Deep within every person is the desire for goodness. Yet in seeking to do good, everyone finds the inclination to evil within himself. He then must struggle with it in order to fulfill his true desire. The world God created was good and should be only good. Yet it is full of evil and sin and is in such turmoil. How did evil start? 'What is the definition and origin of sin?

Sin is an act or state which separates man from God. A sinner is one who cannot perceive God's love clearly or respond to it fully. Deliverance from sin is the restoration of the sinner's relationship to God; but this is impossible until he understands what separated him from God.

There are two kinds of sin. The first is the personal sin which each one commits in his lifetime. The second is the original sin, by which the first couple separated themselves from God. This sin has radically affected their descendants, generation after generation. The nature of the original sin has never been exposed, though its evil effects have been universally inherited. No one has been able to free himself from this sin, however great his desire and effort.

Are there any clues concerning the origin of sin? According to Genesis, sin originated when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This sin was passed on to their children and is still inherited by us today. As the Bible states: "None is righteous, no, not one." (Rom. 3:10b) Everyone, without exception, is born under sin and needs a savior for his deliverance.

Eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge must be symbolic, because eating a fruit could not be the cause of the inherited sin which affects all humanity. As Jesus said, "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." (Matt. 15:11) If the fruit is not a literal one, what does it symbolize? In the Garden Adam and Eve had been naked and unashamed. After they ate the fruit, they realized their nakedness, felt ashamed, and concealed the sexual areas of their bodies. (Gen. 2:25; 3:7) These actions suggest the symbolic meaning of eating the fruit. It is human nature to conceal anything wrong or defective. Adam and Eve concealed the lower parts of their bodies, which indicates that they had had a sexual relationship in violation of God's command. Their shame was the reaction to their loss of innocence.

The Jewish rite of circumcision also sheds light on this matter. To be marked as God's chosen people, the sons of Israel were circumcised. Uncircumcised Jewish males were not allowed in the temple and were considered Gentiles. At God's command (Gen. 17:10-14) , Abraham initiated the rite of circumcision so that his descendants might make symbolic restitution for the original sin inherited from Adam.

In referring to their sexual actions, the Hebrews commonly spoke of eating or picking a fruit. In the Bible and elsewhere, to "know" a woman often means to have sexual relations with her. Also, to know good and bad is a Hebrew expression for sexual experience. Thus, it is clear that "to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil" means to have sexual relations.

One of the main tenets of the Christian Church is that man is born with original sin. The only sin which can affect one's descendants is sexual sin: that which is transmitted through sexual union.

"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it." (Gen. 1:28) This passage indicates God's intention to bless Adam and Eve in marriage. Marital love was to be a blessing of God. Adultery and fornication, being contrary to marriage, are sin. It is obvious that the sexual action of Adam and Eve must have taken place outside of marriage and that this action was the original sin.

We may compare mankind to a tree. The leaves and small branches represent the individuals of the present generation. Some leaves or branches may be rotten, but they do not endanger the life of the tree. Likewise, although some people of the present generation are sexually immoral, they cannot corrupt the life of all mankind. Adam's and Eve's sin was like rotting the root of the tree, because they were the parents of mankind. The original sin completely distorted the growth of the tree. Thus, the original sin is the root of all sins and evils and caused the spiritual death of mankind.

According to Genesis, a serpent in the Garden tempted Eve to eat of the fruit forbidden by God. Eve responded to the serpent's temptation, ate, and gave some to Adam. God had warned them not to eat of the fruit; He said that in the day that they ate of it they would die. Through their disobedience, Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden.

The serpent cannot be a literal animal because, as a lower creature, an animal cannot tempt man. Who, then, was the serpent? In Revelation, we find some clues to his identity:

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God." (Rev. 12:9-10)

Here we see that the serpent is equated with someone called Satan or the devil, that he is the deceiver of the whole world, an accuser, and that he and his angels were thrown down from heaven.

