Article December 26, 1925 Issue

Christian Science was erroneously confused with will...

Ralph G. Lindstrom, Committee on Publication for the State of Colorado,—Craig

Empire

Christian Science was erroneously confused with will power in a recent issue of your paper, by a writer under the heading "Sagebrush Philosophy and Psychology." There was much of good in the article referred to, and the reference to Christian Science was intended to be kindly; but since it gives expression to a popular misconception, brief space for correction will be appreciated. Will power is a product of the so-called human mind. Genuine healing can result only from the operation of the divine Mind, God. Will power may be used for evil purposes. The Mind that is God never could be directed toward aught but the accomplishment of good. Will power attempts to displace a belief deemed undesirable by one considered more agreeable; if successful, the situation still remains in the realm of belief. In Christian Science the process is to cast out the wrong belief or human misconception, by realizing the truth of the perfect man as the expression of perfect God. Will power might endeavor to force two times two to be five. The healing method would not be to force two times two to be four, but rather to realize the fact that they always have been four. Will power might result in forcing one's way, for a while, into a place or position for which one is neither ready nor otherwise generally fitted. Right reasoning would avoid this result, and lead to the position of maximum good. Will power forced the continued belief that the earth was flat, with all the limitations which were the consequence of that mistake. It was right reasoning, the declaration of fact, not will power, which displaced the belief of a flat world with the truth that the world is a sphere. It is unnecessary to mention the innumerable blessings which have resulted to mankind from this one instance of human will ceasing to operate because a truth or fact became known and took its place.

Christian Science requires more than to "say health and you are healthy." One must realize the fundamental fact that there is one God, the sole and perfect creator, who made all, is everywhere expressed, but by nothing unlike Himself, in order to demonstrate that man, as the spiritual expression and likeness of God, is whole, sound, or healthy. It is not enough to "say wealth and you will be wealthy." There must be the understanding that God is Mind, the source of all right ideas, and that man receives and expresses those ideas. As Mary Baker Eddy so beautifully states it on page 307 of "Miscellaneous Writings," "God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies." In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy sums up the whole situation on page 206 in the words: "The power of the human will should be exercised only in subordination to Truth; else it will misguide the judgment and free the lower propensities. It is the province of spiritual sense to govern man. Material, erring, human thought acts injuriously both upon the body and through it. Will-power is capable of all evil. It can never heal the sick, for it is the prayer of the unrighteous; while the exercise of the sentiments—hope, faith, love—is the prayer of the righteous. This prayer, governed by Science instead of the senses, heals the sick."

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