Editorial August 30, 1930 Issue

Practice as Translation

CLIFFORD P. SMITH

THE practice of Christian Science can be facilitated by learning to resolve or translate material beliefs into spiritual facts. Indeed, the mental practice of this religion can be regarded as consisting in a degree of such translations. This statement applies to all the aspects of practice which involve correcting erroneous appearances or semblances. Mary Baker Eddy has stated the basis of this method in such citations as "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" 269:13, 209:16, 585:9—13. These citations are too long to be quoted here, but the following quotations from her "Miscellaneous Writings" present the same thought in other words: "Science, understood, translates matter into Mind" (p. 25); "Every material belief hints the existence of spiritual reality; and if mortals are instructed in spiritual things, it will be seen that material belief, in all its manifestations, reversed, will be found the type and representative of verities priceless, eternal, and just at hand" (pp. 60, 61). Together with this should be considered what Mrs. Eddy has said elsewhere (Science and Health, p. 115): "The great difficulty is to give the right impression, when translating material terms back into the original spiritual tongue."

It is to be observed that this method is both philosophical and spiritual. In Webster's New International Dictionary, "philosophy" is defined in part as "the knowledge of phenomena as explained by, and resolved into, causes and reasons, powers and laws." The same authority defines "real" in part as "actually being or existing; ... actual, as distinguished from fictitious or imaginary; also, existing intrinsically or inherently, as distinguished from seeming or apparent."

Therefore, philosophy and scientific theology agree that the facts and events constituting the phenomena of human life need to be examined and tested by their correspondence to reality, and agree that they may be the apparent or seeming opposite thereof. All things may be different to different persons according to their respective views of reality. Anyone's ability to know what really is and to recognize reality depends on his discernment and understanding. It depends on his individual reflection of absolute intelligence or Mind. It depends on the correspondence of his thought to the Principle of reality. Perhaps philosophy can agree with Christian Science on these points. Then Christian Science adds another point, as to which philosophy neither concurs nor dissents, by declaring that the Principle of all reality is God, the divine Spirit.

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