There are further references to Satan or the devil. Jesus, rebuking some Jews who criticized him, said:

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

John the Baptist reproached the Jewish leaders for their pride in being descendants of Abraham: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Matt. 3:7b)

To tempt Jesus in the wilderness, Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world. This implies that Satan has supreme temporal power. The author of the fourth gospel refers to the judgment day when the "ruler of this world" would be cast out. (John 12:31) Paul refer to a "god of this world" who has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. (II Cor. 4:4a) How did Satan acquire such power? Who is Satan and how did he originate? Peter states that certain angels sinned and were cast into hell (II Peter 2:4), and Jude refers to angels in hell who had left their positions, acted immorally, and indulged in unnatural lust. (6-7) It is clear that an angel who sinned and fell from heaven has acted as Satan, which is revealed even more in the following passage from Isaiah:

How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the Pit. (14:12-15)

Although "Day Star" is used in the Revised Standard Version, the King James Version has "Lucifer," the archangel. Because he sought to be the most high, he fell from heaven, was cast down to hell, and became Satan. Let's examine Lucifer's attempt to exalt himself.

God said to the angels, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." This indicates two things. First, the angelic world was created before man so that angels could prepare man's dwelling. Secondly, angels resemble men, rather than having wings, as imagined. Nevertheless, they differ from man in two respects. First, they have never been incarnate and thus have never experienced life in the physical world. Because of this, they project a different vibration from that of spirit-men. Secondly, God created man as His children, whereas He created angels as His servants.

Many Biblical accounts illustrate the way in which angels have served God. Three angels brought to Abraham the message that his wife Sarah would have a son. (Gen. 18:1-15) Two angels visited Lot and warned him about the destruction of Sodom. (Gen. 19:1-23) Angels brought the message of Jesus' birth to Mary and Joseph; (Luke 1:26-38) and they served as the messengers of God in many other instances. (I Kings 19:5-7; Acts 12:7; Heb. 2:2) For these reasons, the angels were called ministering spirits. (Heb. 1:14) In addition to serving Him, angels give God praise and glory in response to His love. (Heb. 1:6; Luke 2:13; Rev. 5:11-12; 7:11) In these instances, the angels were sometimes mistaken for men, showing that they bore an outward resemblance. However, their position and function differ from those of man.

The conventional idea is that angels are glorious beings, higher than man. It is true that in his fallen state man is lower than the angels, but this is not his true position. Once man is restored to God, he will be in his rightful position as lord and rule even the angelic world. So St. Paul said, "Do you not know that we are to judge the angels?" (I Cor. 6:3) However, through His angels, God sometimes communicates with man and gives him commands. To the one receiving such a message, the angel may appear awesome and glorious, but in reality angels are only messengers from God.

Lucifer held the position of archangel. God sends His blessing to one individual who represents all those under him. Just as God chose Abraham and through him blessed the children of Israel, so God chose Lucifer and through him blessed the angelic world. Lucifer appeared to be closest to God and to monopolize His favor.

When Adam and Eve were created, God loved them even more than Lucifer. He loved them as His children, whereas He loved Lucifer as His servant. God's love for Lucifer was not lessened by the creation of man, but Lucifer felt that God loved -him less than before. Lucifer became jealous of Adam and wanted to hold the same position over him as Lucifer held over the angels. He wanted God to love Adam and Eve through him. Lucifer could not bring himself to love Adam as God did, but instead felt a jealous hatred toward Adam.

Conversely, Lucifer felt a growing impulse of love toward Eve. God's love is the source of life and power, and the elements of happiness and all ideals. The more love one receives from God, the more beautiful he becomes. As Adam and Eve were growing toward spiritual maturity, their spirits became more and more beautiful. Because of Eve's great beauty, Lucifer felt strong love for her. Lucifer could not resist his desire and ventured to seduce Eve, despite his knowledge that this was in direct contradiction to God's will. Ignoring God's command, Eve responded to Lucifer's love. Through this act of fornication, Lucifer and Eve fell spiritually. By deviating from the Principle, Lucifer left his position and stood against God. Thereupon, he was cast down and became Satan.

