Editorial April 22, 1922 Issue

The Disloyalty of Doubt

Albert F. Gilmore

It is notable in the life of Moses that his great accomplishments in leading the children of Israel out of their captivity, and in guiding them through the long years of wandering in the wilderness, were made possible through his confidence in the power, presence, and availability of God to guide and protect His chosen people under all circumstances, however untoward. Whenever he yielded to the temptation to doubt God's immanence and power,—that is, when he became disloyal,—he temporarily lost his splendid quality of leadership; but with renewed assurance that God was with him and was directing his footsteps, he went forward to greater altitudes of spiritual vision, and, in consequence, to still greater usefulness to his people. It may even be said that, invariably, his success was in proportion to his ability to replace the altogether human quality of doubt and questioning with the assurance gained upon those spiritual heights where he beheld God in His omnipotence and omniscience,—that is to say, with unswerving loyalty to Principle.

In the Glossary of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 592) Mrs. Eddy metaphysically interprets Moses as "moral courage," which on page 514 of the textbook she defines as " 'the lion of the tribe of Juda,' the king of the mental realm." Surely the qualities which constitute kingliness have nothing in common with doubt, hesitancy, or fear. a first requisite for successful demonstration is to cast out every trace of fear and, armed with the power of the Spirit, to go forward to combat the claims of error, however vociferous they may have become, however frightful their manifestation; for error's claim of intelligence and power expresses itself in a belief in its capacity to alarm and hence to weaken through its own policy of frightfulness. The basis of doubt is belief in the possibility of the reality of evil,—that there is reality apart from God and His spiritual, perfect creation. This false belief, in turn, becomes the precursor of fear, which results from the acceptance of evil's claim to reality, and consequently as something to be feared.

The great leaders of forward movements in human affairs invariably have been men of strong convictions that God guides and supports all seeking the right, an attitude which inspires with confidence and power. Manifestly, the quality of doubt never aids in the performance of great deeds; for the nature of doubt is to assail at the crucial moment when confidence and assurance should be in high command. Jonathan Edwards once said that it often seemed that Satan stood in the pulpit directly behind him, denying his every utterance. Here was the suggestion of doubt striving to weaken and undo through its insidious appeal. Our Leader set forth no fact of God's revelation to her with greater emphasis than the necessity for full reliance upon Him, and assurance free from itinerant doubt or fear. When her students are confronted with the claims of sin or sickness, she admonishes them (Science and Health, p. 495) to "cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought. Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is—can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not."

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