THE KING’S BUSINESS
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I f a native o f Central Africa were trans ported suddenly to the North Pole, would the climate there be as warm to him as that of his native country, if he bnly thought so?' Christian Science tells us that foofl and drink are not necessary; “ Gustatory pleas ure is a sensuous illusion . . . diminish ing as we better apprehend our spiritual Existence” ( Y . & H., pp. 117, 118, 1899, cf. pp. 221| 222, 1916). “ Food neither strengthens nor weakens the body” (Y. & H., p. 118, 1899). It is truly laughable to hear a Christian Scientist say this after calling for a third supply o f turkey at a. Christmas dinner. Christian Science tells us that “ Sight, hearing, all the spiritual senses o f man are eternal. They cannot be lost” (Y. & H., p. 486, 1916) ; that people lose their sense of sight and hearing because they believe in such things. If this be true, then we are to assume that people take cold, suffer, and die, because they believe in such things. Do horses and dogs take cold, suffer dis ease and become blind because they believe -in such things? PHYSIOLOGY Christian Science tells us that “treatises on . . . physiology . . . are the pro moters o f sickness and disease” (Y. & H., p. 72, 1899; p. 179, 1909, .1916). “He who is ignorant o f what is termed hygienic law, is more receptive o f spiritual power” (cf. Y. & H., p. 382y 1916). One sometimes wppders whether this means that a person o f ordinary cleanliness is thereby debarred from being a success in the matter o f spirit ual power. W e are told that “You can even educate a healthy horse so far in physiol ogy that he will take cold without his blanket” (Y. & H„ p. 72, 1899; p. 179, 1909, 1916). “All disease is the result of education” (Y. & H., p. 69, 1899; pp. 69 and 176, 1909; 176, 1916): “The simple food o f our forefathers did not make them strong, but ignorance o f the laws o f health and physiology” (Y. & H., p. 197, 1909 Revision). “A man’s belief produces dis ease and all its symptoms” (Y. & H., p. S3, 1894, 1899; p. 159, 1916). “ Destruction of
the auditory nerve and paralysis o f the optic nerve are not necessary to ensure deafness; for if the mortal mind says, ‘I am deaf and blind,’ it will be so without an injured nerve” (Y. & H., p. 194, 1916), Christian Science tells us that “ Human mind and body are myths” . . “ The blood, heart, brain, lungs, etc., have nothing to do with life, God” - (Y. & H., pp. ISO, 151, 1909). Someone has well said that if this be true, “Then the. mummy o f Rameses II., which now lies in the Cairo Museum and which is minus these organs, is still alive.” THE MATTER OF “BRAINS’,’ “Does the brain think and do nerves feel ? No” (Y. & H„ p. 478, 1916). “ Nerves have no more sensation, apart from what belief bestows upon them, than the fibres o f a plant. (Y. & H., p. 488, 1916). “ Brains have nothing to do with life”—one can almpst believe it when he thinks o f people believing such foolishness as this. Chris tian Science tells us that “bones have only the substantiality (substance) o f thought.” “ They are only an appearance, a subjective state o f the mortal mind (phenomena of the mind o f mortals)” (Y. & H „ p. 421, 1894, 1899; p. 423, 1916). According to this, a man might fall headlong down from a twenty-story building and break his back or even his neck, and if he could only rid himself o f the thought' that he had any bones at all, he might get up and say: “Man is eternal and indestructible, hence no breakage can really occur; I am not hurt” and walk home as though no'thing had happened to him. Christian Science tells us that “The evi dence o f the senses is not to be accepted in the case of- sickness” (Y. & H., p. 384, 1894, 1899; p. 386, 1916). “A diseased body is one o f the beliefs o f the mortal mind” (Y. <5* H., p. 425, 1916). “Mart is never sick” (Y. & H., p. 392, 1894, 1899; p. 393, 1916). When, therefore, a man is doubled up with cramps or acute gastritis he need not send for the doctor. He needs to be calm and self-possessed ; he is merely going through a new form o f gymnastics-; the Christian Scientist says to him, “Remember
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