One may ask, how could Lucifer, a spiritual entity, have sexual relations with Eve? When three angels went to Abraham to predict that his wife would have a son, the angels ate a meal with Abraham. When two angels came to Lot to destroy Sodom, some people of the city asked Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." (Gen. 19:5) By the ford of Jabbok, an angel wrestled with Jacob and dislocated the joint of his thigh. (Gen. 32:25) In, these cases, the angels were thought to be men. Thus, it is seen that people still in their physical bodies can have contact with spirit entities.

Spiritual entities possess the same powers of sensual perception as human beings. Indeed, spiritual beings are even more sensitive. Sexual relationships between spirits and human beings have occurred throughout history. Such a male spirit is called an incubus; and the female counterpart, a succubus. Their invasions are not limited to the past, but even now occur frequently.

Love unites two beings into one, and through the union each receives some elements from the other. Having united with Lucifer, Eve received from him the feeling of fear. Lucifer felt fear because of his conscious violation of the Principle, and the same sensation of fear came to Eve immediately. People today often feel fear without apparent cause. The presence of evil spirits brings an atmosphere of fear, which men can sense but often are unable to explain. Evil spirits generate a fear-vibration because they are members of the non-principled realm established by Satan.

Another element that Eve received was the knowledge of Lucifer. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that is was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate . . . ." (Gen. 3:6) Lucifer was lower than Adam and Eve in the measure of love from God, but higher in knowledge. Because he had been created before them, he had had time to acquire this knowledge.

During their period of growth, Adam and Eve loved each other as brother and sister, not as husband and wife. Upon receiving Lucifer's knowledge, Eve realized that her rightful mate was not Lucifer but Adam. No longer innocent, Eve realized the seriousness of her transgression and desired to recover her previous position in God's favor. She thereupon tempted Adam to behave as her husband. Adam responded and had relations with her prematurely. Thus, they disobeyed the command of God. Adam immediately felt the same fear as Eve did, and through the knowledge received from her, he recognized his sinful act. They were ashamed of what they had done, concealed their lower parts, and hid themselves. By transgressing God's will through their act of fornication, Adam and Eve fell far below the Formation Stage, both spiritually and physically, and became subject to Satan's rule.

It is important to understand that Genesis was written a few thousand years after the time of Adam and Eve. The events were recorded somewhat symbolically. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were not literal trees, but symbols of the two persons in the Garden.

The tree of life was the symbol of Adam in perfection. Adam was to become perfect with Eve in marriage blessed by God. Then they would have produced children of life. God is the Alpha; and the perfect Adam, the tree of life, is the Omega. Through give and take between the Alpha and the Omega, a perfect union was to be realized. This is the fulfillment of the purpose of creation.

The tree of knowledge of good and evil was the symbol of Eve. Through God's blessing, Adam could have fulfilled goodness together with Eve. However, by uniting with her prematurely, he fulfilled evil. Besides, Adam obtained knowledge through his sensual experience. This was carnal knowledge, which should have come to him only in maturity. By realizing his transgression, he acquired knowledge of evil. Thus, Eve was symbolized as the tree of knowledge; and eating the fruit represented experiencing Eve's love.

If Adam and Eve had reached maturity, God would have blessed them in marriage. Had they been united by the love of God, they would have produced children free of inherited sin. But because Adam and Eve joined with Satan through the act of unprincipled love, their descendants were the children of the fall, and the world came under Satanic rule.

Now the identity of Satan, the serpent in the Garden, has been revealed. How he became the father of mankind is now clear. How mankind has inherited the original sin from Adam and Eve is disclosed. Because Satan tempted Adam and Eve to turn away from God and thus to die spiritually, he was a murderer from the beginning. Since the fall, Satan has continuously accused men. Even now he is constantly trying to alienate man from God.

Ever since Satan dominated Adam and Eve, he has ruled the world in a pseudo-form of the Principle. With the accumulation of the sins and evils of mankind, Satan's power has increased and the number of his subjects has multiplied. Satan's servants, known traditionally as evil spirits, are either fallen angels or evil people in the spirit world.

