The Facts on the Mind Sciences (Harvest House, 1993), p. 41

How do the Mind Sciences lead individuals to self-deception?

The Mind Sciences teach people to accept the false idea that their minds have divine power, making it easy for people to become self-deceived when confronted with the difficult areas of life—such as disease, death, personal assault, divorce, etc.

We will never forget an elderly Christian Science neighbor. All day long she cried out in terrible pain from the disease she refused to accept as real. Her cries were so loud they would often wake us up in the morning. This lady rejected all medical assistance, thinking it was a betrayal of her faith. Her response merely reaffirmed the “truth” of Christian Science: “I am in perfect health. Disease is an illusion of mortal mind. Pain has no reality.”

We can only wonder how many thousands have suffered needlessly by refusing medical help, relying instead on the supposed powers of their mind for a “cure.” We can only wonder how many have died early deaths. Indeed, who can deny that those in Mind Sciences who refuse to accept evil, disease, and death will eventually have to face these realities?…

Unfortunately, those who deny the reality of the fallen human condition often become victims of their own philosophy. While one denies any reality to a disease, that disease continues its progress unimpeded in the body. When one refuses to accept reality to evil, seeing only “the goodness of God” in all people, one becomes easy prey for people who would take advantage of them….

No one likes the bad things that happen in life or the fact that we are all fallen beings who get sick, have problems, and finally die. But denying the reality of these things is not the solution. Far from preventing problems, in many cases Mind Science belief is only going to cause them or exacerbate them. Those who deny reality will become the victims of reality for the simple reason that they cannot identify the real problem.