 Posted Tuesday, June 03, 2003 2:05 PM
|
|
|
|
| Nothing will "increase the membership" of Christian Science at this late date. The stigma is too deep and and is irreversible. Nothing will change the notion that CS is the religion that declines medicine and "kills children." Ms. Fraser made that point perfectly clear in her book. That was what sold the book. Writers think of a "hook" before they sit down and access MS Word and begin writing and that was her hook. That's why I bought the darn thing. Who is really interested in reading more and more about Boston and the shenanigans that went on there for years? I write "Boston" because that's how my mother referred to the MC as if the entire city of Boston was on its knees in reverence to MBE. I haven't been in a CS church for 20 years. I am fortunate to have good health and seldom need the services of materia medica. Nevertheless, I continue to be very nervous about where this drug culture is taking us. I refer to legal drugs, of course. Does anyone else out there (former or current CSers) feel a little superior when you are able to take some kind of a mental stand against your body when it is trying to tell you that you're sick? This is why I am grateful to all those painful years spent in CS Sunday School.
|
|
|
Posted Tuesday, June 03, 2003 5:57 PM
|
|
|
|
Does anyone else out there (former or current CSers) feel a little superior when you are able to take some kind of a mental stand against your body when it is trying to tell you that you're sick? This is why I am grateful to all those painful years spent in CS Sunday School.
No, I can't say I really feel a little superior when I get sick. I feel happy that I gave up the CS idea that makes me to blame when I have a cold or the flu or a sore toe. Instead, I reason that I probably got caught in a draft, was around someone else who was ill, or have been running too much and need to slow down a bit and rest my foot.
I am not grateful for the time I spent in a CS Sunday School at all. I had too many weeks of trying to make all of the CS doctrine make sense -- or else being bored stiff and skipping it altogether. If it taught me to avoid listening to my body and getting care when I am sick, then it taught me the wrong thing. I have a high pain threshhold because I never took medicine when I was growing up in spite of what were probably strep throat, measles, chickenpox, severe colds, etc. Even today, I am sometimes amazed when I remember to take an asprin and the pain stops.
I have no patience with a religion that tells me my thinking makes me sick. If standing porter at the door of thought got me heat stroke, acne, a deviated septum, a sprained wrist and warts because I didn't think the right thoughts when I was 14 or so, then frankly, I'll fire the porter and leave my mind wide open. Seems to work a lot better, since I have overcome almost all of the above since I started taking medicine. Still working on the warts.
Any Mouse 
|
|
|
Posted Tuesday, June 03, 2003 6:36 PM
|
|
|
|
My CS sister-in-law once asked me if my background in CS strengthened me spiritually. She knew I had left CS though at the time I was still not willing to openly oppose CS so accurately, yet incompletely and dishonestly, said, Yes. Years in CS perhaps did predispose me towards radical reliance on God though for the wrong reasons. Otherwise, I'm not sure on what basis I would feel mentally superior as a result of CS.
Do Go Be Man
<><
|
|
|
Posted Tuesday, June 03, 2003 8:17 PM
|
|
|
|
<< Does anyone else out there (former or current CSers) feel a little superior when you are able to take some kind of a mental stand against your body when it is trying to tell you that you're sick? >>
Actually, I find it more satisfying to acknowledge my body's needs and to cooperate with them than to work against my body. (I used to stand against my body as you're talking about, and managed to do some real damage in the process.)
It's interesting -- trauma victims tend to dissociate, which is a separation of mind and body that may or may not involve losing their sensation of touch. I'm convinced that Christian Scientists tend to live in a state of mild dissociation as they continually deny the reality of their physical bodies and claim that their pain is not real. That's not a good thing. It emotionally separates them from themselves as well as other people.
|
|
|
Posted Wednesday, June 04, 2003 1:49 PM
|
|
|
|
I attended a Christian Science "Puppet Show" Lecture this past Saturday. It was quite "cute." Although I arrived late I thought it was well done. It took place at a Community Center which was having a Fair at the same time. The attendance was large--half kids and half parents.
I didn't grow up in a Christian Science Sunday School, so I don't know what that "scene" was about. The subject of the puppet show was "God's Angels." I've been to testimony meetings were every other word is about angels and never knew till this puppet show what they were talking about. Based on what they presented I actually would bring my kids to see if they'd like to attend a CS Sunday School.
They even talked about praying to heal one's pets! One thing that they said which I thought was a bit off, was that they said Mary Baker grew up on a farm and that her father would give her the sick animals to heal. I've never heard that one before. Again, I don't know whether that is true or not, or whether they just wanted to make it seem like she was a nice person who prayed all her life and helped everyone and everything. Either way, I thought the puppet show was a "good sell" for the church as they try to interest children/young people in joining their ranks.
