Saturday, September 11, 2010

Science of Mind: The Way It Works

This is the second in the four-part series about the Science of Mind. Science of Mind (SOM) is a scientific approach to religion and a religious reverence in scientific law. It is a spiritual philosophy which deals with the unity of all life and which proclaims that God Power exists at the center of every person. SOM is not a special revelation; but rather a compilation of many revelations. Dr. Ernest Holmes said he never had an original thought. I believe he had some amazing ways of expressing ancient principles, but this speaks to his belief in the unity of all people. In Eccl. 1:9, wise King Solomon tells us that “there is nothing new under the sun.” Religious Science (RS) accepts the good wherever we find it and then makes it our own to the best of our understanding.

None of the practice of SOM can be effective without a firm belief in God, or whatever you personally call that Higher Power, Universal Force, Life Energy, etc. This is the meaning of the mystical saying of the Apostle Paul in Acts 17:28: “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” We, meaning Religious Scientists or New Thought practitioners like myself, see God as a Consciousness of Unity. We do not traditionally communicate in a way that supports unity; rather, English and many other major languages are inherently full of separation and sexism.

When a religious scientist prays s/he must have a strong belief in the unity of all life. The form of prayer that RS uses, called Spiritual Mind Treatment, or affirmative, scientific prayer, is what sets RS apart from the other New Thought religions. (For more information on this, please refer to the page on our new website at: http://newthoughtpa.org/ ). This type of prayer must have a basis of unity. The one “treating”, as it is called, must believe in One Mind and One Spirit, therefore only Divine Right Action can come of the situation at hand.

There is one Law or Principle in any given situation. As to our physical bodies, there are not two separate Principles, one of sickness, one of health. There is one Principle used two different ways, one way producing what we want, the other way producing what we do not want. Both outcomes are a result of our belief system and how we think, either consciously or sub-consciously. The possibility of healing exists in the consciousness of each of us. There will come with the desire for healing or change everything we require to fulfill that longing — but we must be open to that. We have the faith in the thing unseen, this Universal Power.

We believe in our own individualized use of this Active Force. We believe we can make a difference; that conditions in our lives which are undesirable can be changed; or, at least believing we can see conditions in a different way. We recognize that this Power is consistent and always present. It works all the time and for everyone. That is why the Apostle Paul told the Hebrew Christians of the first century “some did not enter into the faith because of their unbelief” (Heb. 4:6). We may enter in because of our belief, but we cannot enter while there is unbelief. This is what the scriptures refer to as “a house divided against itself” – we are pushing and pulling at the same time and accomplishing nothing.

Our belief sets the limit to how successful our treatments/prayers will be. Spirit is ready to fill everything, because It is Infinite. It is not a question of Spirit’s or God’s willingness or ability. It is entirely a question of our own receptivity to being blessed. You are a thinking, willing, knowing, conscious center of Life. You are surrounded by, immersed in, and there is flowing through you, a creative Something . . . call It whatever you want. The sum total of all your thought, will, purpose and belief, creates a “tendency” in this Law that causes It to react to you according to the sum total of that belief. It behooves us, therefore, to do all we can to see that our thought processes are in line with the life we desire to have.

Ignorance of the Universal Laws excuses no one from its effects. It, therefore, stands to reason we ought to learn the Law, learn to believe of and in It, and approach It directly, head-on and specifically. That is why I hope to hear from enough of you locally that I can begin offering classes, where we can look deeply into the issues in our lives and how to use the Principles to assist us in making changes for the better. Please let me know if you are interested! Drop me a line: terry@newthoughtpa.org

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Dr. Terry

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