 Posted Saturday, September 30, 2006 5:16 PM
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Erol,
I was thinking mainly of food. I think some people make a kind of idol of it, even Christians who should know better from the first commandment.
I know some people make a kind of idol of food, especially myself when strawberry ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and/or brownies are about. Yes, I certainly know better. Thank God that He forgives all sorts of sin.
The issue under discussion, however, is whether there are or have been any CSists who have "grown out" of basic material needs such as food, water, air, etc. I was in CS for about 30 years, remain somewhat on the fringes, and do not recall even a rumor of anyone doing so.
Do Go Be Man
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Posted Saturday, September 30, 2006 5:54 PM
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Do Go,
Well, Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health that she does not maintain that anyone can exist in the flesh without food and raiment, and the Bible seems to indicate that Jesus ate even after the resurrection, indicating how completely his human body had been restored.
From what I've read about healings in Christian Science in Mrs. Eddy's time, both Mrs. Eddy and other Christian Scientists would often, when the evidence of healing came, tell their patients to eat normally, and indeed, the patients often reported that a normal desire to eat returned to them when they were healed, and they ate without ill effects.
I think that while we are on earth, the issue is not to make a god of food, and also to find more humane and effective ways of supplying mankind with nutritious food.
tmcl
tmcl
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Posted Friday, October 13, 2006 5:04 PM
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This subject touches on what I believe to be my first consideration that something in CS was amiss.
It was in my grade school years, although I can't place it more precisely than that. I had learned that as CS'ists we were not to be concerned with out bodies, and that our physical existence was not "really Real." But I noticed that we CS'ists, for the most part, lived very comfortable lives--and quite a few of our numbers enjoyed considerable affluence--and without excuse or apology!
Now I was not one to give up his creature comforts, but I couldn't escape this nagging thought:
If, as "Scientists," we were to earnestly, completely seek a higher plane of existence and a more sublime metaphysical understanding of our selves as 'Immortal Man,' then we should abandon worldly wealth, flee to a remote area with our Bibles and Science and Healths, eek out a simple subsistence, and devote ourselves to the study of (Mrs.) Eddy & the Scriptures, and a radical practice of them!
I fantasized that someday I might endeavor to be some kind of CS "monk." I never heard of anybody's actually doing it!
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Posted Thursday, October 19, 2006 5:31 AM
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followingHim,
Yes, I've had that fantasy too. But I think monasticism is kind of a cop-out for a Christian. It means that one isolates oneself from the challenges of everyday life and thereby doesn't grow spiritually as one might have done, or bless the community as one might have done.
Of course, monasticism may have been the best thing in some periods of history, e.g. the "Dark Ages", when civilization itself was under threat from barbarism and needed that kind of protection, if one version of history is to be believed.
I don't think there's any problem with demonstrating abundance as long as one shares it freely with others. Simply because a person is wealthy there is no reason to make assumptions about how charitable they are or are not being, since many people do not publicise their charitable actions, as Jesus told us we should not
Having said that, I do believe in living simply and sustainably, and taking care of my needs not my wants.
I think the key is to be "in the world but not of it". Someone (a Christian Scientist as far as I recall) once said that the problem with Christian Scientists is that they are "of the world but not in it". I think there is some truth in that.
Erol
<< This subject touches on what I believe to be my first consideration that something in CS was amiss.
It was in my grade school years, although I can't place it more precisely than that. I had learned that as CS'ists we were not to be concerned with out bodies, and that our physical existence was not "really Real." But I noticed that we CS'ists, for the most part, lived very comfortable lives--and quite a few of our numbers enjoyed considerable affluence--and without excuse or apology!
Now I was not one to give up his creature comforts, but I couldn't escape this nagging thought:
If, as "Scientists," we were to earnestly, completely seek a higher plane of existence and a more sublime metaphysical understanding of our selves as 'Immortal Man,' then we should abandon worldly wealth, flee to a remote area with our Bibles and Science and Healths, eek out a simple subsistence, and devote ourselves to the study of (Mrs.) Eddy & the Scriptures, and a radical practice of them!
I fantasized that someday I might endeavor to be some kind of CS "monk." I never heard of anybody's actually doing it! >>
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Posted Friday, March 14, 2008 7:32 AM
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[email][/email]
Hi Bill:
I wanted to talk to you about christian science. I am still kinda in it but love the forum. I do want to talk to you at your convenience. thank you
Mike
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