Defining Christian Science
In 1936, Christian Science was the fastest growing religion with 220,000 members, but dropped in 1990 to 100,000 members (TellTale). Christian Scientists believe that at the heart of Christianity is God's love (The Christian Science Church). The "science" comes in from Christian Science basis on God as "infinite Principle as well as unchanging Love. God loves all of us unconditionally and is the only true power and source of all good. Christian Science explains the spiritual laws of Love that Jesus relied on to heal sickness and sin. These laws are reliable and can be proven. People are doing the same kind of healing today as they learn more about what God really is" (Church of Christian Science).
History
Mary Baker Eddy was quite sickly from the time she was a young girl and was always searching for healing (Longyear Museum). In 1866, Eddy sustained a life-threatening injury from falling on ice (The Christian Science Board of Directors). She then read in her Bible how Jesus quickly and completely healed a man (The Christian Science Board of Directors). "A new sense of God, Spirit, as the only reality flooded her thought, and she was healed spontaneously" (The Christian Science Board of Directors). After, Eddy spent years in Bible study and researching healing methods, leading to what is today known as "Christian Science" (Got Questions). This is the typical Sunday school narrative taught, but this is not the story Mary Baker Eddy shared the first 17 years after she "discovered" Christian Science, also conveniently leaving out her morphine addiction (Doreen Virtue; Rationality Rules). The original start date Eddy cited in early editions of her work is 1864, which is when she was studying under Quimby.
Eddy's healing philosophy sprouted from an advertising circular she saw in 1862 (Longyear Museum). A "magnetic healer," Phineas P. Quimby, who was not a Christian, claimed to cure illness by treating the patient's thoughts through the power of suggestion (Longyear Museum). His protocol was to send everyone else out of the room, demand the patient think of nothing but him, plunge his own hands into a basin of water to increase the presumed magnetic flow from his body, and manipulate the patient's head, stomach, and back (Longyear Museum). He would talk with utter conviction of his cure (Longyear Museum). This goes along with what Eddy later wrote: "Every time you declare you are perfect in God, there goes through the body a health giving power." This reminds me of the Word of Faith movement that dips into manifestation.
In the earlier 1864 edition of Science and Health, Eddy credited Quimby for the information she purported (Doreen Virtue). She had studied under him and wanted to heal others the way he had taught her to heal (Cultish). The origin story changed to the fall on the ice after she was called out for plagiarizing Quimby, who had died from an abdominal tumor (Doreen Virtue; Rationality Rules). Although Eddy claims she was "instantly healed," she had written to one of Quimby's students of her pain and asked for healing, purporting the accident wasn't "life-threatening" as she made it out to be (Doreen Virtue). One common thread of Mary's life was that she was constantly changing her story (Doreen Virtue). This makes sense in light of many Christian Scientists not knowing what Eddy actually said and many being able to grab different quotes from her to support their individual views (Doreen Virtue).
If you read Eddy's autobiography, she mentions that as a young girl, she wanted to join her Congregational church in New Hampshire, but she couldn't get past the doctrine of election, that some people are chosen to be saved and will go to heaven, while others are not and will go to hell (Doreen Virtue). This video is a good one for more on Mary Baker Eddy's childhood and early life. Eddy's parents had a Calvinist/Presbyterian background, so she had an understanding of and read through the Westminster Confession (Doreen Virtue). Her problem was that she didn't like what the Bible had to say, so she decided to reform it to her own preferences (Doreen Virtue). This is very similar to the theological turmoil Charles Taze Russell faced, which eventually led him to form what became the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization. There are affidavits from people who knew Eddy as a child that evidence that she was involved in the occult even as a child and was a practicing medium (Cultish). While writing her book, a flood of thoughts would come to her and she wouldn't even read them but write down what was coming to her (Cultish). This essentially is automatic writing.
The first advertisement for students appeared in the Banner of Light newspaper in 1868, which was the largest spiritualist newspaper in the country (Cultish). All of Eddy's early students were practicing spiritualists (Cultish). Later editions of Science and Health were revised to replace a chapter entitled "Christian Science and Spiritualism" to "Christian Science versus Spiritualism" (Cultish). Also published in her own writings (Miscellaneous, Page 318), Eddy was speaking to one of the editors of Science and Health, an agnostic Unitarian minister, who cleaned up a lot of the writing and questioned whether Jesus existed, and Mary's response was: "I do not find my authority for Christianity in history but in revelation. If there had never existed such a person as the Galilean prophet, it would make no difference to me" (Cultish).
