Editorial October 23, 1948 Issue

THE THERAPY OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Robert Ellis Key

Daily newspapers have recently given considerable publicity to the question of mental therapy as a means of promoting world health and world peace. It is recognized by the mental therapists that an unstable and chaotic condition of mortal thinking is the cause of world unrest, and they propose to promote a stabilized and reasonable outlook through education and propaganda. They believe that if better human relationships could be established between individuals and nations, a more co-operative plan of life could be worked out, and a satisfactory sense of health and security would result. The intention of the therapists is good, but the means suggested are material and not spiritual.

The idea of employing the human mind to dispel fear or to adjust a mental maladjustment has often resulted in a babel of confusion instead of a reign of concord. It will be remembered that on the occasion of the building of the tower of Babel, the builders, unmindful of the fact that "the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech" (Gen. 11:1), began to erect a colossal structure of bricks and mud with the object of reaching heaven, or in other words, of securing their unity. The higher they built, the more top-heavy their tower became, until presumably it fell, and great indeed must have been its downfall. More disastrous than the failure of the building was the confusion which followed, for we are told that "the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city."

From the point of view of material reasoning, the building of the tower of Babel may have appeared to be a laudable enterprise. People were getting together. They were co-operating. But actually it was fear which impelled them to exercise the ingenuity of the carnal mind to erect a material structure. They believed in minds many and endeavored to find harmony by building with human knowledge from a material basis.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Editorial
SPIRITUAL LIGHT
October 23, 1948
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit