Article January 31, 1976 Issue

Negating Beliefs of Contagion

ROBERT N. CHRISTIANSEN

One fall day a college student noticed that two classmates sitting near him were uncomfortable. Both were displaying the symptoms of a cold. He began to fear that he, too, might suffer from a cold, and he considered moving to another seat.

But he knew through his study of Christian Science that he should not be afraid, and he began to consider how he could apply Science to the situation. He recalled that Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health, "The physical affirmation of disease should always be met with the mental negation."^{Science and Health, p. 392;} In this case, the physical affirmation was evident, but what was the mental negation? He saw he had to deny that sickness had any power over him or his fellow students. Wasn't it the truth that good, not evil, is contagious because good is real and evil is not? Instead of changing seats, he had to change his thoughts. He declared his proximity to God— God's presence right there. He remembered, too, that Paul wrote, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."^{Rom. 12:21;}

The student now saw that instead of disease overcoming him and others, it had no reality. The natural state of all, as children of God, is to be healthy and well. Knowing that good is ever present and was active right there in the classroom, the student knew he could not succumb to belief in the reality of a cold, and he didn't. He remained well. When the class met again all members were present and none showed any signs of illness.

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