Most people are unaware of the continual presence of both good and evil spirits. Psychiatrists quickly dismiss spirit possession and obsession as explanations for cases of schizophrenia and multiple personality. The psychologically disturbing aspects of childhood are treated as the cause of emotional maladjustment and psychosomatic illnesses. Treating such disorders would be much simpler if the effects of spirit influence were recognized.

Spiritual entities are clearly visible to those whose spiritual senses are acute. Evil spirits can exercise power over people on earth only as long as men become their objects for a reciprocal relationship of give and take. It is man who attracts Satan by making a base for him. Evil is produced as one maintains a relationship with Satan. If man rids himself of the Satanic elements inherited from Adam and Eve, Satan becomes powerless, for there is then no rapport between him and man.

Lucifer deceived Eve when he said: "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5) Satan continually deceives people, inducing them to do his will. Satan has been very clever in hiding his identity. No matter how many searches were made for him, he remained safely hidden until his crime was discovered and his true identity revealed. Even the most despicable criminal may live safely as long as his crime is unknown to the world. Satan was able to rule the world because no one had detected his crime and accused him before God by exposing it.

Today, however, Satan's secret crime has been revealed, and the battle between man and Satan, or good and evil, is coming to a decisive, final encounter. For the final victory it is necessary for each individual to arm himself with an understanding of Satan's crime as revealed in the Principle, then confront and defeat Satan with this powerful weapon. God did not disclose Satan's secret in the scriptures, but only intimated it through symbols and parables. It is man's responsibility to detect the secret of Satan, prosecute him before God, and subjugate him completely.

Free will is the highest gift God gave man. If man did not have free will and were simply forced to serve God, there would be no beauty or life in man, and no joy or glory for God. It is most beautiful and precious when man serves God voluntarily and loves Him whole-heartedly, in free will. Because of his free will, man is supreme in all creation.

Some believe that Adam and Eve fell because they had free will. Of course their free will made it possible for them to choose to fall. If they had fallen because of their free will, however, there would always be the danger of falling, even after they had become perfect. Insecurity would exist even in the heavenly kingdom where man is to have complete freedom. Such insecurity would then exist forever, and the promised attainment of perfection would be impossible. If there is no possibility for God's creation to become as perfect as He, then God Himself is not perfect or Almighty.

Though free will did not cause the fall, Adam and Eve lost their freedom because of their fall and became subject to Satan's domination. Hence man spiritually does not have complete freedom to do what is right and good in God's eyes; instead he has the freedom to do what is wrong and evil. On this point St. Paul lamented and said:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ... Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom. 7:14-15, 24)

Hence it is necessary for man to restore his lost freedom before he can restore his original nature and the Garden of Eden. One of the signs that a New Age has come is that now people all over the world are seeking freedom at all costs, on the individual level as well as national levels.

What force could possibly cause Lucifer, Adam, and Eve to deviate from God's Principle and turn away from His love? Only one force is stronger than the Principle: LOVE. God made the power of love so absolute that even His Principle does not preclude expressing love in a way which violates His will. No man would choose death merely in order to eat a fruit. The force of love, however, can blind man and drive him even to death.

God created man as an object to whom He could send His limitless love and from whom He could receive a full response of love. God wants man to live in the fullest expression of love and enjoy complete happiness on earth and hereafter. If the Principle controlled man's love, then love could not be absolute. After reaching the state of Perfection, man is no longer under the Principle, but under the Direct Dominion of God's love. Perfect freedom and happiness do not exist under the Principle, but only in the dominion of God's absolute love. Since God made the power of love so great, it was entirely possible for Lucifer, Adam, and Eve to transgress the Principle through their misuse of love.

In the Direct Dominion of God, man's unconditional love of God and God's infinite love toward him form such a powerful bond that no other love can separate man from God. However, before man reaches Perfection, his love for God is incomplete and may be misdirected. For this reason man and woman should experience a full union of love with each other only after their love for God has become unconditional. Thus we see in Genesis, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." In this way they were directed to center their love on God, not on themselves.

The motives behind Lucifer's fallen act were, first, his desire to dominate Adam and Eve which was derived from his pride and jealousy, and, secondly, his impulse of love toward Eve.

