Evil is never person, personal or personality

Hymn 266
Our God is Love, and all His sons
His image bear, we know;
The heart with love to God inspired,
With love to man will glow.
Teach us to love each other, Lord,
As we are loved by Thee;
None who are truly born of God
Can live in enmity.
Heirs of the same immortal bliss,
Our hopes and aims the same,
In bonds of love our hearts unite,
To praise His holy name.
So may we all with one accord
Learn how true Christians love;
And glorify our Father’s grace,
And seek that grace to prove.

THE HOLY BIBLE

I John 3:1

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

I John 4: 8

God is love.

I John 2:10

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

Gen. 1:27-28, 31

God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

Eccl 7:29

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Gen. 2:6, 7, 16-17

There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground . . . And the Lord God commanded the man, saying. . . Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Gen. 3:4-7, 9, 11-13, 17

The serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. The woman . . . took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, . . . Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Ps 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Gen. 4:1-8

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, . . . And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

I John 3:11, 12

This is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

I John 4: 20-21

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Titus 2:1-3, 4, 6

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, . .. That they may teach the young women to be sober . . .. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

Ps. 1:1-3

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Luke 6:6-10

[Jesus] entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Luke 11:53, 54

The scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Luke 22:2-4, 39, 47-48, 50-51

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him.  Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And [Jesus] came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. Behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Luke 6:35-37

Love ye your enemies, and do good, . . . and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.

Matt. 26:59; 27:11-14, 22, 24

Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; . . . At the last came two false witnesses . . . .And Jesus stood before the governor: . . . And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

Luke 23:33, 34

When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, . . . Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

I John 4:1, 4

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. . . . Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

I Cor. 15:20, 22

Now is Christ risen from the dead . . . . For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Rev. 12:7-10

There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

I John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

SCIENCE AND HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures

SH 454:17-18

Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching.

SH 63:5-9

In Science man is the offspring of Spirit. The beautiful, good, and pure constitute his ancestry. His origin is not, like that of mortals, in brute instinct, nor does he pass through material conditions prior to reaching intelligence.

SH 216:18

The great mistake of mortals is to suppose that man, God’s image and likeness, is both matter and Spirit, both good and evil.

SH 71:2

Evil has no reality. It is neither person, place, nor thing, but is simply a belief, an illusion of material sense.

SH 544:24-25, 14-19

Man is the likeness of Spirit, but a material personality is not this likeness. No mortal mind has the might or right or wisdom to create or to destroy. All is under the control of the one Mind, even God. The first statement about evil, — the first suggestion of more than the one Mind, — is in the fable of the serpent.

SH 564:24-29

From Genesis to the Apocalypse, sin, sickness, and death, envy, hatred, and revenge, — all evil, — are typified by a serpent, or animal subtlety. Jesus said, quoting a line from the Psalms, “They hated me without a cause.” The serpent is perpetually close upon the heel of harmony.

SH 563:30-7

It is the animal instinct in mortals, which would impel them to devour each other and cast out devils through Beelzebub. As of old, evil still charges the spiritual idea with error’s own nature and methods. This malicious animal instinct, of which the dragon is the type, incites mortals to kill morally and physically even their fellow-mortals, and worse still, to charge the innocent with the crime.

SH 541:14-18; 542:1-7, 19-21

Genesis iv. 8. Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

The erroneous belief that life, substance, and intelligence can be material ruptures the life and brotherhood of man at the very outset. . . .The belief of life in matter sins at every step. It incurs divine displeasure, and it would kill Jesus that it might be rid of troublesome Truth. Material beliefs would slay the spiritual idea whenever and wherever it appears. Though error hides behind a lie and excuses guilt, error cannot forever be concealed. . . . Let Truth uncover and destroy error in God’s own way, and let human justice pattern the divine.

SH 369:31-32

It is error even to murmur or to be angry over sin.

SH 489:13-15

Corporeal sense defrauds and lies; it breaks all the commands of the Mosaic Decalogue to meet its own demands.

SH 533:14-17

Adam, alias mortal error, charges God and woman with his own dereliction, saying, “The woman, whom Thou gavest me, is responsible.”

SH 579:15 (only); 580:5-8, 17 (only)

Adam. . . . that which is not the image and likeness of good, but a material belief, opposed to the one Mind, or Spirit; a so-called finite mind, producing other minds, thus making “gods many and lords many” . . . . the opposite of Love, called hate.

