FAITH THAT HEALS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 7, 8 July 1922, Page 15

FAITH THAT HEALS

NOTHING MORE WONDERFUL

Geoffrey Rhodes, writing in the London Chronicle on the Faith that Heals, remarks : — The popular idea of faith-healing a. ft semi-miraculous process operating in favour of those people ready, aa the flippant have it, to "believe things known to be untrue," is entirely at variance with scientific fact. It is those of little faith who pass' knotted strings through their fingers and say, "I ought to be better than I am." The vast legion of the truly faithful are being healed by virtue of that same faith every moment of their lives, for it is only when our natural confidence droops and flags that we turn to outside sources of inspiration to revive it. Faith is essential to existence. We cannot go a step without it. It bridges over the gaps in our understanding by preserving the unity of our knowledge. Every move we make is an act of faith. I should not put these remarks down on paper if I did not believe they would interest some of the readers of the Daily Chronicle and had not faith in the editor's intention of publishing them. SIR WILLIAM OSLER'S VIEWS. "Nothing in life," said the late Sir William Osier, "is more wonderful than faith—the one great moving force which we can neither weigh in the balance nor test in the crucible." _ . Psychologically considered, faith i_ an instinctive tendency of the mind to expect that what has been will be again. The commo. expression, "Lacking faith" is misleading. One may doubt the likeEhood of such and such an occurrence, but that very absence of belief in the pne case implies faith in something else. Wo instinctively believe in the unity and uniformity of the universe. When; we meet -with certain events that experience teaches us are usually followed by certain other events, we naturally look for the expected sequence. Nerve currents discharged from the brain follow the path of previous discharges; that is how we form habits. And the mind in the same way takes the line of least resistance along the channels already made. After all, it is not derogatory to faith to show that it is based on common sense. It is a perfectly rational; faculty of the human intelligence. If I go to Brighton to recruit my health because Brown went there and it did him good, I don't care whether you call the motive faith or good ■sense. Perhaps they are not so very different. INFLUENCE OF MIND. I don't blame people who fill their pockets with knotted string. But I do say that it is not evidence of great faith, but rather points to the absence of belief in tho remedies that most of us believe in. It must not be imagined that in saying this I am ruling out the influence of the mind over the body. On the contrary, it is impossible to fix a known limit to. the physical results of thought. Remedies can be introduced by the mind that a,re as effective, if not more so, a_ any drug that may be administered, or injected into the blood. What I am anxious to mako clear is that general experience points to certain praefcioe. as beneficial to health, and we should bo ill-advised to neglect thorn in favour of novel therapeutic methods. Wo aro not conscious of the extent of our dependence on faith until doubt intrudes upon us. Faith-healing aims at dispelling such doubt when it threatenthe existence of our proved and established beliefs. COMMUNITY" CHEER. There's no better way of promoting tlio spirit of cordiality and friendship than with a glass of t M'Gavin's Ale or jM'Gavin's Stout. These beverages are only mildly exhilarating, but give big dividends of vigour and pleasure. Unexcelled for table use. All hotels and bottle stores. Bottled in Wellington only by J. M'llraith and Co., 1.0, Willisstreet.—Advt,