Editorial December 5, 1959 Issue

MENTAL PRIVACY

Helen Wood Bauman

The ethical and moral rule of Christian Science is that there shall be no mental intrusion, no unsolicited mental treatment. According to all standards set by the Golden Rule of Christianity, to do unto others as one would have others do unto him, the individual is entitled to mental privacy. After quoting the Golden Rule, Mary Baker Eddy says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 282), "Who of us would have our houses broken open or our locks picked? and much less would we have our minds tampered with." Christ Jesus said (Matt. 10:12), "When ye come into an house, salute it." Obeying the Master's command, one is in no danger of being a mental intruder.

One always has the right to keep his thought clear, to attack and destroy his own belief in every form of sin, or ignorance, or disease that confronts him. But a deliberate attempt to change the thinking of others without their knowledge is not Christian, nor is it scientific. It is merely evidence of human will, which blesses no one.

There are only rare exceptions which our Leader makes to the rule of avoiding treating people without their request, one of which is in case of accident where no other help is at hand.

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