While writing her book, what became known as Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Eddy already knew that her end goal was to found a church (Longyear Museum). June 1, 1875, a group of her followers drew up an agreement: "We students and advocates of this moral science have arranged with the said Mary Baker Glover, to preach to us or direct our meetings on the Sabbath of each week" (Longyear Museum). This document was signed by just eight people, who pledged to pay a weekly amount of what he or she could afford (Longyear Museum). In recognition of this, Mary sent a letter resigning from the Congregational church in New Hampshire where she had been a member since her girlhood (Longyear Museum). In the Good Templars Hall, Mary began preaching for her own congregation (Longyear Museum). Shortly after, these services were discontinued for years, but nevertheless, were the seeds for what later became a church (Longyear Museum). Truthfully, she slid out of the public eye once she started receiving more attention to not have to heal (Doreen Virtue). She stuck to writing putting forth her ideas instead (Doreen Virtue). This is when the mythic view of Mary Baker Eddy began to grow (Doreen Virtue).
On July 4, 1876, Baker met with her student to form the Christian Scientist Association (Longyear Museum). In 1877 and 1878, students met to discuss spiritual topics with their teacher and to conduct business (Longyear Museum). During this time, Eddy faced trial and accusation of witchcraft (Longyear Museum). The September 30, 1879 edition of the Boston Daily Globe covered the hearing at Salem (Longyear Museum). Eddy's husband even ended up in jail (Longyear Museum). Nevertheless, in 1878, her lectures in Boston began with the first on the "Art of Divine Healing" (Longyear Museum).
In April 1879, Mary Baker Eddy officially founded the religion Church of Christ Scientist. The Christian Scientists' Association unanimously voted to organize a Church designed to "perpetuate the teachings of Jesus, to reinstate primitive Christianity, and to restore its lost element of healing" (Longyear Museum). In my apologetics research thus far, I always find it interesting when a purpose behind a religion is to purify or to get to the root of Christianity, yet that religion has additional authorities to the Bible and has heretical views of the core tenants of Christianity. These are not mere denominational, secondary issues, but rather are an incorrect view of God, Christ, sin, salvation, etc.
Eddy was ordained by her church's members as Pastor of the Church of Christ (Scientist) (Longyear Museum). This is a but confusing considering that the church does not have pastors. She taught and lectured in Washington D.C. and then Philadelphia (Longyear Museum). The Bible is quite explicit about women not being pastors and women not having authority roles in the church. 1 Timothy 2:12 states: "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Churches with women pastors are explicitly going against God's command and design, so Eddy could not say her authority came from God.
The view of Mary Baker Eddy is extremely tied to the identity of a Christian Scientist. She is an idol for them. They cannot handle any criticism of Eddy and will immediately shut down (Doreen Virtue). When in reality, the more Eddy was around people, the more people would break from her (Doreen Virtue). She was very difficult to deal with, and so many of her students had "rebellions," where almost all of them would walk out saying she's money-grabbing (Doreen Virtue).
Something controversial in the Christian Science church is that Mary Baker Eddy claimed to fulfill prophecies, such as Revelation 12, the woman who brings forth the man child (Doreen Virtue). However, there is evidence that she made this claim (Doreen Virtue). This is rejected by many Christian Scientists since they believe that God is impersonal and wouldn't have known Mary Baker Eddy (Doreen Virtue).
Authorities
There are no pastors, but rather, the only authorities are the Bible and Science and Health (Carter, Got Questions). The Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures written by Eddy is held higher than the Bible (Carter). In this text, Eddy wrote that “'Christian Science is unerring and Divine' while the Bible has been corrupted and contains 'manifest mistakes'” (Carver). Eddy taught that the Bible was written by illiterate men who needed her to come along and help them (Doreen Virtue). The Bible only holds authority in light of Eddy's interpretation (Christianity Today). 1 Timothy 3:16 tells us that the Bible is God-breathed and inerrant. Christian Scientists view parts of the Bible as inspired or inspirational to them (Doreen Virtue). If they don't like a verse, then it's simply not true (Doreen Virtue).
Additionally, "the Manual of The Mother Church directs that 'each church of the Christian Science denomination shall have a Reading Room' and that 'literature sold or exhibited in the reading rooms of Christian Science Churches shall consist only of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, and other writings by this author; also the literature published or sold by The Christian Science Publishing Society'" (Carter). The "Mother Church" is located in Boston, Massachusetts (Talk Beliefs). The Reading Room is a place to "read, pray, and get inspired" and where "many have been healed by studying the lessons of the Bible and nurturing a connection with God" (Carter).
