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No mental trespass

From the August 1982 issue of The Christian Science Journal


It's not uncommon to see the sign "Private Property—No Trespassing." It's part of our heritage to have our privacy protected. And generally we're assiduous in our efforts to establish that right. It may not be quite as obvious that mental privacy is equally, if not more, important. The right to mental sovereignty is a divine right, and the pursuit of this right is becoming more and more important each day.

Obviously, it isn't as easy to establish borders of privacy in the mental realm as it is in the physical setup. Much controversy centers on rights of free speech, the right to freedom of information, the educational process, and censorship of the communication media. Much attention is given to thought control. How do we enforce the "No Trespassing" sign when it refers to our own mental privacy?

The right to defend one's consciousness against intrusion is a divine right. In order to exercise this right we must understand something of the Science of being, the relation of God to man and the universe. God is known in Christian Science as divine Mind, the one Mind, and He's known to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Man in His likeness is a spiritual idea and is constantly under the divine control of the one Mind. The Bible states this fact in Jesus' words, "The kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21 And in her book Pulpit and Press the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, enlarges on this line of thought: "Know, then, that you possess sovereign power to think and act rightly, and that nothing can dispossess you of this heritage and trespass on Love. If you maintain this position, who or what can cause you to sin or suffer?" Pulpit and Press, p. 3

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