THREE words in common use in Christian Science are belief, faith, and understanding. Since they represent states of consciousness, it is well that students should be clear as to their meaning. Incidentally, it may be remarked that it is always well to know the meaning of the terms which are used by Mrs. Eddy in her elucidation of the Science of being, in Science and Health and her other writings. Indeed, one cannot obtain a comprehensive grasp of this Science in any other way.
The word "belief" usually indicates a more or less uncertain state of consciousness. For instance, one may believe what another says, without being sure that the statement made is true. In this way one may believe a lie to be true. A child, for example, may believe that twice two is five as readily as that twice two is four. The point is that belief in anything does not necessarily mean that the thing believed in is true, although it may be. Belief, then, as commonly regarded, is unreliable.
It may here be said, however, that in the Scriptures the Hebrew and Greek words often translated "belief" convey a meaning different from that of the English verb "believe." Mrs. Eddy says on page 488 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "The Hebrew and Greek words often translated belief differ somewhat in meaning from that conveyed by the English verb believe; they have more the significance of faith, understanding, trust, constancy, firmness." She adds, "Hence the Scriptures often appear in our common version to approve and endorse belief, when they mean to enforce the necessity of understanding." The student should therefore distinguish between belief as frequently referred to in the Scriptures, and belief as it is commonly used in Christian Science.
