Church of Christian Science

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I must admit, I know nothing of Christian Science except that they don’t believe in medical healing, only spiritual healing.

What is the Church of Christian Science?

I’m thinking of getting myself a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scripture by Mary Baker Eddy to learn more about this church.
 
The God hypothesis and religion have no place in science. Science interprets science. Science is not the study of creation as that is a logical impossibillity. Science is the study of what is and how things work NOT the study of what was not and now is.

That said the atheism hypothesis and belief system also have no place in science.
 
While I do not think there is anything wrong with learning about other “belief systems”, I would caution not to lose faith in the Catholic Church.

The Christian Science website itself does not provide much information. Also, they say they do not not have Priests, etc.
 
SalesianSDB said:
I must admit, I know nothing of Christian Science except that they don’t believe in medical healing, only spiritual healing.

What is the Church of Christian Science?

I’m thinking of getting myself a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scripture by Mary Baker Eddy to learn more about this church.
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I’m thinking you won’t really be learning anything other than the root cause of the contempt for Science that they have.
 
SalesianSDB said:
I must admit, I know nothing of Christian Science except that they don’t believe in medical healing, only spiritual healing.

What is the Church of Christian Science?

I’m thinking of getting myself a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scripture by Mary Baker Eddy to learn more about this church.
Click to expand...
A pretty well researched explanation about Christian Science is in the book “Kingdom of the Cults” by Dr. Walter Martin. He explains it founding and its “theology” and shows how to refute all of its claims. Although it is a cult, it has some good points.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
Javl said:
A pretty well researched explanation about Christian Science is in the book “Kingdom of the Cults” by Dr. Walter Martin. He explains it founding and its “theology” and shows how to refute all of its claims. Although it is a cult, it has some good points.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
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If a cult is “poison” as I have seen it called here, then how much poison is safe to drink in any given glass of it?
 
Christian Science is a religious tradition which developed in the 19th century through the experiences of Mary Baker Eddy. She was healed through prayer and felt inspired to write the “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures”.

C.S. believe that God is Spirit, Divine Mind and Love. Sin and disease are “errors” of “mortal mind” and by joining with the Divine Mind, these “errors” can be “treated” to extinction.

Matter…is illusion…an illusion of permanence…an illusion of our mortal minds. God alone is All that Is. Christ Jesus…the Christ Spirit filled the man Jesus and brought him into communion with Divine Mind…to such a degree he was able to overcome death and the grave…“death” is the last illusion to be overcome.

If you are interested in knowing more about Christian Science, pick up a copy of the Science and Health…the Goodwill or Salvation Army usually have copies for a couple dollars. Or visit a Christian Science Reading Room…they have literature that explains Christian Science better than I ever could…they speak from experience…I only from a detached observation.

I have attended Christian Science services…there are hymns, prayers and a “sermon” consisting of alternate readings from the KJV of the Bible and the S&H.

Of all Christian worship experiences…this was the most…“simple” I’ve encountered except for a Meeting for Worship among Friends.

The “pastor” is the Bible and Science and Health. Each Sunday the same “sermon” is given in every Christian Science Church. The “Mother Church” in Boston publishes a lesson book which will outline the “sermon” and what passages are to be read…each member is to study during the week to gain insight from the alternate passages read.

C.S. are not “against” medical assistance…but such “assistance” is illusion…feeding the minds belief that sickness and death have substance and power…only God as Divine Mind is “real”.
 
Christian Science has some similarities to the teachings of the Oriental religions. It espouses No Trinity, No Sin, No Satan, no Hell, etc., etc., etc. God is like a super Brainiac all-enveloping Force. It certainly is a belief system, although not remotely Christian.
 
StrawberryJam said:
If a cult is “poison” as I have seen it called here, then how much poison is safe to drink in any given glass of it?
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Unless your faith is very strong ( immunity ), I would not recommend drinking any of it.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
Publisher said:
Christian Science is a religious tradition which developed in the 19th century through the experiences of Mary Baker Eddy. She was healed through prayer and felt inspired to write the “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures”.

