I was reading the news items at CS Directory yesterday and after the articles there were places for people to comment. Not surprisingly the comments were negative about CS. It’s so hard to believe that after all these years people are still so in the dark about CS. However the only Christian Scientist responding to all the negativity didn’t communicate to them very well. She was talking about prophecy and the Bible. Well other religions have that, but they don’t “put their children at risk” for them. The world should know how healthy our children are, and how our members live long lives without the assistance of medicine.
People who question Christian Science as health care don’t have a clue about our practice. We look like religious fundamentalist, faith healers from the outside. And is that surprising? We are the only church that isn’t strictly, radically fundamentalist that uses King James exclusively. We go on and on about the divine revelation of our Leader. Much like the Mormons do. We continue to publish new recordings of old hymns, much like the most fundamentalist radicals do. Our church services are exclusive, boring, antiquated, hard to understand, and many times rather cold.
If someone found themselves in a Christian Science church on a Sunday, there’s no way for them to understand what we’re really doing. Christian Science is so much more than the Bible Lesson, but that’s all we put out there on Sunday.
We generally only communicate with our own members. We don’t do really do community outreach. Since most people understand church as a Sunday activity and not a storefront or magazine, our “community outreach” has no context for people. There’s no reason for anyone to go out of their way to expose themselves to our ideas. They’ve never even heard of us.
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Respectfully I have to disagree with your comment that those who question Christian Science as health care don't have a clue as to their practices. In my opinion, those most opposed to Christian Science come from its own ranks and have seen or suffered the effects of choosing Christian Science over medical treatment.
ReplyDeleteWell then those from its own ranks don't have a clue as to the practice of Christian Science either. Christian Science heals, it's been proven for 130 years. Denying yourself medical treatment isn't the same as Choosing Christian Science. When applied properly it's more effective than medicine. It's irresponsible of someone to deny themselves effective treatment no matter what, and these people must work our thier salvation however they must.
ReplyDeleteBesides medical science isn't perfect. I know Christian Scientists that died under medical care.
That is the same "blame the victim" mentality that has been used every time someone dies when using Christian Science to heal and it doesn't work. How is it irresponsible to practice Christian Science as taught in Science and Health? Where does Ms. Eddy say it is certainly alright to give up and succomb to matter? When one begins to think they are not getting their healing, isn't this just erroneous thinking that needs correction? No, medical science is not perfect but they will admit it and tell you up front that it isn't perfect. They will also allow you to pray while you are under treatment and won't tell you that it will interfere with the healing. Isn't it true that you cannot practice Christian Science prayer at the same time that you are under medical treatment? The blame is not placed on the patient every time medical science fails. I know patients who have died under medical treatment, Christian Scientists who have died under medical treatment, but I also know both who have been relieved of pain and suffering and are alive today because they sought medical treatment. Tragically, I know Christian Scientists who did not seek medical treatment and suffered and died too early. They were devout, loving, and class taught Christian Scientists. From personal experience as a child in a Christian Science family and knowing others who have left the church, there is another side to the stories which are silenced. Further, I think it is not in God's agenda to sacrifice one's life here on Earth just to "work out their salvation however they must" It is not my intent to argue but to shed light on why the church is not propering. The problems are more numerous than just boring church services. If the public sees Christian Science as having a better healing record than medical science through visible, verifiable (and not just verified by other Christian Scientists) healings, it would gain respect and grow.
ReplyDeleteI hear what you’re saying. But it’s definitely not CS that didn’t work. CS is just the law, it’s impersonal and doesn’t change from one person to the next. That’s a major difference with medicine. If medicine fails then it’s the fault of the medicine or the doctors who prescribe it or the body that didn’t respond well to it. If someone fails to be healed in CS it can’t be the fault of CS because it’s all or nothing, either it’s true or it isn’t. So as innocent as any victim is, the risk you take in choosing CS is that in a way it is all on you getting your thought straight. I think Christian Scientists should take their healthcare as seriously as anyone else. But you have to know if you’re choosing CS or are you denying medicine. Working out our salvation takes an eternity, as we’re eternal beings. So why should it matter if we work it out right this minute. If choosing medical care is our highest sense of our understanding right now than that’s what we should do. It can’t remove us from our present perfection, it just becomes one more step in our growing understanding.
ReplyDeleteAll I’m saying is if we do choose CS then we better get healthy. If we aren’t getting well then we need to be more humble and honest. And we should never make a healthcare decision based on what we think a book says or especially judgment from our community. If that’s the way someone makes their decision then I would say it is their fault. Or at least it’s the fault of the community that led them to believe it. We must only choose Christian Science because it works, or there’s no point. We might as well just watch Oprah.