Guard against taking on error reported by others

May 20, 2024 | 34 comments

A woman was lamenting to me that a friend had just finished describing in detail a health problem he was going through.  This woman was impressed by what she heard and concerned she might develop the same health problem.

I reminded her that she was governed by God, not by her friend’s fears and beliefs.  What she heard was a call on her practice of Christian Science to see her friend in the light of Truth.  To see a healthy child of God in place of all the symptoms she heard reported.  To guard against being mesmerized by reports of disease.

She calmed down and started thinking for herself, realizing that just because another person reports a belief in disease, doesn’t mean she needs to fear disease.  She could bless them with her understanding of spiritual truth and support their efforts to find freedom from suffering.

A valuable lesson was learned.  Another person’s beliefs are not our truths.  

When faced with reports of illness, we can stick with spiritual truth, live free of harmful belief, and bless our neighbor too; all at the same time.

34 thoughts on “Guard against taking on error reported by others”

  1. Bonjour et merci infiniment pour cette idée. Notre professeur de Science Chrétienne nous a expliqué qu’il n’existe aucune intercommunication d’une idée à une autre, puisque nous sommes individuellement unis à Dieu (elle appelait cela , le triangle sans basse, Dieu et Son idée directement un) cela m’aide beaucoup et me permet de comprendre qu’il n’y a aucune contagion possible ni de maladie, ni d’idée de maladie véhiculée. Merci Evan pour ces magnifiques inspirations de chaque jour , c’est une véritable bénédiction. Merci à tous pour vos partages riches et inspirants.

    1. Merci Pascale Roux pour votre comment! I learned a little French at the Evening School decades ago. And I much regret that I did not go on learning French, such an interesting and lovely language! It is a thankful, nice comment.

      Could a SpiritView friend translate Pascale’s comment for us all, please!?

      Thank you dearly Evan, for your very loving and instructive SpiritView, today again!

      1. Dear Uta….this is Pascales comment via English translation on my iPad.

        Hello and thank you very much for this idea. Our Professor of Christian Science explained to us that there is no intercommunication from one idea to another, since we are individually united to God (she called it, the triangle without bass, God and His idea directly one) it helps me a lot and allows me to understand that there is no possible contagion or disease or idea of a disease conveyed. Thank you Evan for these magnificent inspirations of every day, it’s a real blessing. Thank you all for your rich and inspiring
        sharing.
        Hope this helps.B.x

        1. Thank you Barbara for the translation. I have found Deepl.com a good translator. I have a French background, having a French mother, born in Belgium and studying French in school but find this translator an easy quick way to translate.
          Thank you, Evan, for today’s inspiration. You are soooo right on! I too find it so important not to buy into others false beliefs. We have to be so on guard and know who is governing us and see others as God sees them, perfect and whole.
          I so appreciate this blog! And love having the SV app!

    2. I live in a neighborhood that would be considered “advanced in age”. Literally, there is not one neighbor within 300 feet of my house that has not relayed a story of a past or current health challenge. I have found ample use for our daily directive/duty (in part) to “defend himself against agressive mental suggestion” …..! And the followup is, for me, important – that of doing further, specific, treatment to reject the error expressed by others, the fears associated with them, and also to know their freedom from them – to see them as God sees them! Amen!

  2. Thank you, Evan, for this wonderful reminder in Christian Science.

    Mrs. Eddy says in chapter Prayer:

    The habitual struggle to be always good is unceas-
    ing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the
    blessings they bring, – blessings which, even if not
    acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness
    to be partakers of Love.
    Simply asking that we may love God will never
    make us love Him; but the longing to be better
    and holier, expressed in daily watchful-
    ness and in striving to assimilate more of
    the divine character, will mould and fashion us
    anew, until we awake in His likeness.
    Divine Love corrects and governs man. Men may
    pardon, but this divine Principle alone reforms the
    sinner. God is not separate from the wis-
    dom He bestows. The talents He gives we
    must improve. Calling on Him to forgive our work
    badly done or left undone, implies the vain supposition
    that we have nothing to do but to ask pardon, and
    that afterwards we shall be free to repeat the offence.

    “No evidence before the material senses can close my eyes to the scientific proof that God, good, is supreme.”
    These words of Mrs. Eddy found on page 277 of her Miscellaneous Writings.

    Several decades my CS practice has started with daily CS treatment for myself, daily CS treatment for the neighborhood, town, backyard, culture, society, country, world, Universe, and all human and non human Life forms.
    Irrespective of religions, faith traditions, or Western christian denominations, all are included in God’s Love, mercy, protection, compassion, healing, humanity.

