Q. 3. What is the distinctive character of manhood?
A. The distinctive character of man is that he has a sense of responsibility for his acts, having acquired the power of choosing between good and evil, with freedom to obey one motive rather than another. Creatures far below the human level are irresponsible; they feel no shame and suffer no remorse; they are said to have no conscience.
Q. 4. What is the duty of man?
A. To assist his fellows, to develop his own higher self, to strive towards good in every way open to his powers, and generally to seek to know the laws of Nature and to obey the will of God; in whose service alone can be found that harmonious exercise of the faculties which is identical with perfect freedom.
Q. 5. What is meant by good and evil?
A. Good is that which promotes development, and is in harmony with the will of God. It is akin to health and beauty and happiness.
Evil is that which retards or frustrates development, and injures some part of the universe. It is akin to disease and ugliness and misery.
Q. 6. How does man know good from evil?
A. His own nature, when uncorrupted by greed, is sufficiently in harmony with the rest of the universe to enable him to be well aware in general of what is a help or a hindrance to the guiding Spirit, of which he himself is a real and effective portion.
Q. 7. How comes it that evil exists?