Also, there is a daily newspaper called The Christian Science Monitor, which was founded by Eddy in 1908 (Carter). Despite its name and content, this publication is not considered religious (Carter). The news publication's goals are to challenge conventional thinking, be held accountable, and to change readers' view on the news (The Christian Science Monitor). Their "aim is to embrace the human family, shedding light with the conviction that understanding the world's problems and possibilities moves us toward solutions" (The Christian Science Monitor). Although this publication appears and claims to be a centered political news, they claim it is still "rooted" in Christian Science. We cannot turn our worldviews on-and-off, for they affect the way we think and influence all of our actions. Although the magazine attempts neutral journalism, readers are still reading events from a Christian Science point of view. There is also a designated Christian Science perspective column in the publication (The Christian Science Monitor). Nevertheless, the publication cites that not all staff journalists are Christian Scientists (The Christian Science Monitor). Ultimately, I cannot imagine that the publication is without bias, for it is funded and "produced by The Christian Science Publishing Society, the publishing activity of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston" (The Christian Science Monitor). Where the funding comes from will have the final say of what is said. Here is the link to the publication.
Six Tenants
Eddy cited that Christian Science does not have doctrinal beliefs, but rather six tenants that summarize the teachings (Carter).
These tenants are as follows:
1. As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life.
2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and infinite God. We acknowledge His Son, one Christ; the Holy Ghost or divine Comforter; and man in God’s image and likeness.
3. We acknowledge God’s forgiveness of sin in the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts.
4. We acknowledge Jesus’ atonement as the evidence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man’s unity with God through Christ Jesus the Way-shower; and we acknowledge that man is saved through Christ, through Truth, Life, and Love as demonstrated by the Galilean Prophet in healing the sick and overcoming sin and death.
5. We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection served to uplift faith to understand eternal Life, even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.
6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.
Church Service & Study
On Sundays, like a traditional church, there are hymns, prayers, and tithing (52 Churches in 52 Weeks). Then, you a have reader read selections from what's called a "Bible Lesson," which are passages from the Bible and from Science and Health that are chosen from an anonymous community in Boston on topics that have been pre-selected by Mary Baker Eddy (Doreen Virtue). Although there are women who will be at the pulpit in roles of authority, there are no pastors (52 Churches in 52 Weeks). There's no preaching, thought, or discussion, just reading (Doreen Virtue). They don't read the Bible alone on its own terms but in conjunction with Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (Cultish). Whoever is at the pulpit notes that Mary Baker Eddy's work is spiritually imported and divinely authorized (52 Churches in 52 Weeks). The parts of the Bible chosen are different, disjointed verses that when put together, don't make sense and are taken out of context (Doreen Virtue). This is dangerous because once the Bible is cherry-picked and taken out of context, then it is not God's Word anymore. In Sunday school, what you read about is healings in the Bible, which are not referred to as "miracles," and discuss them (Doreen Virtue).
Similarly to Mormonism, Christian Science churches hold weekly testimonial meetings where members share experiences of "healing and regeneration" (Got Questions). Every week, there is at least one "healing" (Doreen Virtue). In testimony meetings, everyone is almost required to say "and I'm so grateful to Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science" (Doreen Virtue). "It's almost like a tagline you say with every healing" (Doreen Virtue). Doreen Virtue made a good point that it's almost as if Mary Baker Eddy wanted to get all the credit and not share it with God nor with Phineas Quimby, who she was sued for plagiarism over. This essentially is the glorification of Mary Baker Eddy. God is the Great Physician and Healer, and He is the only One who should receive credit for any healing done. He is merciful, and despite the ungodly way Christian Scientists seek healing, He is the one who still decides to allow it.
Instead of a pastor, there is what is called a "Christian Science practitioner," which is basically a healer (Doreen Virtue). The practitioner fills the roles of pastor, counselor, and doctor (Doreen Virtue). This position includes the resolution of relationships or financial difficulties and physical ailments (Talk Beliefs). Despite the heftiness of the role, training is only two weeks (Doreen Virtue). These practitioners are not paid by the church but by their patients and can make less than $10,000 a year (Cultish).
In order to become a member of the Christian Science church, one must undergo a membership application process (Doreen Virtue). "One who is not a member of any church, excepting a branch church of Christ, Scientist, who loves Christian Science, and reads understandingly the Bible, and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Reverend Mary Baker Eddy, and other works by this author, and who is Christianly qualified and can enter into full fellowship with the Tenets and Rules of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, is eligible to membership" (The Christian Science Board of Directors). There are three routes for membership forms. The first is undergoing a Primary class instruction and having the teacher sign off on the membership form (The Christian Science Board of Directors). This rote is for those who "have been taught by a loyal student who has received a certificate from the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, or by one who has passed an examination by the Board of Education, fill in this form" (The Christian Science Board of Directors). For someone who did not undergo the Primary instruction, they have to have an approver sign. "If the approver is not a Christian Science teacher, they will sign, then forward your application to a Christian Science teacher (CSB) for an additional signature. The teacher will act as a countersigner and mail or scan and email your application to the Clerk of The Mother Church" (The Christian Science Board of Directors). The third way to become a member is a form for someone who underwent the Primary class but teacher will not sign off on their membership. This person would need to give their form to three members of The Mother Church who know him well to check over your application, and sign it as approvers (The Christian Science Board of Directors). You can view the membership forms here.
