The Washington herald., 1921-09-30
Believes Devil Unreal.

To the Editor, The Washington Herald:
There has recently appeared in
your columns a letter under the
pretentious title Explains the ORR
gin of Evil" which is so full OF
contradictions and partial recogni-
tions of the truth that l believe
perhaps a word Of comment on some
of Its main contentious would not
be unserviceable to those who are
thinking and reading along this
line.
For example, this writer follows
| the absolutely correct statement
Since God is good. He cannot be
the author of evil" with the asser-
tion that The argument for the
! existence of the devil is, therefore,
as conclusive as is that for the ex-
istence Of God" The devil, or evil,
Is as Jesus declared IT to be "a liar
| and the father of it" 1t is a false
belief concerning the reality of be-
ing, and who would say that the ar
gument for the reality of the untrue
was true as the argument for the
reality of the true? The devil is the
| opposite of truth, which unless re-
sisted will degrade mortals to its
own depraved level, will blast their
lives, making them sick. sinful
friendless. suffering. and finally
cause them to terminate their lives
in physical death and spirItua!
oblivion. 1t was In the agony of a
death struggle with this old enemy
OF physical and spiritual welfare
that Paul uttered his piercing cry:
20 wretched man that 1 am! who
shall deliver me from the body of
this death?" And swift and clear the
answer came when he had success
fully resisted this devil, this lie
claiming to be truth, and seen its
awful unrealtty and deception: The
law of the Spirit of Life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from, the
law or sin and death"
How Is 1t possible for anyone
to believe that this mythical per-
sonage called Satan was once a child
OF God but fell from his high es-
tate, when the apostle John plainly
declares UI John s. IS) "whosoever
is born OF God sinneth not" II
satan was a true child of God, made
in His Image and likeness" as the
hrst chapter of Genesis declares.
he would have been none the less
Gods child and likeness after his
fall than before 1t, so that God
would still be accounted the author
OF evil. II evil IL a reality, II It
actually exists. then God must have
created 1t. for the Gospel Of Saint
John declares: "All things were
made by Him, and without Him was
not ANYTHING made that was made
And God looked upon all that He
had made. and behold It was very
good" Was evil one of these good
Things! The only logical conclu-
sion. IL seems to me. is that evil. or
devii, being contrary to good. can
not be-" as Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy
points out on Page ,33s of Science
and Health with Key to the Scrip
lures, "the product of God"
Inc letter under discussion is quite
right in stating that something more
than mere assertion, even though
backed up by Bible texts. is requisite
proof and demonstration are neces
sary. But Christ Jesus, that great
demonstrator Of the all-ness OF God
and the nothingness of evil. has in
the sixteenth chapter Of Mark. set up
an infallible standard by which we may
know whether we have the correct un-
derstanding Of Him whom to know
thus Alright II life eternal" These
signs shall follow them that believe ;
In my name shall they cast out devils
(impersonal eviD :, they shall
lay hands on the sick and they shall
recover" This sign was not given to
you. the disciples, but to them"
the great army of humanity in all
climes and ages. who should be brought
In the fullness Of time to a knowledge
Of the only true God and Jesus
Christ whom Thou hast sent" 1t was
the possession of this healing power
which made possible the rapid spread
Of the Christian Church in the early
days; 1t Is the possession Of this heal
Ing power which Is making possible
the rapid spread of a great
Christian denomination from hum
Bile beginnings, in our own day.
He that believeth on Me the works
which l do shall he do also; ana
greater than these shall me do; be-
cause I 60 unto My Father"
The resurrection Of Jesus was
consummate example to us all. He
came into the world to bear wit
ness unto the TRUTH" to prove con-
clusively for all time. both for the
benefit of himself and his Fellow
men, that. eternal life was in God,
not in matter. and that though HIS
enemies might destroy His body, In