Article July 14, 1956 Issue

MAN "NEVER BELIEVES, BUT KNOWS"

MILTON SIMON

A patient who had been ceaselessly voicing error sensed the resistance in the practitioner's thought. The patient's inquiry, "What are you thinking?" brought this response: "I don't believe a word you have been saying. You don't believe it either. Furthermore, you haven't really been saying it. It is a lie attempting to voice itself and deceive us both." This truth, made practical in Christian Science, that God's idea, man, does not believe evil and that error is no part of his consciousness, which is eternally a reflection of divine Mind, comforted this questioner just as it has many others.

We learn in Christian Science that God is infinite, all-knowing Mind. Writing on this point in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy clearly states (p. 250): "Spirit is the Ego which never dreams, but understands all things; which never errs, and is ever conscious; which never believes, but knows; which is never born and never dies. Spiritual man is the likeness of this Ego."

Since man is the likeness of Spirit, God, he "never believes, but knows." We cannot conceive of mortal mind's suggesting anything to God. Then it cannot suggest anything to God's likeness, man. Nor can it make him respond to its suggestion. As Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., p. 487): "Matter cannot believe, and Mind understands. The body cannot believe. The believer and belief are one and are mortal."

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