Article January 5, 1974 Issue

Medicine and Motive

ANN L. GRAUBERGER

Recently I was struggling with the question of what treatment children should receive in a household where one parent is a student of Christian Science and the other is desirous of using medical means for the children's care. This question is a puzzling one in some households. And it is one that can be completely settled only by the mutual understanding and agreement of both parents.

A statement made by a Christian Scientist to the effect that medicine is essentially motive illumined my thinking greatly. I saw that it's not so much the material composition of a pill or a potion that makes it medicine, as it is the belief in matter's supposed power to cure matter—the motive behind it. If we are truly desirous of spiritual growth, we will sincerely examine our motives and not deceive ourselves into believing that carrying out only the outward motions of right conduct, important as they are, can be a substitute for spiritual motives. We ourselves may not be taking medicine as such, but are we relying on more subtle forms of materiality? Even a glass of water can be considered medicine if our motive in drinking it is to improve our health.

By the same token, I discovered that I did not need to feel unduly troubled because I found myself, under the existing circumstances, obliged to have medical treatment for a child. It was apparent that the most important thing was my motive. Was I giving matter power or intelligence to do anything? If another's highest sense of right called for material medicine, I could still rely on God to give me the right concepts about the child and his Father-Mother God's complete care for him. In this way my thought could have a helpful, healing influence on the entire situation.

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