A Christian Scientist facing many physical problems reached two conclusions concerning himself based on the old truism that as one's thoughts go, so goes his experience. He remembered, for example, the statement in Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, "A sick body is evolved from sick thoughts." Science and Health, p. 260;
He concluded that he deserved his physical troubles because they were the result of his erroneous thoughts, and that he must be a greater sinner than his friends since they were not suffering nearly as many maladies as he was (shades of Job!). Were his conclusions wrong?
The fact is, he did not "deserve" to be sick. Science and Health tells us sin is punished because it is wrong and the wrong has to be righted. Since most of us demur at giving up wrongdoing voluntarily, unhappiness may become the persuader. But the most deceptive thing about his first conclusion was that the Christian Scientist was overlooking God's presence and giving his thought to the justification of his unhappiness. He was resigning himself to his troubles as real conditions on the basis that one reaps what he sows.
