Mortal mind always presents its suggestions as reasonable. Sometimes it suggests that a physical diagnosis could bring mental relief if it disclosed a less serious difficulty than one which a sufferer has surmised. It argues that if this were the case, it would be easier to eliminate fear, and then it continues with the argument that the difficulty could still be healed through prayer.
A wise student of Christian Science will not fall into this trap. He will carefully evaluate any subtle argument that evil has to present, and he will break down that argument. He will ask himself whether, if he has genuine confidence in God's power to heal, he could depend upon human opinion to relieve his fear or whether he would allow himself to do so. Does he want to base his freedom from fear on human opinion? Such action may bring a false sense of freedom, but this will eventually have to be replaced with authentic freedom. Furthermore, if a physical diagnosis shows the patient's problem to be a less serious one than he feared, he still has a problem. It may be called by a different name, but the patient will still believe it has a name, together with the description and limitation which go with the problem.
The folly of submitting to a diagnosis is clearly shown by Mrs. Eddy's words on page 370 of the textbook, Science and Health: "A physical diagnosis of disease— since mortal mind must be the cause of disease—tends to induce disease." Does not this statement uncover the crafty part of aggressive mental suggestion? In its attempt to present itself as a good idea, suggestion would of course fail to mention that the very yielding to the temptation of hearing mortal mind's viewpoint invites confirmation of fears and makes it more difficult to erase them, and thus one's position is weakened. It would not specify that the more one looks into matter for an answer, the farther he looks away from God.
Truth alone reveals its eternal, spiritual, healthy idea. Mortal mind knows nothing but temporal matter, which is merely the objectification of itself. Physical diagnosis does not reveal one fact concerning the spiritual idea, man, made in God's image and likeness. Rather does it encourage dependence on mortal thinking, or error, and thereby discourages dependence on Truth.
Only when we begin to doubt that matter has the power to destroy us, do we start to gain ground. Only as we cease to be impressed with mortal mind's terrifying lies about man and the universe does our footing become firm. With a recognition that this so-called mind is unable to tell us anything about God's image comes the conviction that nothing is worth the sacrifice of even a little spiritual understanding. When a Christian Scientist reaches the moment of decision, wherein his everlasting spiritual identity is more important to him than temporal matter, he will find his health right where he is.
Let us see where health comes from, and how it is to be found. In the textbook our Leader gives us the "Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind" (pp. 115, 116). There are three degrees of thought defined here, and each degree has qualities that pertain to it. The first degree lists all that is undesirable, and it is noteworthy that the marginal heading is "Unreality."
The second degree includes moral qualities, those characteristics which bring forth a better and more obedient human experience. These have the marginal heading "Transitional qualities."
The third degree, which is designated spiritual, has the marginal heading "Reality." This degree is stated as follows:
"Third Degree: Understanding.
Spiritual. Wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness."
Note health is real; it is spiritual! It is not something that happens in matter. It is not something that comes from matter, abides in it, can be interrupted by it, or removed from it. It is a spiritual fact just as conclusively as is wisdom, love, or spiritual power.
Health stands established, unchanged, according to Love's law. God could not create His image without it. The image of God, or spiritual idea, cannot be Xrayed. It cannot be doctored. It cannot be operated upon, made unconscious, or be filled with medicine. It cannot be lost. It is as eternal as God, reflecting health forever.
The only place health can ever reappear after having seemingly been absent is in the consciousness of the individual. Discussing with mortal mind what it considers qualifications for health will not bring this about. Mrs. Eddy tells us (ibid., p. 186), "If mortal mind knew how to be better, it would be better." Because it does not know how, it looks to itself for an answer, which is a mistake since mortal mind is the only place where there can even seem to be an evil situation. To look to mortal mind is like starting with discord to correct discord. Only by beginning with harmony can we overcome discord.
If one intends to work out a difficulty through prayer alone, a request for mortal opinion is like trying to go in two directions at once. One has nothing whatsoever to do with the other. There is no resemblance between help through material means, however humanitarian that help may be, and healing through spiritual understanding. One has a choice between one or the other. He certainly cannot have both, for they are opposites. The true healing method leads one closer to God, bringing to one freedom, genuine health, security. Other methods lead away from all that is real. Christ Jesus said (Matt. 6:24): "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Healing will not come merely by our resisting diagnosis. But if the temptation to place any value upon physical diagnosis is resisted and handled, fear of matter will become less. Let us have no fear. Spiritual conviction, which brings healing, is the state of consciousness that can no longer be intimidated.
No, even at its best, physical diagnosis can no more reveal health than it can reveal wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, or holiness. Truth alone does this.
