Article May 30, 1970 Issue

Are You Being Used?

MARY TAYLOR FORD

Man's real "I" or identity is the image of God. It reflects Him only. It never expresses anything underived from omniscient Mind, for we read in the Bible, "God created man in his own image." ^{Gen. 1:27;} If, then, one hears himself saying, or thinking, "I am sick," "I am tired," "I am discouraged," or anything contrary to God's perfect creation, he is being used by error. The real "I" knows and speaks only Godlike truths. This may seem startling at first, but it is true.

The physical body is not man, and of itself has no intelligence. Matter has no more power of thought or speech than the dummy that sits on the ventriloquist's knee. If it seems articulate, it is obviously being manipulated. Through Christian Science we recognize the seeming speaker for the body to be the carnal, or mortal, mind, which claims to be an intelligence apart from God. There is nothing new about this. Paul said, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." ^{Rom. 7:23;}

Since, in reality, there is no mind underived from God, mortal mind and its thoughts must be unreal—a phase of nothingness. Having no entity, it cannot really speak, and to be projected and acted out, it depends upon a person's gullibility or unwariness. When human beings think, speak, or act erroneously, contrary to the absolute truth of God's perfect creation, they are allowing themselves to be used by this false mentality.

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