In a recent AP article titled, “New prostate cancer test advice overturns dogma,” I was not surprised to read the following:
“Men finally may be getting a clearer message about undergoing PSA screening for prostate cancer: Don’t do it.
“They may not listen. After all, the vast majority of men over 50 already get tested.
“The idea that finding cancer early can harm instead of help is a hard one to understand. But it’s at the heart of a government panel’s draft recommendation that those PSA blood tests should no longer be part of routine screening for healthy men.
“The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force examined all the evidence and found little if any reduction in deaths from routine PSA screening. But it did conclude that too many men are diagnosed with tumors that never would have killed them and suffer serious side effects from resulting treatment…”
Mary Baker Eddy got it right when she wrote, “A physical diagnosis of disease – since mortal mind must be the cause of disease – tends to induce disease.”
It does seem apparent from casual observation that the more people examine the body, look for and anticipate disease, the more disease they find.
On one hand, they believe they are being wise for, in the short run, they may catch a problem, medically treat it, and see it disappear. But in the long run, the act of diagnosing and examining the body and looking for disease, makes thought much more receptive to picking up disease in the future. And a vicious cycle begins of putting down one disease, but seeing it replaced by a worse one and then a worse one…
The healthier way is to examine for health from the beginning. Look to God’s creation for evidence of your true status, find the health that is permanently there, and demonstrate that what you find in Spirit improves your human condition. This method prevents disease from happening in the first place.
Good for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to do that study and make its conclusions known.
Your explanation of how looking to the physical body for evidence of good or ill health tends to induce disease reminds of this sentence from Mary Baker Eddy’s textbook, Science and Health: “That body is most harmonious in which the discharge of the natural functions is least noticeable.” I figure she means least noticeable because least noticed. Least worried about. Least feared.
If we wonder where our health resides, we can find the answer in another of her prescient remarks: “The true consciousness is the true health” (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 298).
But what resides in the true consciousness? Why, only true thoughts! As Paul explained in his letter to the Philippians, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil 4:8).
I have seen a lot of testing done on family members and even myself. What bothers me, is they do these tests, tell you that have certain condition, and you still have the problem.
This occurred to me early this morning: That even though Christian Scientists may not get a medical diagnosis, we have to guard against self diagnosing, which is just as unreliable. And really a form of quakery. “Ask Me of things to come concerning my sons” (Isaiah). Going to God for information about our true status is really a much more reliable diagnosis! This was really helpful, Evan!
This reminds me of a time when I was not able to walk without intense pain. Every time I wanted to stand and walk, I would be tempted to check with my body to see how it was doing. Then one morning I received this God-sent message:
Don’t ask the body how you’re doing. Ask Me (God).
Don’t seek mortal opinion about how you’re doing. Seek Mine.
Don’t accept mortal conclusions about you. Acknowledge, accept Mine for I am all.
Needles to say, the healing came very quickly as I obeyed.
“Spirit is the life, substance, and continuity of all
things.” Science and Health 124:25 by MB Eddy
Thanks Evan!