 Posted Wednesday, December 17, 2003 9:53 PM
|
|
|
|
Hey all, I'm new to this forum as well.
I am a X C.S.er who went through a lot of darkness and hell before Jesus literally met me on the mountaintop. I found Jesus in the Swiss Alps at a place called L'Abri back in the early 1970's. Obviously that was a long time ago and God had done an immense amount of healing in my life to free me from all the anger, resentment, bitterness and hatred stirred up in me that was caused by my Christian Science parents allowing my younger brother to die at home of a very curable sickness instead of taking him for medical attention. It was from that traumatic experience that God faithfully kept me, protected me, and began to unravel me from the evil C.S. clutches which then put me on a road that would eventually lead to the Cross of Jesus. I'm now set free. I have forgiven. I've renounced. I've experienced His real healing loving work of His Spirit. I'm truly healed.
All this is a lead into what I want to discuss.
I've recently had two experiences talking via email to 2 very seriously entrenched Christian Science men who at first came across very polite, friendly and kind. They were even welcome in their comments to me as I sought to ask some questions that I knew they couldn't answer and probably would not answer. Anyway, each discussion soon turned ugly, them towards me. Even as I asked them why they were so hostile and threatened by my questions, they continued to reply with nasty comments and shut down the discussion.
This really has been my experience with all the C.S. people I've talked with over the years, so it's not surprising. What kinda evil spiritual stronghold is upon these deceived people? Any similiar experiences out there? Any suggestions?
|
|
|
Posted Wednesday, December 17, 2003 10:04 PM
|
|
|
|
Anonymous,
Welcome to the forum! What an exciting night! All these new people! Praise God for your salvation! I'm afraid we all have the same problem witnessing to CSers. MBE told them this would happen. She covered her bases very well. I wish I had some suggestions for you. Some are called, but not all. I don't know anything to tell you but to pray for them all. Not just the deceived in CS, but all that are deceived or who have not heard the gospel.
Blessings,
Susan
|
|
|
Posted Thursday, December 18, 2003 5:42 AM
|
|
|
|
Anonymous Wednesday, December 17, 2003 9:53 PM,
This really has been my experience with all the C.S. people I've talked with over the years, so it's not surprising. What kinda evil spiritual stronghold is upon these deceived people? Any similiar experiences out there? Any suggestions?
Welcome to the forum. As you read through the archives, you may note that I was once one of those hostile apologists for CS. Back in the days of BBSs, I flamed and disrupted a Christian forum at will. The Lord, however, had different plans for me. You never know what's really happening in someone's mind. Though I was beginning to question CS back then, I maintained a firm identity as a committed CSist. I would toss out extreme questions for the sole purpose of trying to get the Christian perspective on a particular issue.
Hang in there and pray.
Do Go Be Man
<><
|
|
|
Posted Monday, January 12, 2004 5:46 PM
|
|
|
|
| Like you I have had hostility returned to me from my sister, who is still a CS member, when I asked her questions. In fact, I was referred to as being 'evil' and told that my husband was not by my sister while she was visiting us last year. The hostility, in my opinion, is directed to whoever raises questions they cannot answer. The CS feels trapped or cornered by the questions. They will accuse you of being argumentative and using MAM and mortal mind to interrupt their spiritual growth. Therefore, it is best to use questions in a non-threatening way. Sort of a feel, felt, found scenario. I know how you feel, I felt the same way, but this is what I found.
|
|
|
Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2004 12:38 AM
|
|
|
|
Hi there!
A warm welcome to our e-group. It is really something the way we have individually found our way to this wonderful web site. Each of us has a story to tell how we arrived here, as well as a life story regarding how CS has affected us all, each in our own unique way.
Hostility seems to follow cultish religions, and CS is no exception. I've been in chat rooms where people in other cult-religions get very ugly when you challenge their more sensitive thoughts and theological impossibilities. I can picture a cat backed into a corner, hissing, fur puffed up, reaching out with sharp claws to fight the aggressor. So it appears we too have backed them into a comer and have witnessed this analogous behavior.
It is easier for me to see just that way, and that the CSist's hostility is quite predictable, and second nature for many. Difficult as it may seem, it is easy for me to anticipate having to forgive them for their incivility, and when that time arrives, I am prepared. It requires a lot of presence of mind, and a wink and nod to myself.
This hostility is not confined to CS itself, as we may well imagine. It goes along with any religion that takes their followers to an untenable extreme. The fortunate ones, who remain open to exploring the word of God in the Bible, often enough awaken to Jesus Christ's unadulterated offer of salvation. The process is hurtful (leaving CS behind and all our CS friends) but it must be done. We owe nothing to MBE and everything to Jesus' tremendous sacrifice for us. If CSists cannot or will not understand Christianity, they have our prayers, but not our obsequiousness to MBE.
Later on, we discover the peace of mind we have sought, but were denied in our time of need as CSists. At last, the wondrous glory of our Lord illuminates our path home.
much happiness to you,
Freeman
|
|
|
Posted Thursday, January 15, 2004 12:41 PM
|
|
|
|
Anonymous:
Thank you for becoming part of our discussion group. We are pleased to have you with us.
I, too, have encountered not so much hostility, but a cut off of communication when I raised very tough questions. It is very frustrating.