Creation & Reality
Similarly to the 1998 movie The Truman Show, Christian Scientists believe that the entire world is unreal and illusory (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). God did not create a real world. They believe that matter has no real existence, even in the mind (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). It is an illusion held by an illusion, essentially that We are in this unreal world trying to deal with illusion (Cultish; Fellowship of Former Christian Science). The senses are deceitful and false and the "only sources of evil and error" (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). Everything you see is the counterfeit of a true spiritual idea that exists in the mind of God (Cultish). Their view is very similar to Plato's allegory of the cave (Cultish). Suffering, disease and death are illusory and only appear to exist due to lack of faith (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). "It is true faith that eliminates pain, suffering and death" (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). What does this sound similar to? (Prosperity Gospel)
The only way to discover what is real is to rely on one's "spiritual sense" (Carter). To Christian Scientists, this is what "Christianity" centers around. Its purpose is to "awaken thought spiritually" (Carter). The only asset of reality that Eddy cites is the "awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise" (Carter).
What is interesting is that many Christian Scientists are also evolutionists. To them, creationism and evolution are identical (Rationality Rules). I'm sure that not all Christian Scientists hold evolutionary views, for they also believe that the world is illusory. I'm going to hold off on defenses against evolution, for that is going to be a featured worldview in a future apologetics article.
Trinity
Mary Baker Eddy denies the biblical concept of the Trinity in her book Science and Health. She suggested that the concept of three persons in one God is polytheism: “The theory of three persons in one God (that is, a personal Trinity or Tri-unity) suggests polytheism rather than the one ever-present I AM.” (Science and Health, 256:9-11). This is similar to what Jehovah's Witnesses believe about the Trinity. The Christian Science version of the Trinity is as follows: "Life, Truth, and Love constitute the triune Person called God, – that is, the triply divine Principle, Love. They represent a trinity in unity, three in one, – the same in essence, though multiform in office: God the Father-Mother; Christ the spiritual idea of sonship; divine Science [i.e., Christian Science] or the Holy Comforter. These three express in divine Science the threefold, essential nature of the infinite. They also indicate the divine Principle of scientific being, the intelligent relation of God to man and the universe.” (Science and Health, 331:26-332:3). “The name Elohim [a Hebrew term for God] is in the plural, but this plurality of Spirit does not imply more than one God, nor does it imply three persons in one. It relates to the oneness, the tri-unity of Life, Truth, and Love.” (Science and Health, 515:17-20).
There is one God (Isa. 44:6,45:18,46:9; John 5:44; 1Cor. 8:4; James 2:19), and it is also true that the Father (1 Pet. 1:2), Son (Jesus) (John 20:28, Heb. 1:8), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4) are the three separate persons in one God (Matt. 28:19) (ESV Study Bible). They are all God but operate distinctly from one another (10 Q&A Jehovah's Witnesses)." Each of these three possesses the attributes of deity, including omnipresence (Ps. 139:7; Jer. 23:23-24; Matt. 28:20), omniscience (Ps. 147:5; John 16:30; 1 Cor. 2:10-11), omnipotence (Jer. 32:17; John 2:1-11; Rom. 15:19), and eternality (Ps. 90:2; Heb. 9:14; Rev. 22:13) (ESV Study Bible). Further, each also is involved in divine works, such as creating the universe: the Father (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 102:25), the Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30).
God
God is considered to be "Father-Mother of all." “Father-Mother is the name for Deity, which indicates His tender relationship to His spiritual creation.” (Science and Health, 332:4-5). "This term shows that the divine nature includes qualities we associate with both fatherhood and motherhood, such as wisdom and love" (Christian Science Monitor). Eddy even used the pronoun "she" in reference to God. There are seven synonyms for God: life, truth, love, principle, mind, soul and spirit (Cultish). God is seen as "always upholding health and well-being" (The Christian Science Board of Directors). Whatever is good is God and whatever is not God does not exist (Fellowship of Former Christian Science).
The Bible calls God Father but never Father-Mother. 1 Corinthians 8:6 (KJV) says: "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." It is true that God is go, but anything that is not of God still exists. All of God's creation, although tainted with sin, is physical and real. Science would support a physical reality with evidence of matter and all being composed of the tiniest of atoms. All of creation's finest details show the reality of a majestic Creator!
