 Posted Thursday, July 10, 2003 5:50 PM
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I've been looking at this site. It's CS connection isn't too clear besides selling the book "Science & Health" and maintaining discussions around it. It looks like a new age camouflage. Any thoughts?
/TJ
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Posted Thursday, July 10, 2003 6:10 PM
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Check out the copyright notices on the bottoms of the pages.
Do Go Be Man
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Addendum
I checked it out myself after originally posting the above message. It wasn't what I recalled. It says:
© 2003 The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy. All rights reserved
If you go to About this site you will find:
Copyright owner: The Christian Science Board of Directors—Publisher, The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy.
Sponsorship: The Christian Science Board of Directors is also responsible for publishing The Christian Science Monitor (csmonitor.com) and overseeing The First Church of Christ, Scientist (tfccs.com).
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, the owner of the spirituality.com service mark is Christian Science Board of Directors of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. The associated goods and services are described as:
IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Providing an on-line computer database in the field of religion, spirituality, wellness, self-identity, relationship counseling, and career/workplace counseling. First use: 20010220. First use in commerce: 20010220
IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Providing on-line electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among computer users concerning religion, spirituality, wellness, self-identity, relationships, career/workplace, financial security, and current and community events. First use: 20010220. First use in commerce: 20010220
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Posted Thursday, July 10, 2003 7:13 PM
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Yes -- "Copyright: The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy" is a very thin front for a web site that might as well be run by the Christian Science Publishing Society. But this site is full of feel-good, New Age stuff as well as being a link to Science and Health. The site is a direct link to Christian Science, yet from what I've seen it's careful NOT to appear to be a CS-sponsored web site (hence, "copyright: The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy" instead of "copyright: The Christian Science Publishing Society" like all other CS Church-sponsored stuff has been).
The CS Church is actively promoting Science and Health as the answer to today's popular issues (wellness, alternative healthcare, parenting, spirituality, etc.) -- often without mentioning that Science and Health is considered the "textbook" for a religion. The CS Church sends representatives to New Age conferences, etc., and offers Science and Health along with everything else being offered there. The Spirituality.com web site is part of this same outreach strategy ("spirituality" is a popular buzz word these days, so people doing a web search on that word will find the web site).
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Posted Sunday, July 20, 2003 8:47 PM
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"The site is a direct link to Christian Science, yet from what I've seen it's careful NOT to appear to be a CS-sponsored web site (hence, "copyright: The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy" instead of "copyright: The Christian Science Publishing Society" like all other CS Church-sponsored stuff has been)."
Well what's so wrong with that? I don't care, it's a good site. It's where I get all my quotes.
"The CS Church is actively promoting Science and Health as the answer to today's popular issues (wellness, alternative healthcare, parenting, spirituality, etc.)-- often without mentioning that Science and Health is considered the "textbook" for a religion."
Yeah, but Mrs. Eddy intended the book to be for everyone and not just for Christian Scientists. And it's one of the two textbooks of Christian Science.
"The Spirituality.com web site is part of this same outreach strategy ("spirituality" is a popular buzz word these days, so people doing a web search on that word will find the web site). "
Well, Christian Science is very spiritual. We so believe in Spirituality and not materiality.
Peter Frye
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Posted Monday, July 21, 2003 11:11 AM
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Hi Peter Frye,
The problem with the Christian Science Church essentially hiding the fact that it's behind spirituality.com is that this comes very close to being decietful. Why does the CS Church feel it has to promote the "textbook of Christian Science" without mentioning that it's related to Chistian Science?
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Posted Monday, July 21, 2003 12:50 PM
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"Why does the CS Church feel it has to promote the "textbook of Christian Science" without mentioning that it's related to Chistian Science?"
Science & Heath may be one of the two textbooks of Christian Science, but it's meant for everybody. There's no law that says they have to mention it's a textbook of Christian Science. If someone asks me if Science & Health is The Textbook of Christian Science, I won't change the subject, I'll openly say, "It's one of the two textbooks of Christian Science. The Bible being the other." or something like that.
"The problem with the Christian Science Church essentially hiding the fact that it's behind spirituality.com is that this comes very close to being decietful."
You guys are just over reacting. Crying over spilled milk. Making a mountian out of a mole hill.
Spirituality.com is intended for everybody even you guys.
