The anonymous poster also asked the following question in response to my answer (post 13896):

I'm moving these questions out of the "Scandal..." thread since they do't fit into that topic.

First, let's clarify the definition of "reject." According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary"

reject = "to refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use" (emphasis mine)

Now that I understand that Mrs. Eddy's teachings disagree with the Bible while claiming to clarify it, I refuse to accept, consider, or use those teachings. I also reject her teaching that the material world is an illusion to be overcome.

So you can say that I don't belive in CS anymore, and you can equally say that I reject its teachings.

That said, this is a meaty matter indeed!  The first word that came to my mind upon engaging this thread was bondage.

Bondage comes in a variety of types, and within them, varieties of degree.  Spiritual bondage is very  applicable here, and will probably provoke the most numerous and heated replies, so I will leave it alone, for now. But there are others: psychological, familial, and economic for example.  Consider what you suggested back on the Principia thread, Linda--that some students may be at Prin simply because of parental pressure, or even coercion, in that they will pay costs for Principia and Principia only!

A long, long, time ago, in a thread far, far away I argued* that there is a parallel between belonging to a destructive religious group and those (usually female, no coincidence) who are in abusive relatinships. The victim hates it, fears it, wishes she could be free from it, and yet there are powerful factors which keep her in it, and/or returning to it.  There is a bizarre patholical logic to this, but victims do come back--a lot!  There is a system of rules they understand.  They remain charmed & enchanted by the abuser.  There are periods of tranquility and emotional bliss along the way.  They blame themselves (how true that is of CS'ists who "fail"!!) for their problems.  And they remain irrationally optimistic, always hoping & expecting that "next time it will be different."

We like to think of ourselves as rational and reasonable people, but are we, when and where it counts?

Another parallel:  Think of the investor who holds on to a stock or mutual fund long after it's tanked, still trusting his initial (bad) judgement, and still hoping and expecting that "it will turn around."

*based upon my experience as a night shift police officer, who has responded to quite a few domestic calls

The main question seems to be why would anyone stay in a belief system in which they sincerely did not believe.

That does not apply to me. I sincerely believed in CS and therefore stayed entirely of my own free will. I don't think I am alone among the exers here.

Ironically, one of the reasons I stayed in CS was the positive feedback and reinforcement I received from Sunday School teachers, practitioners, and church leaders including CS teachers and TMC Board members regarding my understanding of CS and ability to share it.

I was class taught at 18 and President of my CS College Org. I wrote, directed, and presented various special productions at local CS churches. I served as chair and speaker at a couple of regional CS Org events. I also served as a chair for a regional "Healing Goals" meeting. For the regional activities, I worked directly with representatives of the TMC Board or members themselves.

No one ever questioned my understanding of CS until I began writing in these forums. It was a pretty heady experience getting those kinds of strokes from those kinds of people. The irony of my CS past and Christian present (especially as co-moderator of these forums and officer in my church) often demonstrate to me how God can use anyone and anything to His purpose. So far, nobody has been able to convince me all those people were wrong.

Another reason I stuck with CS was I knew nothing else. My interactions with mainstream Christians were largely negative. I'd see so-called Christians on my college campus swearing, drinking, drugging, etc. who would then preach at me about the apostasy of CS. Even the leaders of college missions next to the CS Org at my school presented mainstream Christianity in a very poor light. It was my friendships with Jews that years later led to me finding a new respect for God's word that superceded CS.

Do Go Be Man
<><

"No one ever questioned my understanding of CS until I began writing in these forums."

And the reason for this- it's so much easier for them to question your understanding than their own.

I know you gave a synopsis of your resume to validate your understanding of the CS view of God, but another point should be made as well- you gave up quite a lot when you "rejected" CS. Sort of like when Paul gave his impressive resume as a Pharisee in Philippians 3, & then said- "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ." People don't give up hard gained lofty positions for mere idle notions but for strongly held convictions.

Hey, I just compared you to the Apostle Paul. Does that count as a "stroke?"

zoarean  

Do Go Be Man
<><