Article November 3, 1928 Issue

The True Concept

ALGERNON HERVEY BATHURST

GENERALLY speaking, how careless, inaccurate, and above all how illogical, was our thinking before we commenced the study of Christian Science; how feeble our concept of Truth or reality! Also, how little we realized the importance of correct thinking; and how blindly we accepted what the carnal mind or physical sense suggested to us—and all because of their misleading and deceptive nature! The reason for this was—what? In plain language, ignorance. How often, all unconsciously, we accepted the fictitious or counterfeit as the real!

By no means the least interesting experience, as we take our first footsteps in Christian Science, is the awakening recognition that there is only one cause or creator, and, therefore, one real effect or creation. We then see that if we are to discern the kingdom of heaven at had, or the omnipresence of God, good, we must learn to reason from that basis, or from cause to effect. Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 467), "We reason imperfectly from effect to cause, when we conclude that matter is the effect of Spirit; but a priori reasoning shows material existence to be enigmatical." It follows, therefore, that in so far as our thinking has been based upon the testimony of the physical senses, we have been reasoning wrongly. It has always seemed natural and normal to have our thinking or reasoning based on the physical senses, in spite of the fact that the results have never been certain. So, when we turn to Christian Science, we find we have to change our methods. We have to think or reason from a basis which those very senses we have accepted for so long as real cannot cognize. How is this change to be brought about? The answer is, Through faith, which is so scientifically described in the epistle to the Hebrews as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

One wonders, perhaps, how faith is to be exercised. Through exercising spiritual discernment, which in a greater or lesser degree is inherent in everyone; by clinging steadfastly to the fact that there is but one cause, and therefore one effect. To put it in other words—by looking out from the standpoint of ever present divine Mind, instead of up to divine Mind or God as separate from His idea; for as we read in Acts, "In him we live, and move, and have our being." Gradually, as we become accustomed to this correct, scientific mode of thinking, we are able to deal with the problems which present themselves in a more scientific, constructive manner.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

The True Concept

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access