Article November 26, 1990 Issue

Is this evidence valid?

Sometimes material conditions fool us into believing that we can be cut off from God. Understanding what is and what is not valid evidence can help us.

Harriette Meldrim Hill

One of my friends has a collie named Jam, who is peaceful and motherly. I found out just how motherly one day when she was at the feeding dish and my friend turned on a battery-operated furry toy bear. She placed it on the floor near Jam. Instantly the dog flopped down on her side, turning her body so that the toy bear, which was moving in agitated circles, could nuzzle up to her. Evidently Jam thought it wanted to nurse, and she was ready. As I watched, it was hard to realize that the furry object was only a toy and that Jam, who had given birth to several litters of pups, was so willing to nurse it!

As I thought about it afterward, it seemed that the collie was like a good many people—easily influenced by appearances into making an erroneous assumption and taking on a false sense of responsibility. Actually, no puppy was in need of being fed. Jam had been deceived by what she thought she saw.

Similarly, many people are tricked by the evidence of the physical senses into believing that sickness and various other inharmonies are present or to be expected. This occurs because the physical senses always identify man as material and imperfect. And when we accept the physical evidence as true, we subject ourselves to action based on misinformation. As a result, an erroneous outcome is inevitable.

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