It sounds to me like you are trying to come-up with a million and one reasons to try CS some more.  Maybe you aren't quite ready to give-up yet.  It is kind of odd that you would present the very same arguement to me 5 years later in response to my story.  Almost word-for-word.

The new CS is great!!!  It's not like the old CS at all!!!

My own feeling is that you don't really know what you are talking about.

Try LIVING CS from an Orthodox standpoint for the next few years.  No matter how much it hurts you must maintain a complete distrust of the medical community, and never take any drugs, not even aspirin or even antacids.  Just pray to know "the truth".  If you are not strong enough to know "the truth" might I recommend talking to a CS Teacher.  Maybe they will help strengthen "the truth" for you, most likely over the phone.  No matter what goes wrong or how badly you want to give-up you must rely only on "the truth".  Failure is not an option.  Just remember that you are God's perfect reflection.  Because God is perfect you, as his reflection, are perfect.  Because God can't get sick or suffer you can't either.  You must also be VERY AFRAID that the Church might find-out if you even think of resorting to medical care, or even think of the use of any OTC drug.  After all, Church spies are everywhere, and you don't want anyone to find-out that you are not one of us, do you?  If they find out they will run you right out of the Church on a rail, and you don't want that to happen, do you?  If that happens you will be all alone, and you will no longer have access to "the truth".  Only if you repent and beg forgiveness and submit to punishment can you ever be the Prodigal Son again.

Only after surviving a decade or more of this will I feel that you completely know "the truth" about CS.  And who knows:  You might be one of the 10% that experiences a "miraculous" healing.  You might like CS so much that you fully embrace their ways and go back, like the Prodigal Son.  Just like my mom hopes eternally that I do.  At least I can say that I have known "the truth", very personally.  And "the truth" set me free, a long time ago!!!

It is hard to believe:  5 years and no progress.  Still preaching the same old story?  "I talked about leaving CS but never did because the new CS is sooo different"?  Get real my man.  Once CS, always CS.  If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck; my man; it's a duck.  So the duck is wearing some hip shades and looks so cool.  It is still a duck, and it doesn't matter how hard the duck tries to disguise itself, it is still a duck.  CS will always be CS, no matter how they dress it up, now or in the future.  The goal for the most devout members will always be the continuing belief in faith-healing and knowing "the truth".  This group will continue to occupy most of the power positions in the Church.  They will take your money and might even talk nicely to you, but their goal will continue to be keeping the Church a viable enterprise, while maintaining their long-held traditions.  Is that where you want to end-up?  Used as a cash-cow without any control over how the money is spent?

Keep-up the good work.  Maybe someday, in a galaxy far, far away, in the land that time forgot, you will find whatever it is that you are looking for.  I know what I am not looking for.  I am not seeking to rejoin the newly-hip CS Church.  34 years isn't nearly long enough, I'm afraid.

Have fun and be "safe".

Mark

Bigfoot

Lorela went to a Wed. night meeting recently in 03, and comments about changes in the CS Church and how members are now getting medical treatment.  In 08, Steve also makes the identical comment about changes in the "new" CS Church and how members are getting medical care and giving testimonies to that effect.  Or, maybe I got it backwards.  Maybe Lorela said that members were giving testimonies about healings from medical care.

In any event, the stories were virtually identical.  The same evidence was presented and the same claim was  defended.   Many of the same words and phrases were used. 

Enquiring minds want to know.

MArk