SH 563:18, 15-18

The Revelator sees that old serpent, whose name is devil or evil, holding untiring watch, that he may bite the heel of truth and seemingly impede the offspring of the spiritual idea, which is prolific in health, holiness, and immortality. . .. The Revelator lifts the veil from this embodiment of all evil, and beholds its awful character; but he also sees the nothingness of evil and the allness of God.

SH 288:3

The suppositional warfare between truth and error is only the mental conflict between the evidence of the spiritual senses and the testimony of the material senses, and this warfare between the Spirit and flesh will settle all questions through faith in and the understanding of divine Love.

SH 534:26-30

The serpent, material sense, will bite the heel of the woman, — will struggle to destroy the spiritual idea of Love; and the woman, this idea, will bruise the head of lust.

SH 533:26

Truth, cross-questioning man as to his knowledge of error, finds woman the first to confess her fault. She says, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat;” as much as to say in meek penitence, “Neither man nor God shall father my fault.” She has already learned that corporeal sense is the serpent. Hence she is first to abandon the belief in the material origin of man and to discern spiritual creation. This hereafter enabled woman to be the mother of Jesus and to behold at the sepulchre the risen Saviour, who was soon to manifest the deathless man of God’s creating. This enabled woman to be first to interpret the Scriptures in their true sense, which reveals the spiritual origin of man.

SH 167:6

We apprehend Life in divine Science only as we live above corporeal sense and correct it. Our proportionate admission of the claims of good or of evil determines the harmony of our existence, — our health, our longevity, and our Christianity.

SH 476:32-5

Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God’s own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick. Thus Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is intact, universal, and that man is pure and holy.

SH 458:23

The Christianly scientific man reflects the divine law, thus becoming a law unto himself. He does violence to no man. Neither is he a false accuser. The Christian Scientist wisely shapes his course, and is honest and consistent in following the leadings of divine Mind. He must prove, through living as well as healing and teaching, that Christ’s way is the only one by which mortals are radically saved from sin and sickness.

SH 672:1-22 (np)

HEALTH AND UNDERSTANDING GAINED

Most of my boyhood days were spent in the hands of physicians. . . . , but I was not healed. The first week that I heard of Christian Science, . . .I bought a copy of Science and Health, and, after studying it a little while with the Bible, I saw that if the Bible was true, Science and Health must also be true. .. .. I was healed, and stopped complaining. . . . . Christian Science then taught me to love the church, and to appreciate what it had already done for mankind. Christian Science changed my course from the first, and gave me a nobler aim and purpose in life. I was not so easily influenced by other people’s shortcomings, when I learned that evil has neither personality nor place. I was not so ready to take offence, when I found out the way to work unselfishly for the upbuilding of the Cause.  — A. E. J., Toledo, Ohio.

SH 276:4-16

When the divine precepts are understood, they unfold the foundation of fellowship, in which one mind is not at war with another, but all have one Spirit, God, one intelligent source, in accordance with the Scriptural command: “Let this Mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Man and his Maker are correlated in divine Science, and real consciousness is cognizant only of the things of God. The realization that all inharmony is unreal brings objects and thoughts into human view in their true light, and presents them as beautiful and immortal. Harmony in man is as real and immortal as in music.

SH 568:26-30

A louder song, sweeter than has ever before reached high heaven, now rises clearer and nearer to the great heart of Christ; for the accuser is not there, and Love sends forth her primal and everlasting strain.

Hymn 458 – Supplement
Though I may speak with moving words,
Which can inspire the heart of man,
But have no love to seal their worth,
They are but emptiness and sham.
Though I may give my worldly goods
Without a thought of self or gain,
Unless they bear the fruits of love
They are as clouds without their rain.
Though I may search the deepest books,
Companion with the wisest men,
God’s loving voice still calls to me,
It bids me turn and look again.
Now I would learn to know this Love
Through meek and patient ministry,
Until my life has grown anew
And Love is All-in-all to me.

Hymn 126
How sweet, how heavenly is the sight,
When those who love the Lord
In one another’s peace delight,
And so fulfill His word;
When, free from envy, scorn, and pride,
Our wishes all above,
Each can his brother’s failings hide,
And show a brother’s love.
Let love, in one delightful stream,
Through every bosom flow;
And union sweet, and dear esteem
In every action glow.
Love is the golden chain that binds
The hearts that faithful prove;
And he’s an heir of heaven who finds
His bosom glow with love.