They believe God is spirit, and everything that is not spirit does not exist (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). He is not viewed as a person but as similar to the force in Star Wars (Doreen Virtue). It doesn't really know you and is an impersonal god, a principle governing all of creation (Cultish; Doreen Virtue). Thus, God's attributes are not discussed (Doreen Virtue). We can clearly see by reading the Bible that God has very distinct attributes. However, Eddy also states that the Old Testament God is different from the Christian Science god (Doreen Virtue).
Our God is a personal God. He sees every move we make (Psalm 139, Job 31:4), reads our every thought (Psalm 139:2), and knows our names (Isaiah 43:1). This something that even starts before we are born. Jeremiah 1:5 states: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." There is no hiding from God. He is involved and sovereign over all of creation (Proverbs 16:9). He has a personal relationship with his elect. John 10:14 says: "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
We are to use God's divine Word to learn about His attributes. Not only are we to use Scripture to define God but also we are to use Scripture in context. Christian Scientists believe the true God is Elohim in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 speaks of a counterfeit God and is a myth (Cultish). Eddy accepted chapter 2, verse 6—that God created man in his image and likeness—but she rejected the rest "as the story of the false and the material." This furthers that Eddy picked what she wanted to follow, instead of correctly following the whole Bible. We know the whole Bible is God's Word and is correct and true. 2 Timothy 3:16 states: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
Man
The earlier editions of Science and Health state that we are god and can become God, which is Little Gods theology, that we are gods in training (Doreen Virtue). There was the implication that we are divine and have power and authority (Doreen Virtue). There are no souls, only Soul (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). Man's Soul is equivalent to Diety; he (man) has no body (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). Man, like God, is eternal (Fellowship of Former Christian Science).
Although man is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), this doesn't mean that we are gods ourselves. Further, although we have spirits, they don't hold divine qualities. Psalm 82 explicitly warns against man thinking he is a god. God is God alone (Isaiah 37:16). GotQuestions notes: "If the 'little gods' hypothesis is accepted, it imputes to Jesus a lesser divinity of some kind; He became a 'little god' like us."
Sin
All of creation is considered wholly flawless and spiritual, including man (Got Questions). There is a spiritual likeness to the divine (Got Questions). “Man is spiritual and perfect….He is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas; the generic term for all that reflects God’s image and likeness….that which has not a single quality underived from Deity;” (Science and Health, 475:11-20.) Thus, Christian Scientists do not believe in sin. “…the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise.” (Science and Health, 472:27-29) The rationale behind this is "since God’s creation is good, evils such as disease, death, and sin cannot be a part of fundamental reality. Rather, these evils are the result of living apart from God" (Got Questions). Sin is minimized to an "error of thinking" (Doreen Virtue). Mary Baker Eddy wrote in "A Treatment for Every Day": "This is God's spiritual household; nothing can enter to annoy or destroy, to manifest sin, sickness or discouragement; for God fills this household with perfect love and peace, and governs every member of it."
Moreover, Christian Scientists do not believe in the fall (Doreen Virtue). As mentioned, Genesis 2 and 3 are grouped together as a myth or allegory (Doreen Virtue). Mary Baker Eddy mentioned Adam and Eve, but many Christian Scientists do not believe Adam and Eve existed (Doreen Virtue). The problem to them is not Adam's sin per se but the whole thought that he was made from the dust and was material (Cultish). Christian Scientists interpret Genesis to say that when Adam was put into a deep sleep, he was in a hypnotized state of thought ("The Adam Dream"), and that all of the problems of sin, disease, and death came as the result of this hypnotized state of thought (Cultish). The problem with Adam eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn't that it disobeyed God's command but that it was trying to obtain knowledge from the material senses (Cultish). In Christian Science, the big problem is a hypnotized belief in a material existence (Cultish).
On the other hand, the Bible teaches that sin has entered the world through Adam and Eve, affecting all of Creation. The big problem is sin. Sin is something that separates us from God, and we all are sinners (Romans 3:23-25, 5:12). A Holy God cannot be in the presence of sin, which is why we needed a mediator, Jesus. Without God's grace and spiritual regeneration through faith in Christ Jesus, we would be spiritually dead in our sin. Ephesians 2:8-9 states: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
The third tenant of Christian Science states: "We acknowledge God’s forgiveness of sin in the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts." This means that sin is no longer present once someone stops sinning by no longer believing in and committing the sin. There is no need to repent, despite the numerous Scriptural commands to do so. Christian Scientists also don't think about the impact of their committed sin on other people's lives, just that there is no consequence since the sin is canceled out because the person stopped (Doreen Virtue). Happiness and positivity are the Christian Scientist's core values (Doreen Virtue).