    In the Sight of God everyone is equal and Blessed eternally.

  3. Thank you, Evan, for such an inspired treatment. I love the sentence, “Another person’s beliefs are not our truths.” That one sentence is a beautiful treatment within itself, a lovely protection against all mortal mind beliefs, which have nothing to do with the truths of our spiritual identity.

  4. Dear Ellen,
    in case you read this today, On April 4 Evan’s SpiritView had the title “I can do all things through Christ who stengthens me.” There you asked me to give you the list what Christ is. I’m glad I found this list, Evan gave us in one of his lectures about what is the Christ. Here I write down what Evan said:

    CHRIST is …

    the Spirit of God, who worked through him.

    the Mind of God that holds your inherent spiritual perfection, all the time

    the Life of God filled with strength and energy, able to keep you healthy and well

    the Truth of God, the invincable Truth able to make wrong right

    the Spirit of God able to empower and enable

    all of the Goodness of God at work

    the spiritual mindedness

    your spiritual individuality

    God’s means of helping and Christ is always with us!

    I’m glad I found this list in my PC. Other commenters here might also be interested to read this!

    Here in Germany we have another holiday which we call Witmonday. Have you a blessed day!

    1. Thank you Uta❣️
      I have copied the useful post you shared of Evan’s.
      Now I can go back and read it often.

    2. Such treasures here already this morning and it is only Monday, of the week!!
      Thank you All!!! Happy WitMonday to you, dear Uta! And thank you for sharing
      the lovely list with Ellen and us, (that Evan had given) – you mentioned on the 24 th.
      In regard to the topic today, I think it is important to not let mortal mind’s
      suggestions, through media or any other means, try to creep into our thought.
      Fear-mongering is a tactic to get attention and control of our thinking and
      away from the Truth of God’s all presence. I like this thought:
      “Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience
      the world in the way thy have been told to” – Alan Keightley
      Just because others believe in a certain way, doesn’t mean we have to.
      : ) We can see things in our own way and Love shines through, uplifting
      our thoughts with Truth, when faced with suggestions contrary to our
      understanding.

    3. Dear Uta,

      Thank you SO very much for this list. It is so helpful and I will refer to it often. I was trying to sleep this evening, and instead of dozing off, an inner voice told me to go to Spiritview to see what comments were added since I read Evan’s blog this morning. I was so surprised to see my name in your comment about the list you had mentioned last month.

      Thank you so much for this wonderful guidance!

      1. Dear Ellen, regarding the guidance, I am deeply convinced that finding the list in my PC was absolutely God`s, Love’s Guidance. And I am very grateful for this healing community and Evan’s wonderfully healing and blessing SV blog!

  5. I so needed this today Evan…the perfect counter argument to the trap of seemingly inescapable erroneous thought trying to find acceptance…… ‘Another person’s beliefs are not our truths. ‘ This is succinct , accessible Truth. I’m very grateful for Spirit View. ❣️

  6. Good morning and thank you Evan for this!
    I can attest that it is SO important to immediately refute and clarify with Truth whenever you hear reports from friends and neighbors and others about some kind of ailment. We have to resolutely deny the lie and declare what we know to be true about God’s creation there and then.
    For a while, I was just astonished at the number of people who were telling me about needing to get their rotator cups (shoulders) surgically repaired. I would listen sympathetically to each one and then go about my day, but after a while, it just seemed that I had heard more than a dozen people tell me about this one particular issue. And half heartedly I’d think “oh, this isn’t true” but I didn’t really stand firmly, Scientifically denying this lie.
    Well, you know what happened next. I began to have a problem with my shoulder! I just had to laugh at myself. I had let the lies trickle in until I accepted it.
    So now I am earnestly denying the possibility that ANYONE can decline, become disabled, lose mobility, or be incapacitated.
    How much better if we stand at that door and slam it whenever we hear reports of woe. Mrs.Eddy told us to not sympathize with error. Real Love expresses health~ love reflecting Love~ and we can share this in an intelligent way with our friends or acquaintances who come to us.
    I am so grateful for our wonderful, uplifting daily SpiritView, sharing with my loved community of
    SpiritViewers!
    We have this beautiful gathering of friends who share their wisdom and experience with such generosity.
    Blessings one and all
    Love

    1. And thank you Annie❣️

      I experienced a similar experience recently.
      Several people were having hip replacements and were talking of excruciating pain.
      The latest being an eighty year old bed ridden woman.
      After I heard of her, I took a small stumble and have been recovering.
      Thank God for the truth that is shared.
      I like your suggestion of slamming the door!!!

