Dissolving Doubts

W. Stuart Booth

According to material sense testimony mankind's enjoyment of good—health, harmony, and happiness—seems insecure; whereas evil experiences, such as sickness and sin, discord and disappointment, appear so prevalent that men are prone to be uncertain, doubtful, and fearful in regard to their status and welfare. Therefore, a promise voiced by Isaiah in connection with his prophecy about the Christ should make special appeal to all: "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." The promise is plain that righteousness—right thinking and living—brings blessings bountiful, even God-inspired peace and confidence.

Some time after Isaiah had prophesied the Christ-appearing, and had pictured the good which would attend and attest the Messiah's advent and activity, Daniel glimpsed the Christ, Truth, and furnished verification of the fact that the prophecy and promises had been divinely inspired. Among Daniel's trials and triumphs was an experience with King Belshazzar, who had become greatly disturbed because of handwriting which had appeared on the wall of his banquet hall, and which the wise men, astrologers, and soothsayers could not interpret. Then the queen urged Belshazzar to send for Daniel, who, because of his fidelity to God and His laws, had earned the respect and commendation of the king's father, Nebuchadnezzar. So when Daniel came, he was greeted thus by the king: "I have even heard of thee, ... that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.... And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts." Then Daniel, through faith in God and divinely directed wisdom, dissipated the king's doubts and interpreted his dream.

The world today is in sore need of an interpreter, a dissolver of doubts, a spiritual guide to that which is stable, safe, and satisfying. There is much handwriting on the walls of human consciousness, and there are many signs of the times which call for God-inspired interpretation. God's means for meeting these and all human needs is at hand and available to all mankind, for the Christ, the divine idea of God which enlightened and directed Daniel, is revealed fully in the teachings of Christian Science. The Science of Christianity is based on the precepts and practice, the life and love, of Christ Jesus, who was so free from doubts because of his acquaintance with God that the conclusively annulled the claims of evil. His understanding of the omnipotence of good enabled the Master to rebuke sin and release men from its seeming bondage. His unwavering understanding of divine Love and Life healed sickness, brought comfort to the sorrowing, and denied and disproved death.

In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy uncovers and uproots the cause of all humanity's troubles—its fears and follies, its doubts and discords, disease and death. On page 262 she states: "The foundation of mortal discord is a false sense of man's origin." Continuing she explains: "Divine Mind is the only cause or Principle of existence. Cause does not exist in matter, in mortal mind, or in physical forms." Surely, then, doubt and the darkness of ignorance must encompass human thought until it is illumined by the light of spiritual understanding. It is obvious, even to the materially-minded, that fear is engendered by the educated beliefs that men live in and of matter; that the human body is self-acting and is subject to disease, decrepitude, and death. But the truth which corrects these false beliefs coincidently destroys doubt and fear. It is of prime importance, then, to understand and utilize this liberating truth about God and man.

Christian Science reveals God as Christ Jesus knew Him, and enables men to verify their acquaintance with Him by proving Love's power in healing sickness and destroying sin. The understanding of the Christ and the knowledge that "the government shall be upon his shoulder" dispel the doubts and fears associated with the unstable and unsatisfactory government of individuals, groups, and nations. Christian Science leads men to be rightly self-governed by directing them how to be God-governed in their thinking.

Those who as yet lack the light of spiritual understanding may be perplexed and fearful at the stress and strife, the foam and flux, of human thought and conditions. But Christian Science interprets the signs of the times as indicating the ascendancy of good and foretelling the triumph of Truth. At present this is shown in healing the sick, in overcoming evil habits and tendencies, in the turning and overturning of human thought to obtain a better and more satisfying basis. Certainly this is leading to the ultimate spiritualization of all things. Christian Science is indeed the dissolver of doubts because it furnishes demonstable assurance of God's presence and power, of Love's supremacy here, now, and always.

W. Stuart Booth

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October 14, 1933

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