Article November 5, 1910 Issue

GIVING

W. D. MC CRACKAN, M.A.

Among the manifold blessings brought by Christian Science is the right concept of giving. There is a science and art of giving, to be learned and applied, and they repose upon the understanding of substance as spiritual and not material.

The carnal mind, as Paul uses the term, or mortal mind, as Mrs. Eddy so aptly characterizes this belief of a mind opposed to God, believes matter to be substance. Mortal mind would induce mankind to accumulate and hoard matter under the impression that it is saving substance unto itself. Mortal mind would make mankind reluctant to part with its accumulations and savings, would persuade it to be chary about giving, under the pretense that substance, being material, must be limited in supply. Mortal mind fears that there is not enough substance to meet the needs of all; therefore it tries to force individuals to seize as much material wealth as possible and to hold it against all comers. Hence spring greed, miserliness, theft, robbery, and oppression.

Christian Science exposes the falsity of the belief that substance is material. The Scriptures tell us of "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," clearly indicating that true substance is "not seen," not physical in its nature, but metaphysical, or beyond-the-physical. Mrs. Eddy defines substance as "that which is eternal and incapable of discord and decay." She writes: "Spirit, the synonym of Mind, Soul, or God, is the only real substance" (Science and Health, p. 468). Matter itself is unsubstantial, because it has no basis nor permanence in real being.

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