Despite thinking that they have the answer for healing, Christian Scientists do not realize how truly spiritually sick they are, which is the most essential healing needed. In order to be saved, you must recognize that you're a sinner in need of saving. The Bible clearly states in 1 John 1:8-10 (KJV): "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Christian Scientists do not have a correct view of salvation, for they do not think it is needed, and so, they also have a false view of Jesus.
Jesus
Jesus and Christ are distinguished. Christian Scientists believe Jesus was a man who lived in Palestine, and "Christ" is the "divine idea" (Carter). He was a great man, amazing teacher and healer but not God (Cultish). They think Jesus was persecuted because He was teaching people how to heal (Cultish). "Christ" has multiple meanings to the Christian Scientist, including "an ideal that we will all achieve someday," similar to the new age term of "ascension" (Doreen Virtue). What it is is not is Jesus' unique title, for biblically, Christ is the Greek word for "Messiah," the anointed King of Israel (Doreen Virtue). There is more emphasis on "Christ" than Jesus, adding an element of duality and separation between Jesus and Christ (Carter). Christian Scientists believe that "the invisible Christ ('the ideal Truth, that comes to heal sickness and sin through Christian Science') became perceptible in the visible Jesus, who was a mere man and demonstrated the divine idea" (Carter). In fact, Mary Baker Eddy said, “If there had never existed such a person as the Galilean Prophet, it would make no difference to me" (Cultish).
Christian Scientists do not believe Jesus saved us from our spiritual illness of sin--since they do not believe in needing to be saved from sin nor in sin itself--but came to center a ministry around healing (Got Questions). They believe that "Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing," and that this is the continuing mission of the Christian Science Church (The Christian Science Board of Directors). Just like Protestant Christians, they accept Jesus' death as evidence God loves them (TellTale). Jesus saved them, and that was demonstrated by Jesus healing the sick and coming back to life (TellTale). Christian Scientists believe Jesus came to earth to teach us how to heal (Doreen Virtue). They believe he came to show that you can break the bonds of this illusion and can become one with this divine mind because essentially that's what you are (Cultish).
Salvation
Christian Scientists believe "salvation is achieved through progressive spiritual understanding. A person is not saved from hell, but from his or her belief in materiality" (Christianway). "Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness and death destroyed." (Science and Health, 593:20-22.) Biblically, salvation is a gift of God’s grace (Christianway). It cannot be earned, but must be accepted by confession of one’s sins and by faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on one’s behalf (Christianway). Salvation is not from a belief in materiality, but from hell (Christianway). Romans 10:9-10: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Additionally, Christian Scientists do not believe in final judgment (Christianway). “No final judgment awaits mortals, for the judgment-day of wisdom comes hourly and continually, even the judgment by which mortal man is divested of all material error.” (Science and Health, 291:28-31) “As man falleth asleep, so shall he awake. As death findeth mortal man, so shall he be after death, until probation and growth shall effect the needed change.” (Science and Health, 291:22-25) “When the last mortal fault is destroyed, then the final trump will sound which will end the battle of Truth with error and mortality. . . .” (Science and Health, 292:1-3). We know that the truth is that everyone will face judgment (Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 12:36, 7:21-23; Romans 2:5-6,16).
Holy Spirit
Mary Baker Eddy claimed that Christian Science is the Holy Spirit, “a scientific system of healing" (Christianway). Christian Science uses the terms “divine Science” and “Christian Science” interchangeably (Christianway). “The term CHRISTIAN SCIENCE was introduced by the author to designate the scientific system of divine healing.” (Science and Health, 123:16-18). Mary Baker Eddy interprets Scripture to fit her narrative: “In the words of St. John: ‘He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.’ This Comforter I understand to be Divine Science.” (Science and Health, 55:27-29). Receiving the Holy Spirit has to do with understanding, not as a surety of salvation: “[Jesus’] students then received the Holy Ghost. By this is meant, that by all they had witnessed and suffered, they were roused to an enlarged understanding of divine Science, even to the spiritual interpretation and discernment of Jesus’ teachings and demonstrations, which gave them a faint conception of the Life which is God. . . . The influx of light was sudden. It was sometimes an overwhelming power as on the Day of Pentecost.” (Science and Health, 46:30-47:3, 47:7-9).
Biblically, the Holy Spirit is a divine person and member of the Trinity, instead of a set of spiritually scientific principles (Christianway). "He is seen as one who testifies (John 15:26), intercedes (Rom. 8:26), teaches (John 14:26), and guides believers (Rom. 8:14). He has a mind (Rom. 8:27) and a will (1 Cor. 12:11). He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30), lied to (Acts 5:3), blasphemed (Matt. 12:31), and tested (Acts 5:9)" (10 Q&A Jehovah's Witnesses).
