Article June 12, 1971 Issue

Nothing to Lose but Limitation

KATHERINE J. HAMMERSLEY

A newcomer to Christian Science complained, "I don't see why I have to give up so much—the few cigarettes I smoke, for instance, or an occasional cocktail. They bring a little relaxation and fun into my dull routine."

One is not asked to give up anything real and good in Christian Science but only a misconception, a false belief. When satisfaction and joy are understood for what they really are, the fact that spiritual being eternally includes them becomes clear, and we cease to grope in the dark mazes of material sensation in an attempt to find them.

The common supposition that tobacco, alcohol, or any other form of matter can bring satisfaction is misleading, for when one turns to matter for freedom from either dullness or tension, he is actually turning to the very opposite of what he seeks. He is like a man who turns up the heat on a hot day believing that this will make him more comfortable.

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