The herald., 1921-01-20
The Leayen In Theology.


THE proper study of mankind"
said the poet, 'is man." and that is
metaphysically true. Had the poet
been a Christian Scientist, he might
have declared further the proper study
of man is God, his Maker. The great
barrier to human progress has been
ignorance, ignorance of God, ignorance
of man. Christ Jesus said to the wo
man at Sychar, 1--WE know what We
worship" Thereby he separated all
other religious beliefs from true Chris
tianity and indicated both the possl-
bility and the necessity to know God.
To know God is to know man, for
man, the Bible says, is Gods image
and likeness.
Because of ignorance, the earliest
concepts of God involved fear, taboo,
and penalty. The basis of scholastic
theology was God as a punisher OF
man. Whatever the concept of God,
He was always a terrible Being to be
feared and hence to be, If possible, ap
peased. This prevailing belief was
perhaps no greater in the pagan priest
Offering sacrifices of blood to an Attend
ed deity, than in a clergyman l used
to know. On a Sunday morning aftef
society event of the night before. at
which many of his congregation had
INDUCED in certain prohibited amuse-
ments, this dear old saint levelled his
finger at his shamefaced, though un-
repentant flock, and solemnly exclalm-
ed, "Oh, you had better be glad I'm
not God" How far above his creed
that man was compelled to live to be
Christian! Into the concept of God
as a punisher of His offspring no .ele-
ment of love could enter, for there is
no love in fear. Because of the pro-
scription of love, some of the blacklist
crimes in history have been committed
in the name of Deity The practice Of
religion has always tended toward dis
cIpline, toward the citation to love,
obey, and serve God through the exer-
else of fear of punishment. In con-
sequence of this false belief Of Deity,
men have had little faith in good, in
health, and well-being as the natural
sequence of events under Gods care
and government, but have shown un-
bounded and everpresent expectation
of evil Why do not people expect
naturally the unfoldment of good in
their experience? 1t is because of the
human minds educated belief that the
supreme power God, is wreaker OF
vengeance, a visitor of iniquity. False
| gods have ever been jealous gods, visit
ing iniquity upon their hapless wor-
shippers. Fear of punishment never
made men good, yet the very meaning
of the word, God, is good. Christian
Science is changing the human
thought of God from fear to love, and
Christian Scientists are coming to ex-
pect at the hands of loving Father
the gifts of love. We are coming to
expect with confidence, the destruction
of sin and sickness, and to realize the
consciousness Of health. Thus fear is
disappearing from human lives be
cause 1t is going out of human con
sciousness. In the absence of fear, We
can always see good. We are gaining
the higher concept that God is divine
Love, ever responsive to human
needs. ever mindful of His own. re
membering His children. When / re
II call the terrors of my childhood, my
fears of the very darkness, my con
! slant expectation of divine displeas
ure, and of the terrible administra
tion of His supposed laws Of disease
and then observe the comparative fear
lessness and freedom of the children o.
today, | thank God from my heart fol
Christian Science, which has in ont
!, generation 30 transfored human. con
sciousness. Christian Science teaches