C.S. believe that God is Spirit, Divine Mind and Love. Sin and disease are “errors” of “mortal mind” and by joining with the Divine Mind, these “errors” can be “treated” to extinction.

Matter…is illusion…an illusion of permanence…an illusion of our mortal minds. God alone is All that Is. Christ Jesus…the Christ Spirit filled the man Jesus and brought him into communion with Divine Mind…to such a degree he was able to overcome death and the grave…“death” is the last illusion to be overcome.

If you are interested in knowing more about Christian Science, pick up a copy of the Science and Health…the Goodwill or Salvation Army usually have copies for a couple dollars. Or visit a Christian Science Reading Room…they have literature that explains Christian Science better than I ever could…they speak from experience…I only from a detached observation.

I have attended Christian Science services…there are hymns, prayers and a “sermon” consisting of alternate readings from the KJV of the Bible and the S&H.

Of all Christian worship experiences…this was the most…“simple” I’ve encountered except for a Meeting for Worship among Friends.

The “pastor” is the Bible and Science and Health. Each Sunday the same “sermon” is given in every Christian Science Church. The “Mother Church” in Boston publishes a lesson book which will outline the “sermon” and what passages are to be read…each member is to study during the week to gain insight from the alternate passages read.

C.S. are not “against” medical assistance…but such “assistance” is illusion…feeding the minds belief that sickness and death have substance and power…only God as Divine Mind is “real”.
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Of course, reading anything from the CS library will present the best side of CS. But, if you really want to know all, I reiterate, read about CS in Dr. Martin’s book. It’s the best I’ve come across.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
Senecus said:
Christian Science has some similarities to the teachings of the Oriental religions. It espouses No Trinity, No Sin, No Satan, no Hell, etc., etc., etc. God is like a super Brainiac all-enveloping Force. It certainly is a belief system, although not remotely Christian.
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Yep. And it’s founder, M.B. Eddy, did not always practice what she preached either. She usually had a Doctor in attendance whenever she was ill and always took medicine for her ills.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
Javl said:
Of course, reading anything from the CS library will present the best side of CS. But, if you really want to know all, I reiterate, read about CS in Dr. Martin’s book. It’s the best I’ve come across.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
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While Walter Martin was a great apologist for evangelical Christianity…his books from what I remember paint a very negative view of what he terms “cults”…and not always accurate in his need to prove “cultists” wrong.

No…I have no documentation…I’ve read his books…even heard him in person once…not impressed…and while he was not totally “anti-catholic”…he did not believe the Catholic church gave the correct understanding of Christianity either…they were “almost a cult” in his estimation.
 
Javl said:
A pretty well researched explanation about Christian Science is in the book “Kingdom of the Cults” by Dr. Walter Martin. He explains it founding and its “theology” and shows how to refute all of its claims. Although it is a cult, it has some good points.
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I see.

Likewise, I suppose that anyone who wants to learn about Catholicism should begin with Friedrich Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil, Edward Gibbons’ Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Geza Vermes’ Jesus the Jew, the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, Elaine Pagel’s* The Gnostic Gospels*, and John Dominic Crossan’s The Birth of Christianity.
 
Noesis said:
I see.

Likewise, I suppose that anyone who wants to learn about Catholicism should begin with Friedrich Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil, Edward Gibbons’ Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Geza Vermes’ Jesus the Jew, the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, Elaine Pagel’s* The Gnostic Gospels*, and John Dominic Crossan’s The Birth of Christianity.
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Let’s not go overboard, but tell me, please, how else do you learn, other than by being a member, if not by reading? Of course stories from members and ex-members would be skewed, but you have to start somewhere. Or do you have a different and “better” system?