Lucifer coveted Adam's position and the greater amount of love which Adam and Eve received from God. Lucifer's desire to receive God's love as much as Adam did was not, in itself, evil. But when he left his proper position and seduced Eve in order to fulfill his own desire, he violated the Principle and created disorder in the whole cosmos. Lucifer was to be under Adam and Eve, and Eve under Adam. Adam and Eve were equal and were to stand before God as a unit when they reached maturity. In the divine order, however, Adam took precedence over Eve because he was created first. Contrary to the divine order, Lucifer dominated Eve, and she in turn dominated Adam through temptation. In this way the order of dominion was reversed. That aspect of human pride which leads men to regard themselves or their creations as God or God-like derives from the fallen nature of the archangel Lucifer.

If Lucifer had loved Adam as God did, he could have shared God's joy and happiness from man. Because Lucifer became jealous of Adam and tempted Eve, he took a stand against God. When anyone stands with God, he feels joy and power. If he stands against Him, he destroys not only himself but others also.

God is Almighty and All-knowing. Therefore, he could foresee the possibility of Adam's fall. However, God did not prevent the downfall of Adam and Eve. Foreseeing the destructive consequences of their transgression, why did He not intervene? God created the Divine Principle to govern man during his growth from Formation to Perfection. God does not intervene directly in the affairs of His children until they have grown to Perfection. Adam and Eve fell while they were immature. Had they been mature, they would have loved God so deeply that no temptation could have turned them away from Him.

For the following reasons God did not directly intervene, either to prevent the fall or to restore Adam and Eve to their innocent state immediately.

A. God is absolute and perfect, and He created the Principle to be a perfect system of spiritual law. The Principle provides man with all the guidance he needs for growth to spiritual maturity. In accordance with His Principle, God does not interfere with man while he is fulfilling his responsible part. During man's growth the Principle is sufficient for man's guidance. At the time of their fall, Adam and Eve had reached only the top of the Growth Stage. If God had stepped in to prevent the fall or to restore His fallen children directly, He would have violated His own Principle and invaded man's responsibility. Thus, the Principle would appear imperfect, unable to guide man in his growth.

B. God is not responsible for what He did not create. If, after their fall, God had assumed full responsibility, and restored them, He would have been acknowledging their transgression as part of His creation. If God were to acknowledge the non-principled act initiated by Satan as part of His creation, then He would be acknowledging Satan as co-creator. Since God is the sole Creator and brings forth only good, He will in no case recognize evil as part of His creation, nor assume responsibility for its abolishment.

C. God created man to be the Lord of all creation. To qualify, man must be mature, having passed through the three stages of growth. When God establishes Direct Dominion over man, man is recognized as having reached maturity. When Adam and Eve fell, they were still immature, thus under the Indirect Dominion of God. If God had exercised Direct Dominion over them at the time of their fall, He would have been recognizing them as mature, which they were not. To see Adam and Eve become fully qualified, God had to wait until they had grown to the state of Perfection. To give man lordship, God had to leave him free of direct intervention until he reached the state of Perfection by himself. God did not explicitly forewarn Adam and Eve about Lucifer's temptation, because they had to use their own judgment in all situations. If He had told them clearly, Adam's dignity as the Lord of creation would have been hurt. God only gave a hint regarding the possible temptation of Lucifer.

For these reasons, God did not interfere with the fall of Adam and Eve. He had to work for their restoration afterward.

Indemnity or restitution is a law which has not been clearly understood; yet it is absolutely inexorable in its operation. Indemnity is "protection or exemption from loss or damage, past or to come." Restitution means "an act of giving an equivalent for loss, damage, etc." (Both definitions from Webster's Dictionary.)

When man fell, he lost his original intrinsic value -- the image of God in man-and became a debtor to his Creator. God will never desert fallen man for two reasons. First, He created man to reflect His image, and He will not be satisfied until man does so. Second, it is part of man's nature to live forever regardless of the circumstances surrounding such eternal life. God will not leave His creation in an eternally unfulfilled and imperfect state. Accordingly, man must be restored to his original state. However, man, the sinner, as a debtor to God, cannot liquidate his debt and restore his original value by his power alone.

