LETTER TO STANSFIELD TURNER FROM NATHAN A. TALBOT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05S00620R000601420083-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2009
• Sequence Number: 83
• Publication Date: May 8, 1978
• Content Type: LETTER

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The Christian Science Publisning SocietY
Journal, Sentinel, and Herald Editorial Department/ Geoffrey J. Barratt, Editor
May 8, 1978
Admiral Stansfield Turner
The Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, DC 20505
How very thoughtful of you to take the time out
of your active schedule to write.
It's always heartening to have evidence that the
periodicals are fulfilling their purpose.
I wish you the very best in your work. If you're
ever in Boston, I hope you'll feel free to stop in at
the Publishing Society and say hello.
Sincerely,
Nathan A. Talbot
Associate Editor
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The Director of Central Intelligence
27 April 1978
Dear Mr. Talbot,
May I thank you most.sincerely for your editorial
"What To Do About Spying" in the April 24th issue of
the Sentinel. I can't imagine anything more appropriate
or more helpful in my particular undertakings and
concerns these days. I get all kinds of advice and
criticism; no advice has been more uniquely suited
or more useful to me than your editorial. I do want
you to know how grateful I am.
I will do my best to put the precepts you have
laid out into practical application.
STANSFIELD TURNER
Mr. Nathan A. Talbot
Editorial Board
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SENTINEL
The Christian Science Publishing Society
1 Norway Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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What to do about spying
Espionage. Spies and counterspies. Clandestine and covert
activities. All of this has been with us for a very long time.
In today's world such activity would hardly be considered di-
vinely inspired! More often it is thought an unfortunate but un-
avoidable necessity. While the potential for abuse has surfaced
in recent years, the gathering of intelligence is obviously going to
continue-at least for the time being.
Is there a spiritual perspective that can be brought to bear on
the whole area of information gathering?
When the children of Israel'drew near to the Promised Land
of Canaan, Moses sent spies ahead (see Num. 13-14). Their mis-
sion was to examine the land and determine the strengths and
weaknesses of the people. After forty days the men felt they had
gathered sufficient intelligence. But there was disagreement
over their findings. Most felt it was clearly unwise to move
against Canaan. Contrary to the weight of opposing evidence,
Caleb and Joshua argued for the move.
Moses and the people were faced with an age-old intelligence
problem: accurately assessing information. Moses was a man
who turned naturally to God. He had felt divinely led to seek
out the information. Although he intuitively perceived
the answer now, the people themselves did not exercise suffi-
cient spiritual insight to recognize the right solution. Their
lack of spiritual perceptiveness cost them forty years in the
wilderness.
A striking example of exercising spiritual insight occurred sev-
eral hundred years later. Attacks planned by Syria against Is-
rael had been foiled. The king of Syria suspected that one of his
men must have delivered intelligence to Israel. The fact was
that Elisha, through his spiritual-mindedness, perceived the Syr-
ian plans and provided the king of Israel with the information
necessary to avoid the attacks (see II Kings 6).
Moses' followers had failed to see beyond the accumulation
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CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SENTINEL
and. analysis of information. Moses was largely unsupported in
his exercise of divine intelligence. Elisha's perceptions and ac-
tions showed the unique possibilities of drawing on God as
Mind-the one supreme intelligence. The aggression ceased.
Are there lessons here for present-day methods and motives?
Spiritual-mindedness enlarges the capacities of perception
and discernment. One who understands the nature of God as di-
vine Mind can support the exercise of spiritual insight-the
drawing on divine intelligence-by those engaged in gathering
and assessing intelligence.
Christian Science teaches that God is Mind-the one divine,
eternal source of intelligence. Divine intelligence is not a mass
of human information. It is Mind's infinite, ever-present know-
ing. In reality, all is Spirit, Mind, and its ideas. Man is spirit-
ual. He is the expression of Mind-the reflection of divine
intelligence. To the extent the Christ reveals these truths to us,
human capacities are broadened.
We begin to find that useful and purposeful facts can he rec-
ognized with dependability--even exactness. To realize that
Mind is all-knowing, and that man reflects this nature, relieves
human thought of its limitations. Ultimately it lifts us entirely
out of beliefs of mortality. But during that process of spiritual
growth, we find increased acumen and intuition and less uncer-
tainty and miscalculation. Elisha certainly proved the practical
effects of these truths.
Each of us can become more acutely aware of.the fact that
man, the child of God, reflects divine intelligence. We can rec-
ognize that the gathering of human facts will be exercised more
reliably and without abuse as the human mind is subordinated
Some may find it puzzling to discuss spirituality and an in-
creasing awareness of God as the only Mind when considering
the business of spying. Nevertheless, a love for God as Mind
will increase spiritual perceptiveness and thus the ability to
know accurately what is of value. Even more important, it will
serve as a protection against the abusive exercise of the human
revealing its goodness . and perfection-can move those legiti-
mate human activities presently felt to be necessary toward a
more reliable basis. An emphasis on such spiritual insight will
protect and strengthen thought and guide it away from human
abuse toward Mind, the one source of divine intelligence. The
increased exercise of spiritual insight is inevitably a blessing for
NATHAN A. TALBOT
The New York Times, June 19, 1977; 2 Science and Health, p. 85.
662 Vol. 80, No. 17 April 24, 1978 863
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EDITORIAL SECTION
mind-whether by a government toward its own citizens or by
one government toward another.
Exploration , into certain areas of parapsychology has in-
creased the possibility of wrongful mental manipulation.
According to one news account, "A French scientist and former
intelligence agent ... [observes] that extrasensory perception,
one of the theories studied by parapsychology, may be used
in espionage, thought control, surveillance and as a form of
weapon."
Christian Science deals very specifically' with this kind of
misuse of the human mind. It reveals how an understanding of
man as a reflection of divine Mind lifts thought above the er-
roneous concept that man is mortal and has a personal mind,
capable of evil. Mrs. Eddy contrasts immortal Mind-reading
and mortal mind reading, showing how through divine Mind we
can properly foresee facts that concern our welfare. Then she
makes an important distinction: "This Mind-reading is the op-
posite of clairvoyance. It is the illumination of the spiritual un-
derstanding. which demonstrates the capacity of Soul, not of
material sense. This Soul-sense comes to the human mind when
the latter yields to the divine Mind.
"Such intuitions reveal whatever constitutes and perpetuates
harmony, enabling one to do good, but not evil." 2
. Certainly Elisha yielded to the divine Mind. It enabled him
to do good. Our conscious recognition that Mind is One-ever