Editorial October 15, 1932 Issue

Health

W. Stuart Booth

Due to the generally accepted notion that men are physical beings, living in and dependent upon matter, mankind has associated both health and disease with what it terms material conditions. And because mankind has taught itself to believe that the human body is self-acting and creates its own conditions, a sense of helplessness and fear has been engendered in connection with the thought of sickness. In fact, humanity in general has come to regard disease, discord, and decrepitude as inevitable instead of health, harmony, and strength. That this sad condition inheres even with many who believe in the Bible is due to the fact that religious thought has been influenced largely by the commonly accepted systems of medicine.

During many years of illness and invalidism Mary Baker Eddy tried various forms of medical treatment, and in fact practiced homeopathy while living at Groton, New Hampshire, about the year 1856. Her medical experiences and experiments taught her that the apparent efficacy of medicine is due to human faith, in other words, is mental. Thus her thought was turned somewhat away from the generally accepted material beliefs. From childhood Mrs. Eddy had been a devoted student of the Bible, and it was the spiritual illumination of Scripture which led to her discovery of Christian Science, the Science of Christianity which was taught and demonstrated by Christ Jesus.

The Scriptural explanations and instructions regarding health and sickness are diametrically different from material theories. For instance, instead of inculcating fear of food Christ Jesus said definitely: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. . . . For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts. . . . These are the things which defile a man." Our Master's words to a palsied man whom he healed, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," indicate his recognition and designation of the trouble as a condition and manifestation of evil thought. Christ Jesus' knowledge of God as the one infinite divine Mind, the Father of all true ideas, enabled him to rebuke the sinful thought and nullify its outward expression called palsy.

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