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Are we independent thinkers?
Sometimes people can seem to be pressuring us to stop thinking for ourselves—telling us what to believe regarding what we are, what we need, whom we are supposed to like and dislike, when we are supposed to be happy, and even when we are supposed to be sick or hurt!
Of course, there are lots of people we can trust to give us useful advice, but if seeking this advice causes us to check out mentally instead of thinking for ourselves, we can really miss out on learning—about all sorts of subjects. Take prayer, for instance. On the first page of her book on prayer and healing, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy says, “The time for thinkers has come” (p. vii).
It’s by taking the time to think deeply about God’s nature and the makeup of God’s creation that we begin to gain a clearer understanding of God and of our true identity. Inspired thinking can be deep prayer. And such inspirational thinking goes beyond the human intellect. Physicist Albert Einstein once said, “I want to know how God created this world.… I want to know His thoughts…” (E. Salaman, “A Talk With Einstein,” The Listener 54, pp. 370–371).
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
August 12, 2019 issue
View Issue-
From the readers
Barbara Kukulies, Linda Beasley-Warson, Madelyn Harvey
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The beauty of moderation
Geoffrey Hibbs
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Comfort after a loved one passes on
Dorcas Strong
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‘Taking the time to listen to his voice’
George Moffett
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Are we independent thinkers?
Mark Swinney
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Cleaning up our ‘issues’ through Christ
Shelly Richardson
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Spiritual identity and healing
Gaston Mantinou
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Lifting the burden
Emma Franklin
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Traveling alone? or with God?
Jacey Williams
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A child’s prayers heal hearing problem
Inge Bock Phillips
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No more chest pains
Mobolaji Yemitan
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Healing and harmony during pregnancies and births
Eliza Stewart
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Burned hand quickly healed
Audys Dodge Losche
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Our part: Active witnesses
Eleanor Winyard
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The healing touch of humor
Larissa Snorek