The Mother Church had it's Annual Meeting this week and talked about a 14% increase in newcomers and a 6% increase in sales of the Monitor print edition, which they say is quite good for print publications. I can't say what these numbers mean, but it appears that some of their efforts must be paying off.
|
|
|
Posted Thursday, June 05, 2003 8:59 PM
|
|
|
|
| Yikes! Remind me not to use the word 'superior' again. I am astounded that all you exers came out of CS with NOTHING, but the worst type of negative BS. It's quantum physics, dears. That's why it's so hard to understand. Actually matter IS nothing! Jesus knew it too. It's just that we are so preoccupied with our bodies and personal comfort that these things are all but forgotten. It finally became clear that before any 'healing' one had to be willing to die. Welcome to the AMA and all it has to offer. Remember, Voltaire wrote that "physicians are here to amuse us while our bodies heal themselves." I always found it interesting that so many theatre people have either toyed with CS or were/are serious students. Almost always one can pick up a biography or autobiography and CS will be in the Index for one reason or another. Artists are able to understand the infinite and the un-understandable. Latest one I found was Colleen Dewhurst. Drank (diet Pepsi), alcohol (I assume) and smoked like a fiend but never left CS entirely. Her mother was a practitioner. Jason Robards was another one. Ms. Dewhurst died from uterine cancer and just didn't want medical treatment. Her friends and family were appalled, but I understood her decision. To hell with all the doctors and all their hideous remedies. The bugs are gonna get us in the end, I'm afraid, and, I'm afraid, we deserve it.
|
|
|
Posted Friday, June 06, 2003 10:12 AM
|
|
|
|
It's quantum physics, dears. That's why it's so hard to understand. Actually matter IS nothing! Jesus knew it too.
As someone who has a deep interest in science (not CS), and experience in both, I must disagree. Quantum physics does make sense -- not always easy to understand, but built on very solid scientific principles. CS claims the same, but saying that God is love and love is God proves its mathematical support could equally be twisted to "God is hate and hate is God," etc.
I have to wonder if CS is hard to understand because it is simply nonsense?
As to your second statement -- where in the Bible does it show that Jesus knew that matter was nothing? He didn't heal by telling the blind man that his lack of sight wasn't real. Please explain.
Any Mouse
|
|
|
Posted Friday, June 06, 2003 12:15 PM
|
|
|
|
Colleen Dewhurst! She died in 1991! That's a long time ago. When you cite something that happened that long ago, it's like going to a Wednesday evening testimony meeting and listening to a testimony of a healing that happened 12 years ago, but you have to keep repeating it since nobody else has any testimonies to give. More recent deaths would be appreciated. My uncle (who has never heard of Christian Science) died last year from cancers of the liver and lung. He was in so much pain after the surgeries and medical treatments that he attempted suicide. On the second suicidal attempt, he got his wish.
There a new book on spirituality and acting by a Christian Scientist named Kathryn Marie Bild called "Acting From a Spiritual Perspective: Your Art, Your Business, Your Calling" (Smith and Kraus, 2002, $16.95, ISBN 1-57525-294-5). She was interviewed in one of last years Sentinels. The Women's National Book Association gave it this review:
This cheering, inspiring handbook provides spiritual and practical guidance for both working and aspiring actors. It gives you, the actor, a fresh look at the art and craft of acting, and gets you past those mental and emotional obstacles that prevent your from fulfilling your dreams. "Kathryn Bild has written The Power of Positive Thinking for the actor," says Jane Alexander, actress and former Director, National Endowment for the Arts. "And there are many sound training tips and nuggets of good advice throughout." "Finally," Jack Canfield, coauthor, Chicken Soup for the Soul series, says, "a book based on spiritual principles that will keep recharging you as you proceed in acting—or any creative endeavor." Bild is a writer, director, acting and directing coach, and a Grammy Award-winning producer.
|
|
|
Posted Friday, June 06, 2003 8:47 PM
|
|
|
|
I have always been good at acting and even thought at one time that I might want to do this for a living. I think anyone who has ever had even a slight "success" rate with CS is a good actor or actress. Having to pretend all your waking hours that the body you're walking around in isn't real, that your dad isn't "really" dead, that your toe isn't "really" broken, etc. takes a good bit of acting.
I did find it interesting that some of these "churches" are looking at new ways to get people to come to church and are even undermining their own previous laws. The church I now attend is studying the Bible very closely to see how the original Body of Christ built their churches. We are going back to the 1st century church.
Blessings,
Susan
|
|
|
Posted Friday, June 06, 2003 10:23 PM
|
|
|
| | |