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
Javl said:
Let’s not go overboard, but tell me, please, how else do you learn, other than by being a member, if not by reading? Of course stories from members and ex-members would be skewed, but you have to start somewhere. Or do you have a different and “better” system?

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
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Examining primary sources of information may be a good start. That’s how I have learned about the Catholic faith.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Examining primary sources of information may be a good start. That’s how I have learned about the Catholic faith.
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Good advice…often when one explores a faith…going to the primary source of information…the faith itself is the best way to learn what people believe…if one relys on it’s opponents to tell you what a particular faith believes and practices…you’ll get a very skewed perspective…not accurate at all…that’s one of the reasons I come to CAF…I want to understand Catholic belief from Catholics…I can always get the skewed version from others…but I wouldn’t be able to understand the depth of insight of Catholicism unless I read Catholic books and discuss with Catholic believers.

No one will be able to understand the depth of belief and practice of Christian Science except though Christian Science literature, scripture and attending their services. I enjoy reading passages from Science and Health…especially the passage on prayer…many of Mary Baker Eddy’s ideas are foreign to me…but through reading her writings and the cooresponding biblical passages…I have a better understanding of Christian Science than simply reading Walter Martin or another evangelical or Catholic apologist concerning Christian Science…they may give me another perspective…but they do not inform me how do Christian Scientists understand themselves.
 
Publisher said:
Good advice…often when one explores a faith…going to the primary source of information…the faith itself is the best way to learn what people believe…if one relys on it’s opponents to tell you what a particular faith believes and practices…you’ll get a very skewed perspective…not accurate at all…that’s one of the reasons I come to CAF…I want to understand Catholic belief from Catholics…I can always get the skewed version from others…but I wouldn’t be able to understand the depth of insight of Catholicism unless I read Catholic books and discuss with Catholic believers.
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I agree up to a point. But, what would you consider the primary souces? Many who do go to the primary sources may/do not understand or believe them. Also, these primary sources may themselves be skewed to present a more favorable side.
No one will be able to understand the depth of belief and practice of Christian Science except though Christian Science literature, scripture and attending their services. I enjoy reading passages from Science and Health…especially the passage on prayer…many of Mary Baker Eddy’s ideas are foreign to me…but through reading her writings and the cooresponding biblical passages…I have a better understanding of Christian Science than simply reading Walter Martin or another evangelical or Catholic apologist concerning Christian Science…they may give me another perspective…but they do not inform me how do Christian Scientists understand themselves.
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Again, I agree up to a point. From my experience with CS, I have found that much of the literature on CS written by “outsiders”, although also skewed, is more representative of the actual syatem than that presented by the CS church itself. I do concede that both sides must be heard before any judgement can or should be made. But, then again, my comments are made from personal experience and study.

PAX DOMINI :signofcross:

Shalom Aleichem
 
Publisher said:
Good advice…often when one explores a faith…going to the primary source of information…the faith itself is the best way to learn what people believe…if one relys on it’s opponents to tell you what a particular faith believes and practices…you’ll get a very skewed perspective…not accurate at all…that’s one of the reasons I come to CAF…I want to understand Catholic belief from Catholics…I can always get the skewed version from others…but I wouldn’t be able to understand the depth of insight of Catholicism unless I read Catholic books and discuss with Catholic believers.

No one will be able to understand the depth of belief and practice of Christian Science except though Christian Science literature, scripture and attending their services. I enjoy reading passages from Science and Health…especially the passage on prayer…many of Mary Baker Eddy’s ideas are foreign to me…but through reading her writings and the cooresponding biblical passages…I have a better understanding of Christian Science than simply reading Walter Martin or another evangelical or Catholic apologist concerning Christian Science…they may give me another perspective…but they do not inform me how do Christian Scientists understand themselves.
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I will try to learn about your faith next, but only with primary sources.
Your open mind to wanting to know others faiths, and fairness gives me reason to learn what you believe.
 
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