There has been so much talk about propaganda during the last few years, and so much believed to be true which has later proved to be false, that it is more than ever necessary for one to be able to discern between the false and the true and to know one's own thinking from subtle mental suggestions. An almost obsolete meaning of the word suggest is, "To seduce, to prompt, to tempt." This is often the meaning of the word as used in Christian Science.
Now sense testimony says that to men come both good and evil suggestions. Inclinations to speak falsely, to prophesy evil, to hate, to dominate, —such as these seem involuntarily to syllable arguments that prompt to ignoble action. Then there are thoughts of honesty, of righteous judgment, of Love and Truth, which speak wisdom, and lead to action based on Principle. The former of these are offspring of the supposititious mortal mind; the latter are the scientific thought of God, reflected by His image, man.
Now the evil suggestion, being the opposite of the good, is the lie, and would seduce with its simulated power. Hence it seems to come as consciousness, it talks as though it were the "I" concerned, and would claim personality, intelligence, and occupancy. If the suggestion is one of some acknowledged sin, it may be at once denied. If it comes in the more subtle guise of apathy, discouragement, confused thinking, disease, it may be accepted as temperament, or heredity. Or it may come more insidiously still, as so-called propaganda or as the will of majorities, declaring validity and strength on the basis of general acceptance.