I have found one approach which seems to help. A couple of years ago, I attended a CS lecture and stayed around for the fellowship afterwards. I then tried to witness to folks one on one by saying that I had attended CS Sunday School which I later dropped out of. I said that from my experience there and afterwards, there were several questions that nagged at me about CS which I had difficulty answering, and therefore had never came back to CS. Immediately, they wanted to know what my questions were. I then asked them and invited their comments. In most instances, they had no answers and I feel some seeds were planted. In this public setting, they also didn't cut me off and were willing at least to continue talking until the meeting was over.
In doing, so, of course, I was demonstrating that I was one of "them" at one time, and not just someone from a Christian church who was self educated about CS and there to "save' them. In doing so, also, I was inviting them as an equal to examine CS much in the same way that I had done ultimately.
Anyway, just a thought.
John
|
|
|
Posted Thursday, January 15, 2004 12:51 PM
|
|
|
|
| What type of questions did you ask, John?
|
|
|
Posted Thursday, January 15, 2004 3:35 PM
|
|
|
|
Renee:
I'll give you a couple of examples:
- I know that MBE and CS taught us that man is spiritual and not material and that the way to demonstrate this is through healings. Indeed, I know from my time in Sunday school that there are instances where people are apparently healed in CS. But I am troubled why if CS can be applied in cases to overcome physical illness, why can't it also be applied to overcome all others negative aspects of mortal illusion? In CS, I don't remember anyone saying we shouldn't use a restroom, wash, cut our hair, use a deodorant, sleep, brush our teeth, etc. If man is truly only spiritual and not material, shouldn't we overcome these illusions to? If CS is true, why is it only applied in healing? Isn't succumbing to to mortal illusion in all other aspects of our physical existence really demonstrating that MBE's teachings are not true?
- In CS Sunday School, I was taught every week that we know CS in correct and true because we can prove it through our healings. The logic in it, therefore, is that if you can demonstrate healings in your faith it must be correct. But, I've read quite a bit about various religions and denominations, and there seems to be ample evidence that healings haven taken place in abundance in many faiths. For example, outside experts have confirmed that hundreds of healings over the years at the Catholic shrine at Loudes have no explanation. Does that mean that the Roman Catholic church is correct in its teachings? Also, I've tuned into the 700 Club from time to time, and virtually every night they have testimonies of miraculous healing by folks. Are these folks lying? I don't think so. I know that Pat Robertson's teachings are very much at odds with MBE. Do healings in themselves really prove therefore that MBE is correct and other teachings are wrong?
- If MBE truly had the key to the scriptures, why was it necessary for her to come up with here own glossary of terms to apply her teachings to the Bible? I know she said she was the revelator, but why was it necessary for her to rewrite or redefine over 100 common words of the English language to make the Bible go hand in hand with S&H? Is that really intellectually honest? Didn't at least some of the authors of the Bible want the events and teachings of what they wrote in greek and hebrew to be taken at face value? If you wrote a term paper, letter to a friend, or an article for a community newspaper, wouldn't you question the integrity of someone who would redefine the words you used, and then claim that they got an entirely different message than the one you intended to convey (and the "correct" one at that)?
and finally,
- in Sunday School, we read the Bible and S&H every week. I thought I knew both fairly well. But, when I was working and in Graduate school, a friend got me to read the New Testament from cover to cover. I found a much different message than the one I received in sunday school. MBE said as I remember that the apostles practiced CS in early times. Why did I find no evidence of this? Shouldn't that have been in there? The Bible was also very readable and understandable. I didn't need a key at all? Why did I find what is called the traditional gospel?
Hope this helps,
John
|
|
|
Posted Saturday, February 21, 2004 8:54 PM
|
|
|
|
John,
Regarding one point you make........should not Christian Scientists be also saying do wash, sleep, cut hair....etc,
One could apply this same logic to the Master, and thus in the same manner make null and void the healing works which he did, since if the Master also slept, washed and was washed, and most certainly used a "restroom" of those times, then does this not also show, by the same reasoning, that the Master could not demonstrate over such seemingly mundane material routines, while at the same time was able to raise the dead, cleanse lepers, etc. MBE herself clearly states in the middle of S&H, "To stop eating, drinking, or being clothed materially before the spiritual facts of existence are gained step by step, is not legitimate." (S&H 254:8). So if Christ Jesus did these things and healed, and his disciples likewise, learning to heal also, thus to "follow Christ", should not a Christian Scientist today also be justified in working out their own salvation and suffer such things for a time?
If the majority of Christian Scientists are not healing, and thus demonstrating as the disciples did, and their words and actions seem contradictory to scripture, this does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that Christian Science is false, but that the majority of Christian Scientists are not healing, and that their actions seem contradictory to scripture, and indeed in many cases may very well be.
So, do we estimate the validity of a religion on the actions/lack of action of its followers, or said followers understanding, or do we for ourselves seek whether it is valid or not by striving to apply the truth of its statements. And if we consistenly fail, do we give up, or think about why we are failing, and reshape our efforts anew? And do our failures justify us in declaring a system of healing to be wholly false and contradictory to scripture?
|
|
|
Posted Friday, September 15, 2006 6:22 PM
|
|
|
| | |