Spiritual Healing & Prayer
Christian Scientists claim 50,000 spiritual healings with no evidence (TellTale). When a Christian Scientist is speaking of healing, he is talking about overcoming an illusion (Cultish). They believe that what is happening is a revelation of one's true innate spiritual nature as found in Genesis 1, where one is not material but spiritual (Cultish). One is healed when he can "better understand their relationship to God through this Science of Christianity, their health is restored and character transformed" and that "each healing inspires a heartfelt desire to help others know and experience how loved we all are by God" (The Christian Science Board of Directors). Biblically, God doesn't heal us based off our understanding of "Christian science" or any understanding in general. We can't earn healing, just like we can't earn salvation. This is similar to what the prosperity gospel purports.
Prayer is central in Christian Science. "The power of prayer lies not in faith alone but in a deeper understanding of God’s divine laws that embrace humanity" (The Christian Science Board of Directors). It is used instead of medical treatment (Got Questions). Nevertheless, there is no church policy in place mandating this (Got Questions). Many modern Christian Scientists use some medical treatment but combine medicine with prayer, maintaining that healing works best if only prayer is used (Talk Beliefs). Mary Baker Eddy believed that "spiritual healing is not miraculous but an 'effect of understanding God’s all-power and love'" (Carter).
Suppression of Emotion & Thought
In Christian Science, you are taught to affirm the truth and to deny error (Doreen Virtue). You're taught to deny that the sickness and suffering you're experiencing is true or any part of you (Doreen Virtue). This includes acknowledging that the death of a loved one isn't real, so you are denied grief (Doreen Virtue). Grief would be accepting death is true (Doreen Virtue). You're supposed to suppress those feelings and to keep going (Doreen Virtue). There's an element of toxic positivity where you can't share your problems (Doreen Virtue). That must be extremely lonely.
"Christian Science is a spiritual abnegation (rejection) of any responsibility to concrete ideals, values or love. It is altogether too easy to love and care in the abstract. Concrete situations of diapers, debts, divorce or listening to and being with someone in depression or despair, is the real test of love. Christian science is the religious way to escape having love tested in the flesh." -Allison
There is also an essence of gaslighting within themselves that Christian Scientists consequently spew out onto others. EX-CS site wrote: "Christian Scientists consistently believe they are happy and being loving even when it's clear their entire demeanor is filled with rage. They deny their own rage. They have no word for it. How can you see something you don't have a word for? Healthy, well balance, normal people do not do something and call it 'loving' when it's done with rage. But, you see, in Christian Science, there is no anger. No 'negative' emotions are allowed. Ever. They can't possibly believe they are angry" (Fellowship of Former Christian Science).
Something distinct to Christian Science is a focus on animal magnetism or mesmerism, the idea that through suggestion, you could bring about healing (Cultish). They also believe in the converse, malicious animal magnetism, that through suggestion, you could hurt somebody (Cultish). Mary Baker Eddy was convinced that those who left her movement were mentally trying to kill her through thinking negative thoughts about her (Cultish). This is why Christian Scientists must protect their thoughts against any belief that they have sin or are material (Cultish). Thoughts are given much power, which reminds me of the same mindset behind manifestation.
Death
If you ask a Christian Scientist what they believe happens after death, they will tell you the folklore of Calvin Fry and the Pie (Doreen Virtue). Fry was a worker in Mary Baker Eddie's household for 30 years, who suffered from a history of frequent blackouts or fainting spells (documented in a letter he sent discussing the topic) (Doreen Virtue). The myth is that he went to get pie from the cellar and fell down the stairs, breaking his neck and dying (Doreen Virtue). Mary Baker Eddy resurrected him, and someone asked him what happened after he went to get the pie (Doreen Virtue). Their view is that after death, you just keep going just as you were (Doreen Virtue). There is no death, only illusions (Doreen Virtue). You would just wake up in the exact same circumstances as before (Doreen Virtue). The original story never said he died, and the likely case is that he had just had another fainting spell (Doreen Virtue).
According to the second law of thermodynamics, "For a spontaneous process, the entropy of the universe increases." All matter is breaking down. It's the result of the curse of sin (Genesis 3) that our bodies break down and that eventually, our bodies die (Psalm 146:4). Death is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23). For those who are saved, the Bible describes death as a mere "sleep" (Daniel 12:2), for we have eternal life in heaven with the Lord (John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8). The story Jesus tells in Luke (16:19-31) about the beggar Lazarus and the rich man who went to hell was not a parable but a true story to show that you either go to heaven or hell after death. Jesus never used names in parables (Doreen Virtue).
