logical." This point at first greatly puzzled the writer, for the one outstanding and certain fact to him was the natural and logical relation of cause and effect. He did not realize that his friend was reasoning from a different premise, from imperfect material effect back to cause.
Further study of the textbook and our Leader's other writings, with the help of the Concordances, revealed the fact that logic may be based either on true or on false premises, reaching right or wrong, divine or human conclusions. So it is obvious that the first and vital necessity for correct reasoning is to be quite sure that our premises are sound. We cannot end rightly unless we begin rightly, and it is here that the distinction made by Mrs. Eddy between human and divine logic is especially illuminating.
Human logic reasons from effect to cause, or at best from a secondary cause to an effect; it begins erroneously by accepting matter, error, as both cause and effect. Christian Science with its divine logic always reasons from God to man, from cause to effect, from Principle to idea, never accepting the reality of any effect which is unlike its cause.
Slowly but surely men and women everywhere are letting go of the agelong fallacy that a loving Father-Mother God has created or is responsible for a universe and man wholly opposed to His divine nature. They weigh the statements of Truth against a background of contrary material experience, with its beliefs in sin, sickness, and death, its doubts, uncertainties, countless fears and disappointments. It is this attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable which explains the difficulty experienced by some in understanding the teachings of Christian Science when first presented to them.
Christ Jesus taught his disciples not to be deceived by the appearance of things, that is, as they appear to be from the standpoint of the physical senses. He counseled them to "judge righteous judgment," that is, to base their judgments on Truth, or spiritual reality, which recognizes only God's spiritual creation and its present and eternal perfection. Human logic, based on material premises, does not enable one to arrive at correct spiritual conclusions; it is "the wisdom of this world," which Paul tells us "is foolishness with God" (I Cor. 3:19), and is never co-ordinate with Truth.
With what then does true logic, divine logic, coincide? With revelation, as is clearly stated on page 93 of the textbook: "Divine logic and revelation coincide. If we believe otherwise, we may be sure that either our logic is at fault or that we have misinterpreted revelation."
Revelation is quite independent of merely human intellectualism or attainment. It is no respecter of persons, but comes unfailingly to the sincere and unselfed seeker for Truth, to the pure in heart, progressively unfolding day by day as the truths already revealed are practiced and demonstrated. The need for a better understanding of God is patent to everyone today. Human reason and logic have utterly failed to solve the world's problems or meet the individual demand for peace, security, health, or happiness, and mankind yearns for the right solution. On Christian Scientists especially rests the great responsibility as well as privilege of providing that solution, for to them has the truth been revealed, and by them it must be practiced.
On page 11 of "No and Yes" our Leader writes: "Ancient and modern human philosophy are inadequate to grasp the Principle of Christian Science, or to demonstrate it. Revelation shows this Principle, and will rescue reason from the thrall of error. Revelation must subdue the sophistry of intellect, and spiritualize consciousness with the dictum and the demonstration of Truth and Love."
Mrs. Eddy was absolutely certain that Christian Science came to her from God by revelation in fulfillment of prophecy, and equally sure that as a consequence neither criticism, misunderstanding, nor opposition of any kind could either vary or overthrow it. In committing her revelation to writing through the Christian Science textbook and her other published works, she has made it available to the world, enabling this and every future age to demonstrate its truths, receive its blessings, and share them with others.
