Article November 14, 1936 Issue

Overcoming Prejudice

W. STUART BOOTH

The basis of Christian Science teaching and practice is Scriptural. It is that God, good, is the only cause and creator, and, therefore, that man and the real universe are good, harmonious, pure, perfect, and eternal. From this premise of goodness and perfection Christian Science logically deduces the conclusion that whatever is evil and imperfect lacks divine sanction and support, and therefore is merely an illusory mental concept, negative, unattractive, and powerless. Then Christian Science calls upon its adherents to put these truths into practice, to conscientiously and consistently apply these spiritual verities in their daily thinking and living. Naturally the scientific endeavor to have good, pure, and perfect ideas active and dominant in individual human consciousness leads to the denial and displacement of belief in evil, whether it be presented as sin, sickness, or sorrow, as discord, disaster, or death.

Perfection is the basis for the Christian Scientist's thinking, and the demonstration of perfection and immortality is the goal toward which he is striving. On pages 428 and 429 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy gives pertinent advice in these words: "It is a sin to believe that aught can overpower omnipotent and eternal Life, and this Life must be brought to light by the understanding that there is no death, as well as by other graces of Spirit. We must begin, however, with the more simple demonstrations of control, and the sooner we begin the better." Wise, indeed, is the student of Science who turns his attention first to the demonstration of the power of Truth to control and counteract the more simple phases of error, instead of attempting to walk on the water immediately.

As the student of Christian Science applies the touchstone of spiritual perfection to his motives, aims, and desires—to all his thoughts—he finds much error to correct and eliminate. It may be that he had long been deprived of the blessings and joy of Christian Science because, like many others, he had permitted prejudice to pervert, darken, and mislead him. Then, in his dire extremity, perhaps when doctors of medicine had said there was no hope or help for him, he turned to Christian Science and was healed of his illness. Thus he found that his prejudice against the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science and her teaching was baseless and entirely unjustified. It might be supposed that such an experience would serve to completely heal such a one of prejudice, but unfortunately that is not always the case, for the carnal mind is averse to self-discipline and self-correction.

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