  7. Similarly a concept came to my thought yesterday while on a walk praying about a physical challenge from feeling wronged, that I had to see that not only that I had only the Mind of God
    but the people who had seemingly done the wrong thing only had the Mind of God. As written in today’s Spiritview seeing them “in the light of Truth” was equally important. So, in Truth, no wrong had power, action, cause, source, effect, witness to affect me as it was unreal in Love’s universe. Thanks Evan and all for this insight.

  8. “Can I pray for my friends who aren’t Christian Scientists?” by Amanda Kamau:
    https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/7tvu9zh2kk?ICID=JSH%20Public%20Home%7CTeenConnect%20Block&_gl=1*vs4hvd*_ga*MjExNTcwODc2MS4xNjg0NTk0NDE0*_ga_82T1KK2N0J*MTcxMzQ4MjQ4OS44MjYuMS4xNzEzNDgyODExLjAuMC4w

    “Just as importantly, I strive to never worry about others because to do so would be a subtle form of malpractice because I would be accepting that a power other than God is present in their lives, or that God’s omnipotence is somehow less present in their experiences. Focusing instead on a view of them as inseparable from Love, Life, Truth, and seeing them as a ray of light at one with the sun, divine Soul, and living in the realm of ever-present Principle.” (Christie Hanzlik C.S.)

  9. Thank you to Anne from Chicago who on 5/13/24 wrote, “Be in the space of gratitude, not complaint.”

    Such a good reminder when I find myself in a tizzy about something to turn to what I am grateful for at that moment. One can only think one thing at a time…why not be something uplifting rather than allowing ourselves to be caught up in being upset. it’s not always easy, but oh so healing.

  10. Google translation “Christian Science Teacher” instead of Professor of Christian Science..
    But we all got the idea. Beautiful thoughts regarding disease and contagion. Thank you.

  11. “Another person’s beliefs are not our truths.”
    Thank you for this clear reminder, Evan.

    With “8+Billion humans out there,” believing in all sorts of…beliefs…it is well to guard our mental doors with the Facts (truths) of Being! Yes, it takes diligence. And what a joy, and relief, to learn through the study of this mighty Science of Life that Mind and Its ideas are all that really exist! So much for “8B mortals full of false beliefs,” huh!!

  12. Thank you Evan and All. Such pearls of comments – so meaningful and needed. My heart is filled with gratitude.

  13. Thank you Evan for today’s important topic. It speaks forcibly to me since I work as a caregiver to folks who frequently complain of illness, pain, and disability. It is challenging to stay mentally alert to refute these suggestions while feeling empathy for another’s seeming plight. I find it helpful to address this in daily prayer, vehemently denying reality and power to the debilitating phases of mortal mind that target those of a certain “age”. As students of Mary Baker Eddy’s revelation of the perfection of God and His creation here and now, we can claim our dominion over insidious beliefs of decline, vulnerability and disability.
    Thank you all for sharing your spiritual inspiration and loving support!

    1. These thoughts are so helpful in seeing others and ourselves, in their/our true
      state of Being – not as material influences would appear them/us to be. We are
      all whole in the light of our divine Creator. In Mis. Writings, Mrs. Eddy wrote,
      “St. Paul says: ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
      thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now
      we see through a glass, dar kly; but then face to face.’ Growth is restricted by
      forcing humanity out of the proper channels for development, or by holding it
      in fetters. For Jesus to walk the water was scientific, insomuch as he was able to
      do this; but it is neither wisdom nor Science for poor humanity to step upon the
      Atlantic until we can walk on the water… The way is absolute divine Science; walk
      ye in it; but remember that Science is demonstrated by degrees, and our
      demonstration rises only as we rise in the scale of being.”
      I had a friend whose daughter worked in a very materialistic-thinking profession
      and during the pandemic was terrified of anyone getting near her mother, my friend.
      My friend disagreed with her daughter’s outlook, but went along with her, thinking she
      had no choice. Sadly she passed on, but through it all, I continued to trust in God’s
      care for her, which I continue to do and her spiritual individuality lives on.

  14. Thank you this is a very important reminder that we all need. It becomes concerning when the person who is sharing such remarks is also a Christian Scientist then you need to really do your work.

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