 Posted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:23 AM
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| A few years ago, shortly after I became a Bible-believing Christian, I took a "Precept" Bible study (inductive study method) class on I John where we discussed cleansing our homes (and lives) of all sorts of things that have to do with false religions. I had alot of what I thought was innocent folk art/jewelry, mostly from travels. Alot of it was actually demonic and cultic in nature. Once I realized I got rid of it. Soon I came to feel the same way about the CS books that I had - numerous S&Hs, Prose Works, biographies, We Knew MBE series, CS in Germany, all that stuff that everybody collected and much of which I inherited - it all started to bother me, too. I packed up the books in boxes to donate to the local reading room. Then a Christian friend asked me 'do you really want anyone to read that stuff?' and I realized, no I didn't; I had to throw it out. My friend said 'we should burn it,' but I thought that was too dramatic. So, I just took it out to the dumpster one day. Later I read in Acts 19: 19-20 (11-20 pertains, I think, to false practitioners) that a crowd of new believers, apparently convicted by Paul's teaching, confessed their former practice of magic arts (divination) and brought their books together and burned them all. The next passage says that the books were worth alot of money and then says "So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily." "So" being a term of conclusion I take it that the word of the Lord increased and prevailed mightily in part because of their confession and willingness to burn these books. I don't say that everybody has to get rid of their old CS books, but I would definitely make it a matter of prayer. I can well imagine what hardline Christian Scientists would say about this. But I also remember in Christian Science class instruction that my "teacher" told us 'never be too friendly with Roman Catholics or have them as servants in your home.' Nowadays I sure have more in common with Roman Catholics than I do with Mary Baker Eddy. I still have the King James Bible that I used with its matching Science and Health. And it still has some blue chalk marks in it. It makes me sad to think how we read only the snippets of verses that could be made to sound like they agreed with Christian Science, and we rarely read whole chapters, and even more rarely whole books of the Bible. I often feel sad or even angry about being told so many lies and wasting so many years not knowing who God really is and what He has done for me personally.
"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." I Peter 1: 8-9
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Posted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 6:46 AM
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| After leaving CS I also felt the need to get the CS books out of my house, so I put most of them in a dumpster but kept my matching leather-bound Bible and Science & Health. I later replaced some of the CS literature when I found myself involved in Christian Way and also writing a book about CS. At that point the CS writings did not have a spiritual grip on me the way they had when I originally threw them out. But after a few years I actually threw out my leather-bound Bible. It suddently felt tainted because of its obvious connection to Christian Science -- the CS Publishing Society info in the front, plus other stylistic features that were constant reminders that it had been printed by the CS Publishing Society. I didn't mind having the blatently CS material around as reference tools, but I couldn't stand having the CS-connected Bible around.
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Posted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 6:51 AM
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Inexpressible Joy,
I still have many of my Christian Science books. I don't rank them in the same category as some things of which I've rid my house. They do not, however, occupy the same places as they once did. Some are packed away as keepsakes and reminders of where I was. Others sit on my book shelf to serve as reference sources for this ministry. Back many years ago shortly after I began posting here, I had the opportunity to share my testimony of coming out of Christian Science with a Sunday School class. I used my old books as reference and "show-and-tell".
If they cause you to stumble, however, you should at least put them in an inaccessible location or be rid of them completely.
Do Go Be Man
<><
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Posted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 7:18 AM
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| I too felt the need to get rid of all my CS books. For me it was a sign of my complete renouncing of CS beliefs when I became a believer. It was very hard to throw away my leather-bound S&H, a gift from my grandmother, but I knew I had to do it. I kept my King James Bible for a while, but it reminded me too much of CS so I got rid of it too. I gave it to someone with no association with CS. Little did I realize at the time that although I renounced the beliefs, CS had a strong hold on most aspects of my life and certainly on my understanding of God. I've said this many times, and I'll say it again: This forum has been and is a tremendous blessing. Thank you, Linda and Do Go, for your work as moderators.
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Posted Wednesday, August 05, 2009 6:16 PM
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| Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on this topic of getting rid of Christian Science books. I feel like I may have a book in me about CS, too, but I promise it will not be a 'revelation' or have a glossary! I know the Lord will make it clear when/if it is time to review any of those books for His purposes. Oh! Did I say I am filled with inexpressible joy for believing the Gospel!!?!! I am!!!! Oh for a thousand tongues to sing! I also thank Linda and Do Go for this ministry. It was very hard to visit the site when I first learned about it. That old feeling of disloyalty to the 'cause'... but PTL, that is gone.
"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." I Peter 1: 8-9
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Posted Tuesday, August 11, 2009 5:08 PM
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I gave away my two sets of the large-print leather-bound books by advertising them on Craig's list. Actually, it was kind of funny; since I wanted the person to pick up the books at my home (just being lazy :-) I was worried about whether an axe-murderer might answer a Craig's list ad and gain access to my house during the day when I am here, alone. So I gave the first respondent a little email quiz to make sure she was actually the CSer she said she was.
Like... I quoted a verse from a well-established but non-MBE hymn and asked her for the next verse. I gave her the first couple of sentences from the definition of man ("What is man? He is not brain, blood and bones, or other material elements...) and asked her to keep going. Maybe 3 or 4 questions like that, that proved to be fun for both of us. It was stuff you would only know after attending church hundreds of times (she said she was 3rd-generation).
Interesting, that I respected the religion and the joyful spirit of her answers enough to totally trust her, and probably to give her a hug (don't quite remember) when she came to get the books. It was really a happy experience.
Interesting, too, that it took me 30 years after "leaving" the religion to say good-bye to my own books and those of my father.
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Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009 4:58 PM
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| such a shame I would of gave them to a reading room.
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Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009 5:49 PM
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| People suffer and/or die because they follow Christian Science. I am old enough to have seen it over and over and over again, the suffering and the dying and those poor CSers wondering why THEY can't get a healing after a lifetime of devoted churchgoing and studying. I would NEVER give Christian Science books to anyone. They belong in the landfill. One less book might mean one less chance for someone to be brought under the spell of that deadly, controlling cult. I sometimes wonder why there isn't more outrage against the deaths caused by this religion. Only those of us who have witnessed it have a voice. This forum is an important vehicle for our voice. Debates about Biblical interpretations pale in significance when needless death is too often the end result of Mary Baker Eddy's life and teachings. Square Peg
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Posted Wednesday, September 23, 2009 6:56 AM
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| this site is awful it only allows those who agree to post. sorry i will no longer be a member. if you are trying to reach otu to cs members this was a awful way to go about it.
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Posted Wednesday, September 23, 2009 7:29 AM
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Both my boys started the other day with 104.3 temps and with his divine love I am happy to say both attended school and are now fine. Sorry -- but that's the kind of torure that many of the former CSists I know went through as kids. Kids play the "I feel fine" game when they think they have to or when they think it will bring healing, but that doesn't mean they aren't suffering as they do it. And I can't help wondering how many kids at school caught the "false belief" that your kids carried to school along with their fevers.
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