Article November 15, 1913 Issue

I notice in a recent issue, in an article entitled "A Higher Thought Pilgrimage,"...

M. I. Whitcroft

Cheltenham (England) Examiner

I notice in a recent issue, in an article entitled "A Higher Thought Pilgrimage," the writer remarks that Christian Scientists refuse "to recognize the actual existence of disease." I do not know in which of the Christian Science publications she finds this teaching, but if she had taken the trouble to read Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy before making such a statement, she would have found there (on page 460) the following passage: "Sickness is neither imaginary nor unreal, —that is, to the frightened, false sense of the patient. Sickness is more than fancy; it is solid conviction. It is therefore to be dealt with through right apprehension of the truth of being." Christian Science teaches that the only reality is God and His creation, which is perfect, spiritual, and eternal. Does the writer wish us to understand that disease has a real, actual existence? If so, neither Christian Science nor Higher Thought and materia medica combined need ever undertake to destroy it, because man cannot destroy that which is real, that is, true, God-created.

In the same article we are told that to the exponent of Higher Thought referred to by the writer, "disease is a real thing, for which the ordinary medical and surgical processes . . . may be immediately necessary, but which is better met and permanently overcome in the long run by mental discipline, a striving toward clearer and higher thinking, which in turn corrects and ennobles the physical processes." Mrs. Eddy says, "The procuring cause and foundation of all sickness is fear, ignorance, or sin" (Science and Health, p. 411); therefore how can the effect be permanently overcome until the cause of the disease is removed? Jesus destroyed both the cause and the effect through his knowledge that they are one and the same, an unreality, a false belief, the outcome of ignorance of God, and of man made in His image.

Jesus' knowledge of truth, his "right apprehension of the truth of being," healed "all manner of sickness and all manner of disease" without any of the "necessary medical and surgical processes" of his day. He said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Christian Scientists are daily proving that in proportion to their assimilation of the truth which Jesus taught and demonstrated, daily and hourly striving to let more of that Mind be in them "which was also in Christ Jesus," they are able to fulfil his commands to "preach the gospel" and "heal the sick," thus gaining for themselves and others that freedom promised as a result of knowledge of the truth.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

I notice in a recent issue, in an article entitled "A Higher Thought Pilgrimage,"...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access