Peter Frye
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Posted Monday, July 21, 2003 3:50 PM
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Hi Peter,
Just had a look at spirituality.com and felt like writing a comment to one of the discussin topics. The message I got was
"Thank you for posting. Your message has been received and will be reviewed for posting"
Wonder whether my message will pass the "review" and will actually be posted. Ok, having been a member of both TMC and a branch church, for over 14 adult years, class taught etc. even within the devout CS circle of people to do so well at unseeing error I couldn't overhear the whisters that TMC would remove practitioners, lecturers and teachers from the lists or even excommunicate them if they did not blindly follow TMC opinion. Not to mention what I found out about TMC censoring messages, trying to stop MBE biographies (which is also cencoring, of course). So I shouldn't be all that surprised about no free discussions on a CS church sponsored site.
Any idea what this site would look like if this type of censoring would be done here, or if any of your mails had a chance to ever get through?
Cheers
spring
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Posted Monday, July 21, 2003 7:26 PM
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To read S&H and apply it to one's life situations is to be a Christian Scientist. Yes, it's a very clever cover-up. It's a way to convert the masses but oddly enough not many converts are coming to the churches. It's also a subtle way to help teachers, practitioners, and nurses build up their practice.
In general, CSists won't pray that more people come to their church. For many of them, that's not a correct prayer request. So, they have to use subtle, even devious, means like the Monitor (which is for the "public", i.e., secular) and spirituality.com to do its "silent" evangelism and recruitment.
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Posted Monday, July 21, 2003 10:22 PM
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"To read S&H and apply it to one's life situations is to be a Christian Scientist."
Where does it say that?
"Yes, it's a very clever cover-up. It's a way to convert the masses but oddly enough not many converts are coming to the churches."
You guys are just paraniod. You all think there's a big CS conspiracy that we're trying to take over the world.
"In general, CSists won't pray that more people come to their church."
Christian Scientists won't pray that more people come to their church period! We're not Jehovah's Witness.
"For many of them, that's not a correct prayer request."
For ALL of us, that's not a correct prayer request.
This is how we pray:
Matt. 6
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
"So, they have to use subtle, even devious, means like the Monitor (which is for the "public", i.e., secular) and spirituality.com to do its "silent" evangelism and recruitment."
Okay, first off: Don't diss The Christian Science Monitor. There is only ONE religious article in the entire newspaper. It's purpose is "To injure no man, but to bless all mankind." It is the most unbias paper on the stands today. I have friends that work for the Monitor and I know first hand how they do things. And believe it or not, but there are non-Christian Scientists who write for the Monitor as well. There are non-Christian Scientists who work at the center. There is NOTHING devious about the Monitor.
Second: There is NOTHING devious about Spirituality.com. Spirituality.com is not some way to get people to convert. It helps people who are in need of answers (and that does NOT mean it helps by getting people to convert). It is a site of spirituality. Christian Science expresses spirituality.
Besides, what are you guys doing on this site?
It's definatly not so subtle on your purpose to destroy the CS Church. But is is VERY devious to the eyes of Christian Scientists like myself. And find it very insulting.
"If you are a Christian Scientist:
We care deeply about you! Mrs. Eddy said, "The time for thinkers has come." We challenge you to browse this site and think about the evidence it offers. Feel free to contact us if you have comments or questions."
First you act all friendly and then challenge us to rethink our beliefs and make leave the church. Very friendly indeed. . .NOT!
So IF I have never experianced any healings, you're never me to leave, right? It's basically what it's saying there.
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
I must be bless! (by the way, I have experianced healings before)
"If you are reading Science and Health and considering becoming a Christian Scientist:
We hope you'll read this site carefully and balance it against the claims and promises that you are reading about in Science and Health and hearing from the Christian Science Church. It's your decision whether or not to become a follower of Mary Baker Eddy, but we want you to have enough information to make an informed choice. Please feel free to contact us with your questions or comments."
Not only you are trying to make people leave the church, you're also trying to make people not even becoming Christian Scientists. Very subtle.
When you guys were Christian Scientists, you must have never read the Manual.
A Rule for Motives and Acts:
Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.
"silent" evangelism and recruitment is NOT Christian Science-like (as I like to say)
Peter Frye
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Posted Monday, July 21, 2003 11:20 PM
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