I came across this in a recent post by Sharon and wanted to paste it here and make a few comments. 

*In my experience this is one of the common themes of the way Christian Science is practiced. This is yet another example.

*If Mark is still around I would like to hear if he observed people obsessing/worshiping their teachers and/or craving to be in their presence, and practitioners exercising power over their patients. My husbands teacher was from the same area of the Detroit suburbs that you lived in.  You probably knew her (E.J.) and maybe saw her minions.

*I would like to know where the phrase "the Dear Practitioner" came from.  Is this common CS lingo?  I was incensed to read that in an email my husband wrote to his male practitioner/teacher...that I was not supposed to see.  My husband never sent me emails that said "The Dear Square Peg made a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for the family" or anything like that! But he is OH so tender with his teacher???  This is just another example of CS wierdness. What makes practitioners or teachers SOOO saintly that thier followers have to call them Dear.  My husband doesnt know this guy especially well or on any personal level...but he is Dear?  Do you think the doctor that saved his life over and over recently is called Dear?  NO!!..but the practitioner/teacher who could NOT heal him is Dear.  Again, this is just plain cultish. It is exhalting people unnaturally because they supposedly have studied a religion more than they have. I know that members of a congregation do not feel that the minister is to be worshipped because he got a doctorate in religion.

Square Peg

I propose a tentative hypothesis, and invite comments and criticism.  As this incorrect dynamic seems to be especially prevalent among the cults, can we conclude that the more fallen (heretical) a doctrine is, the more likely we will find some form of spiritual-hero worship?

It may be that it is a normal thing in the Christian Science household to be constantly hearing this "dear" thing.  I remember my mother who practically idol worshiped these people.  For several years she spent most of her time in Minnesota taking care of her practitioner friend who had been in a car accident.  We lived in Indiana.  So my entire freshman and sophomore years in high school, most of the time my mother was gone.  And when she would come home she would sit and cry wanting to be up there with this woman (who by then was on her feet, after having quite a bit of medical care).  When my mother died, I came across these letters to this woman that literally made me sick and they all started with "my dear". 

Then there was the teacher in Chicago........I wish I knew how many hours I sat outside this woman's office waiting on my mother as she practically kneeled at that woman's feet.  And everything that happened in our house had to be checked first with the "dear teacher". 

I just think the whole thing is just plain weird!  

Sharon

While many Christian Scientists idolize their practitioners and give them WAY too much influence over their lives, I don't remember hearing the term "dear practitioner" used in everyday conversation. The people I was around would just refer to their "practitioner" rather then their "dear practitioner" when talking about them. (Keep in mind that I'm talking about casual conversation -- not letters or private conversations which would vary greatly depending upon who was involved.)

Another irksome point:  Notice how they always give the glory to Christian Science.."IT" works in their lives as if "IT" the philosophy is what is working...It should be GOD not a "process".  Not only do they glorify Mary Baker Eddy, but they glorify a "system of thinking" instead of the all powerful, majestic, and awesome GOD alone!