Editorial January 14, 1961 Issue

The Discipline of Truth

Helen Wood Bauman

Christianity has always devoted itself to ridding people of clinging, evil traits, and its method has followed the line of self-discipline. This is helpful; but because the carnal mind that produces evil natures is aggressive in its impositions, such discipline does not always succeed. The impulses to disobey God's requirements often come in spite of a desire to silence them.

Evidently something much more powerful than human effort is needed; and Christian Science supplies it. Although Science insists that victims of evil vigorously resist wrong habits and traits, it goes to the bottom of the trouble by denying the existence of the mortal, or carnal, mind, which claims to produce a material misconception of man, God's perfect likeness. In this way the discipline goes beyond the struggles of a human personality and proves through Truth the unreality of the perpetrator of the misconception—the carnal mind. Christian Science disciplines its adherents to know themselves only as God, Truth, makes them—spiritual and sinless, always held in a state of obedience by their Maker.

This knowledge is a strong rebuke to the mortal nature and often stirs the human self to rebel against the divine order until it is ready to conform to reality. Mary Baker Eddy says in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 80), "Though the divine rebuke is effectual to the pulling down of sin's strongholds, it may stir the human heart to resist Truth, before this heart becomes obediently receptive of the heavenly discipline."

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