I have received a message from Curtis, a member of the Christian Scientists, who writes thus:
"Bravo Vicar for being willing to wrestle with Christian topics! Unfortunately, you largely misrepresent Christian Science. And it’s fair for me to say this, at least because I’m a Christian Scientist. But it’s perhaps also worth mentioning that I was raised and confirmed in a UCC church. Like Mary Baker Eddy, I’m a voracious Bible student, not to “correct” it but to gain inspiration and guidance. Our God is personal, a loving Supreme Being, although not a personality in the form of a self-absorbed mortal. With my life, I “believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.” I go out into the world “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Christians see different significance in the Holy Ghost, but a Christian Scientist’s depends upon what he gains from Scripture. Like you who publishes a blog and like Christians who’ve published books, Eddy published her “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” with the intent to support one’s relationship with the Bible and Christ. Thank God for good intents, but may He help us also to build on those in a fair, productive manner."
Curtis,
First and foremost, thank you for contacting me. I'm extremely keen to understand things and have a right understanding so your comments are excellent and most welcome. I'm sorry that you consider me to misrepresent, this is not my intention and I'm happy to be shown things from a different perspective and educated in areas where I might fall down.
With regard to the corrective element, I understood that the Bible only made sense when accompanied by reading 'Science and Health' (S&H). Are you saying this is not the case and that you (and therefore perhaps others) see the Bible as an accurate, stand-alone, book which needs no corrective key or additional explanatory notes?
In that your "God is personal, a loving Supreme Being, although not a personality in the form of a self-absorbed mortal," I find myself torn and a little confused. As I understand it, God, as you perhaps perceive Him, is a spiritual being with no bodily form (fair enough, not a show stopper, I know many Christians who see God so) but God as, "A self-absorbed mortal," must (I assume) refer to Jesus. If this is correct there is obviously a very wide area of difference between what Christian Scientists and non-scientist Christians believe (and is, for orthodox Christians, very much a show stopper).
When you say, “I believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ," and ""I go out into the world 'in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost'" What does this mean? in the context in which you find yourself?
I totally agree that, "Christians see different significance in the Holy Ghost." I am interested in understanding what is happening when you say, "Christian Scientist’s (understanding) depends upon what he gains from Scripture. Like you who publishes a blog and like Christians who’ve published books, Eddy published her “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” with the intent to support one’s relationship with the Bible and Christ."
If I am understanding you correctly, everything you have and the source of understanding comes from the Bible. This, in relation to the way God is viewed is actually something that is logical. What stumps me here, and I thank you for the way you have contextualised S&H, it puts the book into some perspective and helps me see how Christian Scientists regard it and how you might see it relate to the Bible. I wonder what one might gain without the book when it comes to the Bible and would like to understand about the half a million plus errors within the Bible (not individually of course, but in terms of genre, repetitive themes and the like). Do Christian Scientists really believe there are so many erors or is this a misrepresentation?
Like you, I thank God for good intents and hope that we might both (and all) help us to build upon them in a fair and productive manner. As you may have noticed from my assessment of the Christian Scientists, I found this to be an area when my lack of knowledge was compressed by what appears to be a lack of coherence.
May God bless you (and us) as we dialogue.
Pax
3 comments:
Hi Vic,
I think I can answer your question that you "would like to understand about the half a million plus errors within the Bible (not individually of course, but in terms of genre, repetitive themes and the like). Do Christian Scientists really believe there are so many erors or is this a misrepresentation?" When Mary Baker Eddy wrote that phrase in 1875, she was quoting her beloved 1868 copy of Smith's Bible dictionary. She was an amazing Bible scholar, reading and studying about the Bible as well as looking to it as her ONLY guide in daily life. Most Christian Scientists study the Bible on a daily basis, and use the Bible as the basis for their decisions. Science and Health is a textbook and includes a description of the Bible as "the chart of life" in it. I recommend you read the book, since you are already very familar with the Holy Bible, and it might answer some of your questions, instead of waiting for individual Christian Scientists to tell you what they think...
Linda Bargmann
Linda, thanks for your comments.
Will have a look round for a copy.
Pax,
V
As a former Christian Scientist,who was in CS from early childhood, I can confirm that it was instilled into our minds that "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" was, indeed, "The Key" to the Scriptures-necessary to rid ourselves of "old theology" and to aid us in spiritual development, including physical healing. A comparison between MBE's writings and Quimby's writings of that day would bring into question the so-called revelation of the former.As for fairness, reading "The Religion that Kills,Christian Science:Abuse, Neglect and Mind Control" by Dr. Linda S Kramer (to name but one of many books on this subject))will be most informative as to the ill-effects of Christian Science. ExCSUK,which exists to support those who have endured pain and misery and death of loved ones at the hands of radical CSists,who deny themselves the use of any medical treatment,is happy to provide copies!www.excs.blogspot.com refers.
Post a Comment