Editorial May 12, 1934 Issue

Why Name Nothing?

W. Stuart Booth

Through her inspired writings Mrs. Eddy has blessed mankind immeasurably because therein she has set forth logically and clearly the truth about God and His creation, including man, and in addition had exposed the utterly fallacious and impotent nature of evil, manifested as sin and sorrow, discord, disease, and death. She also has pointed out the methods of evil to the end that it may be thwarted and annulled. For example, on page 197 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" is this warning statement: "A new name for an ailment affects people like a Parisian name for a novel garment. Every one hastens to get it. A minutely described disease costs many a man his earthly days of comfort. What a price for human knowledge!" Similar statements have been made by certain thoughtful and honest doctors of medicine, who have deplored some of the publicity methods of others physicians.

Inasmuch as Christ Jesus is our Way-shower, we shall do well in this connection to consider his words and works. Evidently he did not regard the name of a disease as important in his healing ministry, for according to the Gospels only once did he inquire the name of a disorder. The case was that of "a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs," obviously a condition of dementia. In healing the man, "Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him." Science and Health, in referring to this case, states (p. 411) that "the Scripture seems to import that Jesus caused the evil to be self-seen and so destroyed." Evidently the Master's purpose, then, in asking the name was not for his own enlightenment, but to assist the unfortunate one in realizing his God-given freedom and peace.

Because Christ Jesus knew that God, good, is the only cause and creator, and that His creation is good, harmonious, pure, and perfect, he understood that disease is false belief only. This is evident from his statement that a woman whom he healed of an infirmity had been bound, not by her body as it appeared, but by Satan; and he defined Satan, or the devil, as a liar and the father of lies. Jesus knew that the woman's bondage had been due to her acceptance of a falsity as if it were veritable. Why should he who knew the truth be interested in the classifications and designations of errors, in the inventions and imaginings of those who believed error and evil to be true, and who, therefore, feared and served them?

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