God does not and cannot forgive man unconditionally because it is contrary to the Divine Principle. It is not enough simply to desire to return to Him from Satan's domain. Like the prodigal son, we must make our way painfully and step by step from the far country to our Father's house. Only when we get within sight of that house will our Father run to meet us. Until then, He can never be sure we really mean what we say. We must show Him by our will and actions that our intention is to return to Him.

Unconditional forgiveness conflicts with the justice of God. However, He does make concessions which result in man's compensating for only a fraction of his total debt. When man fulfills this condition, his whole debt is discharged and he is acknowledged by God as though he had not sinned at all. The Law of Indemnity is like bankruptcy. Imagine that you owe someone $1,000, but all you can scrape together is $50. Your creditor accepts what you have and forgives the balance. This is what God does. If we pay only five percent of our actual debt to God, He will wipe out the rest-the ninety-five percent. However, the five percent in God's eyes is one hundred percent for man, and payment requires his utmost devotion and commitment.

Satan, however, claims man as his own. He has dominated man from the beginning. Satan is not so generous as God. He will not forgive man anything. He demands one hundred percent payment, and, if it is not paid willingly, he will exact it in the form of illness, pain, worry, fear, doubt, inconvenience, moods, depression, and many other diverse and subtle methods.

God is constantly urging and inspiring man to pay off his debt quickly so that man can return to Him. But for each inspiration from God, Satan demands payment. Sometimes God will help with this payment; at other times, God leaves man alone to manage it himself. Sometimes God tries man as severely as does Satan and lets him overcome it. When man does so, God makes it a condition to speed up his restoration. In this way, man makes payment to God and to Satan in the course of his restoration.

There is a method by which these debts can be paid off quickly. We know that physically we are still within Satan's realm, and thus still claimed by him. Conscious payment of physical indemnity or restitution removes Satan's opportunity to attack us. God will not let Satan claim more than his due.

One of these methods of payment is fasting. We know that our physical bodies require food for nourishment. By depriving our bodies of food for a short time, we thereby consciously inhibit our activities. Fasting is widely practiced among some religious people, but the reason for fasting has never been clear. Now we know that their fasting is payment to Satan for release. When Jesus cured the epileptic boy, he told his disciples that "This kind comes out only by prayer and fasting." Prayer calls upon the forces of God, while fasting pays indemnity to the forces of Satan.

This message which you are studying is the highest message ever given to man by God. As a result, Satan works particularly hard on those who hear the Principle, for they are most likely to leave his realm immediately. Satan often presents inducements to divert those about to escape him. Friends, jobs, wealth, comfort these he often makes available in an unprecedented way to people studying the Principle, but only at the cost of abandoning their study. Do not be surprised if you are attacked by headaches, colds, indigestion, doubts, fear, trivial accidents and inconveniences, et cetera. This is Satan's way of making you pay for what you learn from God. However, you now have the knowledge to defeat Satan! You can accuse him before God, pray for God's assistance, and pay indemnity at your convenience.

While Satan demands one hundred percent payment from man, we obtain God's forgiveness by fulfilling certain conditions which make only partial payment of our debt to Him. However, between man and man God demands one hundred percent payment. Many Christians have felt that Jesus somehow cancelled the law of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" given in the laws to Moses. This is not true. Injustices by man to man must be paid for, either in the flesh or in the spirit, either to the one offended or to another in like circumstances. Buddhists and Hindus call this the Law of Karma; and it, too, is inexorable. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said,

So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny. (Matt. 5:23-26)

Those who harm or mistreat their brothers will find themselves in the position of being themselves mistreated if they fail to make amends. If they arrive in the spirit world with unpaid debts, they will have to work to assist perhaps the very ones they hurt in order to pay what they owe. Payment in spirit is much more difficult, and thus it behooves us to attend to our obligations while we are yet in the flesh.

This, then, is the Law of Restitution. You will find that your understanding of its operation will enable you to cope much more effectively with what were previously labeled "the mysterious workings of fate."

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