Editor's Note: Ann
Beals, publisher and editor of The Bookmark, is kindly allowing us to bring our
readers her article-ELECTRICITY. Ann is a lifelong Christian Scientist and
former member of The Mother Chucrh. She was a Journal listed practitioner and
wrote metaphysical articles for the Christian Science Periodicals. In 1980,
after leaving the Organization, she established The Bookmark as a source of
literature for the serious student of Christian Science. It offers writings
that conform strictly to the teachings of Mary Baker
Eddy.
ELECTRICITY
[This article is composed of selections from a number
of early papers on electricity. There was much repetition of certain ideas in
these papers, suggesting that the different teachers used certain basic ideas
that probably originated with Mrs. Eddy. Some of these papers were attributed
to Mary Baker Eddy, Pamela Leonard, Bicknell Young, Martha Wilcox, and Charles
Tennant, while some had no name on them. Collected into one article, they
present a very helpful insight into handling electricity.]
Electricity is a counterfeit power. In the third edition
of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy speaks of the "electricity of mortal mind" and
calls it "the essence of mortal and erring mind that counterfeits that essence
of unerring and eternal Mind, termed Holy Ghost." In the present edition of the
textbook, we read, "Good does not create a mind susceptible of causing evil,
for evil is the opposing error and not the truth of creation. Destructive
electricity is not the offspring of infinite good." It claims to be the highest
attenuation of mortal mind.
Magnetic beliefs, attracting and repelling in a claim of
positive and negative electrical thought-forces, claims to determine its own
objective state or phenomena until destroyed by the Christ-power. Electricity
is generated by hate, fear, doubt, anger, greed, grief, etc. Criticism,
condemnation, censure, are all claims of destructive electricity, and you
should handle the claim of electricity in all of your thinking.
Mr. Kimball quotes Mrs. Eddy as saying, "Electricity is
the thought essence which forms the link between matter and mortal mind. God,
the divine Mind, self-existing, self-perpetuating, self-energizing, is the
great universal reservoir or dynamo, and the thoughts which flow from this
fountain, constituting the complete expression of infinite Mind, Spirit, are
thus shown to be Principle or Life, and action to be the manifestation of
spiritual force and power".
Electricity counterfeits the divine energy. Since mortal
mind is the claim of negative emotions and material beliefs, this mind seems to
emit the destructive and harmful energy called electricity. Science and Health
states, "Electricity is not a vital fluid, but the least material form of
illusive consciousness — the material mindlessness which forms no link
between matter and Mind, and which destroys itself." Electricity is the
opposite of spirituality or Truth. It is the most subtle form of animal
magnetism to be overcome. It constantly argues, "You can't handle me — I
am all-powerful." But it is bodiless, mindless, homeless. It acts and works
through the substance of nerves, always attacking through the mortal
nature.
«
Back Next »
Download this
document in PDF format
|