Editorial July 27, 1957 Issue

MORE THAN BELIEF

Helen Wood Bauman

The world is rapidly changing its conception of matter, as anyone who follows the discoveries of modern science knows. What must still become generally known is the announcement by Christian Science that matter is nothing more than the belief of mortals. Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 478), "From beginning to end, whatever is mortal is composed of material human beliefs and of nothing else."

According to Christian Science, mortals see what they believe, and material objects represent a mortal and material mode of thinking. What is needed in order that one may put off the limitations and conditions which matter imposes is to give up material belief and to awaken to the universe of spiritual ideas—God's universe. Christ Jesus said (Luke 17:21), "Behold, the kingdom of God is within you," showing that the entering of God's kingdom requires the entertaining of true ideas, the seeing of creation as God makes it. In the measure that one stops believing in material concepts and perceives the spiritual concepts which they counterfeit, his human life is benefited. He experiences improved beliefs and takes steps Spiritward.

If students of Christian Science sometimes wonder why their efforts to heal themselves or others are not wholly successful, they can always find the answer in the fact that they have not fully destroyed their belief in the error confronting them. Matter must be believed in order to be seen. Sickness must be believed in order to be experienced. Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 377), "The author never knew a patient who did not recover when the belief of the disease had gone." And she continues in the next paragraph, "The cause of all so-called disease is mental, a mortal fear, a mistaken belief or conviction of the necessity and power of ill-health; also a fear that Mind is helpless to defend the life of man and incompetent to control it."

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
Article
Notices
July 27, 1957
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit