The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-27
Christian Science
 Answers Prayer
Cyrus Rogers Delivers Interesting Lecture at Womens
 Club Last Night

persistent of all misconceptions, I namely, that the creation is unlike the creator; that effect is separated from and of different nature from it's cause; that the creator is all right, but the creation is all wrong; that God is perfect, but that man and the universe are sorely in need of being corrected and made over; that God is ever living, but that man sickens and dies. They have no place in the teaching and practice of the original Christian Scientist. Christ Jesus. He said: "Whosoever honoreth not the son, honoreth not | the Father" Is 1t not clear that if we conceive l of creation in any detail as imperfect | we thereby reflect upon and destroy | Ito our consciousness the perfection of the creator, God? "Be ye there fore perfect, even as your Father | which is in heaven is perfect" Jesus | further said. When he was confront ed with the thought and evidence of man as sinful, sick, and dying, he re- buked the thought and destroyed the evidence, that God and the real crea- tion might more clearly appear.
 A prayer of petition to God to change conditions or to make them different from what He has made them or permitted them to be would be meaningless in Gods sight and an assumption that He was failing in His function as the perfect creator and governor of all. Have not al-
 most all prayers had involved in them this subtle pre-conception that | God needs to be reminded of the | shortcomings of His creation and His responsibility thereto? It is total misapprehension of the situation. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." Games 4:3) The en- tire design and purpose of true pray CT is to change us, to change our thoughts and our concepts. not to change God or the eternal facts and laws of being.
 God being pure Mind, or Spirit, we should ask for what Mind has to give, namely, right ideas and the | qualities of the divine nature. Mrs Eddy says in Miscellaneous Writings | (307:1-2) "God give you His spirit ual ideas, and in turn they give you daily supplies" In other words, q | divine idea perceived and accepted ! in consciousness begins to produce an outward manifestation in practical human experience in accordance with | the nature of God. and His infinite love and care for His creation. The |
  give physical names to these effects by calling them physical health or physical supply, but the fact remains | that they are the open manifesto | tions of Gods boundless provision | for His creation.
 Must not enlightened prayer neces- sarily be characterized by a percep- |tion and recognition of the immortal facts of being as they exist from the standpoint of perfect and infinite Mind. which includes a rejection in consciousness of every belief and evil dence contrary to these facts? It must be the affirmation of absolute Truth, and the denial of all error, positive arousing and awakening of consciousness to the reality of being.
 The prayers of Jesus, Mrs Eddy tells us in Science and Health G2:13-15) "were deep and con- scientious protests of Truth,-of mans likeness to God and of mans unity with Truth and Love-" In contemplating this perfect definition the marvellous results which always accompa nied Jesus prayers. We find no instance in Jesus life and teach ings of where the divine idea was ever ruled out of his thought, of where he ever held the image of evil as real. or admitted the genuineness and power of anything not truly rep resenting and reflecting God. Here may be discerned the secret of his demonstrated dominion, and the common lack of it on the part of his professed followers.
 Jesus teachings were simple. You may remember that he once said: What things soever ye desire, when ye pray. believe that ye receive them. and ye shal have them" (Mark 11:24 Isn't that simple; To the human mind it is entirely too simple and profound for it's grasp, or for any practical use. Yet. in Christian Christian teaching and the spirit of