Editorial January 7, 1933 Issue

Trusting Truth

W. Stuart Booth

Probably a large proportion of those who are Christian Scientists previously held some belief in God which, however, proved unsatisfying and inadequate in a time of great need. When both their religious beliefs and material remedies proved unavailing, they turned to Christian Science and found healing for their ills, release from sin, spiritual comfort to assuage their sorrow, and divine guidance in their business. But Christian Science has done vastly more for them in that, by means of the study and utilization of its inspired teachings, they have gained a measurable understanding of and acquaintance with God as Christ Jesus knew Him. This spiritual understanding of God, divine Truth and Love, has armed them with verified faith in Truth, so that they trust God to heal all their diseases, deliver them from discord and difficulty, and direct them in their church and business affairs.

However, this sense of happifying and unwavering confidence in God may not be gained so quickly and completely as is desirable because of the many and varied erring beliefs of mankind which spring from the material sense testimony that life, cause, and consciousness are in and of matter. These material beliefs are the direct opposite of the spiritual facts about God and man, the spiritual image and likeness or reflection of God. Hence those who turn to Christian Science find that mankind's general acceptance and promulgation of material beliefs appears to act as directed opposition to their perception and practice of truly spiritual teachings.

The thought of depending upon material means for healing soon ceases to be a temptation to the students of Christian Science, not only because in most cases medicine and surgery had failed them before they appealed to Christian Science, but principally because they have learned that any seeming success of material so-called remedies is due solely to human faith in them, as has been attested by a number of honest doctors of medicine. In respect to healing, therefore, the faith and trust of the Christian Science students is predominantly on the side of divine Mind, Love, rather than of nonintelligent matter. But these students of Christian Science may not find it easy to trust Truth so fully when they face problems in business or in church activities, because they have been taught to depend upon human opinions, be dominated by human will and swayed by selfish considerations in their dealings and associations with individuals and groups. The ordinary training of men has avowedly aimed to develop self-confidence and self-reliance, instead of dependence upon God and trust in divine guidance. Thus, even in church activities there may, perchance, be a temptation to permit personal domination to interfere with the expression of man's God-given dominion.

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