 Posted Tuesday, July 11, 2006 3:10 PM
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| I always check c-span's booktv.org site on weekends to see if there's anything interesting (other than political writers). Last weekend there was a lecture/Q&A by David Oshinsky the author of this book. What a revelation! I have trouble with the medical community in general and this brought home how wonderful medicine can be when the government stays out of it. I have the book reserved at the library and haven't read it yet, but since I have a personal story connected, I did wanted to comment. I lived through the polio scare as a child and, of course, it wasn't treated as such by my parents. This is the only time my mother 'gave in' when asked to donate to a medical charity. You have no idea how out of character this was for her. Little cards were distributed at school to fill in the openings with dimes and quarters for the March of Dimes. I remember like it was yesterday. Of course, FDR was the great administrator along with his personal lawyer who kept the 'march' going. This story alone is enough to make one weep. Of course, regrettably, he died some years before the Salk vaccine. There were 'survivors' in the audience, some suffering from post-polio sydrome, some ancient nurses who described the old 'iron lungs,' and even a few laughs along the way, but the main emphases in the book are on the vaccine and immunizations 'discovered' by Salk and Sabin (who, btw, 'despised each other...which brought the biggest laugh). The Sister Kenny treatments were discussed in detail, but the most important aspect in this particular lecture was how successful the March of Dimes became and the importance of it in saving millions of lives. I remember the caution expressed about swimming, large crowds (movies, especially), and to watch 'symptoms' of every kind in your child. Of course, my sister and I were allowed to attend movies, swim whenever, and didn't worry about crowds anywhere and I'm sure these people who joined in these activities were not all Christian Scientists, so there you are. The polio in Africa is predicted to be eradicated by 2010. Let's hope this proves to be true.
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Posted Tuesday, July 11, 2006 3:11 PM
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Forgot to sign....sigh...
Also Curious
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Posted Friday, May 02, 2008 2:51 PM
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| [Moderator's note: message deleted by IleftCSin74's special request]
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Posted Friday, May 02, 2008 6:21 PM
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| What was your roommate's name (FIRST name only, please)? I knew a guy at Prin who had gotten polio at Daycroft and walked with a pronounced limp.
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Posted Saturday, May 03, 2008 6:52 PM
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| [Moderator's note: message deleted by IleftCSin74's special request]
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Posted Saturday, May 03, 2008 8:04 PM
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| Mark, The guy I knew from Daycroft was named David L, so we're not talking about the same person. Wish I could have told you that your friend is OK!
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Posted Sunday, May 04, 2008 11:21 PM
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Mark, You say that the Pasadena church is "sure a hotbed of CS defenders". What Christian Science church, or any other church or organization, wouldn't defend itself again such attacks? I'm sure you would also defend yourself if unfairly attacked. Christian Scientists in Pasadena are like any other members of our churches. They are hard working, kind, generous and loving individuals. Your mother is a hard worker in her church. We stand side-by-side in several church functions. I don't always agree with her, but I respect her sincerity and dedication to her church, both in Pasadena and to the Christian Science field in general. Obviously, being a Christian Science teacher, as was your step-dad, she loves this church. Again, I say, anyone would defend what they believe in and what they have clearly demonstrated has worked for their own lives. We've all witnessed some great healings. It's never the truth that Mary Baker Eddy gave us that fails us. As you must certainly well remember from your upbringing, it's our lack of our own understand of our unbroken relationship to God that fails us. Maybe you can take a little time to reflect on some of those truths you learned in your own upbringing. And maybe you won't be quite as critical of our church or of your dear mother, one who loves God with all her heart. And, just maybe, you can withhold on some of your "second-guessing" about the numbers of people attending Christian Science churches that you know nothing about.
In all true sincerity,
A watchful Christian Scientist
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Posted Monday, May 05, 2008 7:46 AM
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| Dear Watchful, I appreciate your desire to defend your CS faith....but...this is a forum for those of us who are FORMER members or followers of Christian Science who have worked our way out, some of us into mainstream Christianity and some of us still struggling with our spirituality. We all have our stories and our struggles and our observations to tell. I frankly do not appreciate what I percieve to be the constant trolling of this forum by Christian Scientists bent on arguing every point one of us makes. If we are so full of "error" then keep away from us and you can simply "know the truth" about us. Perhaps we can be healed. In your belief, arguing with us can make you a victim of our "malicious animal magnatism" so better that you stay away. Let us have our "erroneous beliefs" in what the Scriptures actually say and not what the man who re-wrote Science and Health says they say, please! Sharon
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Posted Monday, May 05, 2008 9:08 AM
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Watchful:
With all due respect to you Sharon, I want to let you, Watchful, know that you are welcome here, as are your posts. We have had many respectful discussions between those in CS and those of us who have left. Please continue to monitor and post as you wish.
I personally am aware of instances where healing has not taken place in CS, and also where it has. Per the latter, I would suggest that there are many other reasons why folks in the religion are healed (which indeed those in CS are not inclined to explore). I can certainly provide a list.
Also, does healing in itself prove that a religion (or denomination) has the truth exclusively? If so, there are a thousand churches and religions which using this basis only can claim to be the one, true faith. Their documentation of healings in many instances is much better documented that those in CS with outside independent verification. These faiths totally reject the metaphysical interpretation that MBE has given to the Bible. yet they experience healings. How does CS explain these demonstrations outside of metaphysicss?
It's hard to do after a lifetime in CS, but I'd ask that you keep an open mind regarding what you see on this website.
Again, welcome, and please stay with us (and invite your friends).
John
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Posted Monday, May 05, 2008 10:26 AM
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SharonMarie,
I appreciate your desire to defend your CS faith....but...this is a forum for those of us who are FORMER members or followers of Christian Science who have worked our way out, some of us into mainstream Christianity and some of us still struggling with our spirituality.
With all due respect... while the majority of contributors to these forums are former CSists, we welcome CSists and try even in our obvious disagreements to be respectful of their beliefs. I have greatly benefited from the contributions of CSists to these forums though perhaps not in the manner they intended.
As a CSist beginning to question CS, I participated in a Christian online forum. Though questioning, I stuck to the CS "partyline" and learned a great deal regarding Biblical truth. The Christians on that site probably never knew the impact their apparently unsuccessful discussions had. I frequently reveled in smoking them with my CS flames and unerring logic. As a loyal CSist, I had no other venue to explore my doubts or to taunt the Christians that insisted I lacked grace and a Christian in name only.
I welcome the issues raised by CSists. They provide me new opportunities to explore Scripture in the context of specific CS teachings. Aristole identified one of the hazards of isolating any group relative to what they believe and study. In isolation, it's relatively easy to control group beliefs. Problem is that it's just as easy to change group beliefs when exposed to alternates. I've found that CS teachings, when objectively studied, fail easily in the light of Scriptures. Undoing decades of CS study will, however, likely be a lifelong process. As a proponent of the Scientific Method, I appreciate the opportunity to conduct specific Biblical study that I can document and present for peer review.
Whether a CSist gains strength in CS or Scripture from these forums is beyond my control. I pray that God uses us in whatever manner He so chooses.
Do Go Be Man
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