Article August 30, 1982 Issue

Substance and idea

JOHN STODDARD PARKER

These two words—"substance" and "idea"—are often used in Christian Science. Its Founder, Mrs. Eddy, writes in Science and Health, "Mind creates His own likeness in ideas, and the substance of an idea is very far from being the supposed substance of non-intelligent matter."^{Science and Health, p. 257.}

It is generally believed that material things are substantial and real and that ideas are rather vague and insubstantial. I once explained to an inquiring friend that in Christian Science man is understood to be the compound, spiritual idea of God, good. His response was that he would like to think of himself as being "more than an idea or thought floating around somewhere out there in space."

I asked him which he thought had more substance: the figure eight written on a piece of paper, which is easily destroyed, or the concept of the number eight. He agreed that the mental image is more enduring, because it is not subject to destruction by time, atmosphere, accident, decomposition.

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