Hell & Demons
Christian scientists do not believe Hell or demons exist. They believe that hell is a state of mind and is on earth (Doreen Virtue). Heaven and hell are states of consciousness here and now, happiness and sickness (Doreen Virtue). This teaching stems from Eddy's own struggle with the fact that people who are not saved go to hell. Despite anyone's lack of comfort with the doctrine, hell is a very real place, and due to our sin nature, without Christ, we all deserve hell (Romans 6:23). Christ talked about both hell and demons in the Gospels (Mark 16:19; Luke 10:20; Matthew 18:10-11, 25:41,46; Revelation 20:10,15).
“Heaven is not a locality, but a divine state of Mind in which all the manifestations of Mind are harmonious and immortal. . . .” (Science and Health, 291:13-16) “HEAVEN. Harmony; the reign of Spirit; government by the divine Principle; spirituality; bliss; the atmosphere of Soul.” (Science and Health, 587:25-27) “To reach heaven, the harmony of being, we must understand the divine Principle of being.” (Science and Health, 6:14-16) “HELL. Mortal belief; error; lust; remorse; hatred; revenge; sin; sickness; death; suffering and self-destruction; self-imposed agony; effects of sin; that which “worketh abomination or maketh a lie.” (Science and Health, 588:1-4) “The sinner makes his own hell by doing evil, and the saint his own heaven by doing right.” (Science and Health, 266:20-21) “The evil beliefs which originate in mortals are hell.” (Science and Health, 266:26-27).
Weddings & Marriage
Weddings in the Christian Science churches are rare. The Christian Science Journal of February 1976 reprinted a statement from the Board titled “Christian Science and the Wedding Ceremony”: "There is evidence that Mrs. Eddy gave profound thought to every aspect of marriage, including the way in which it is solemnized. She knew that, in general, the traditional churches regard marriage as a divinely ordained institution and the wedding service as a religious rite. This is in line with the commonly held view that God has created a material earth, a human race, and a system of procreation which are part of His divine plan and purpose" (The Mary Baker Eddy Library). “Marriage is the legal and moral provision for generation among human kind” (Science and Health, 56). "This statement, like others in the same chapter, presents marriage as a human rather than a divine institution" (The Mary Baker Eddy Library).
Now, each church branch has the authority to determine their own policy (The Mary Baker Eddy Library). The 2011 Christian Science Journal stated: "I see this Church By-Law [“A Legal Ceremony,” Article IX, Section 1] as a support to the marriage ceremony. First, requiring a clergyman to perform the ceremony is a recognition that the foundation of marriage is like building on the rock (see Matt. 16:18). A marriage rooted in a mutual and unified commitment to spiritual growth is a strong starting point. Second, the By-Law recognizes that the legal requirements of marriage are a vital protection of the union of the two individuals. Also, a wedding in a Christian Science church offers an opportunity for the couple to engage in interfaith discussion with clergy who are willing and receptive to conducting a ceremony that supports the teachings of Christian Science" (The Mary Baker Eddy Library).
As Christians, we know that marriage is an ordinance from God. This is first and foremost than it being any civil ordinance. Marriage is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-33). It's a covenant that results in a union. Genesis 2:24 says: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Leaving
Christian Science is hard to leave because it's leaving the illusion of power and control over your life and health (Doreen Virtue). Although many former members of cults and cultic groups share a common struggle in leaving, those born and/or raised in Christian Science face many unique struggles their counterparts do not have to deal with. Most Ex-Christian Scientists struggle with the very nature of reality itself (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). They wonder if their senses can be trusted; question their personhood; and struggle to understand death, sin, good and evil, and life experiences (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). Many also struggle with identity issues, including "What am I?" (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). They have to redefine their understanding of spirit and matter (Fellowship of Former Christian Science). On top of all of this, many feel as though they are betraying their families who are still involved in the church (Fellowship of Former Christian Science).
Conclusion
There are different variations of Christian Science that are morphed versions of the cultic belief that fit people's comforts while still holding true to the core tenants of Christian Science. This is especially true with the use of medicine by many modern Christian Scientists. Thus, this article does not exhaust all Christian Science views.
Christian Scientists are victims of Mary Baker Eddy and her distortion of the Gospel. Instead of relying on Christ's sacrifice, they are sacrificing themselves (Cultish). Not only are they sacrificing their physical health but also their mental health. They live in constant denial because there is an essence of guilt and responsibility for bad things that happen, including different world affairs (Cultish). Christian Scientists believe that if they were mentally on their game, then somehow they could have used their thoughts to prevent tragedy from occurring (Cultish). However, God is the only One who is sovereign and in control of all. We are simply not powerful enough to prevent the bad from happening because God's sovereign plans will prevail.
Finally, this article is not meant to be a hit piece against Christian Scientists themselves. I started researching and writing this article a few years ago after I published the article on Mormonism. I was hesitant in continuing writing this article because I do have people I personally know and love who are Christian Scientists, and I didn't want them to think that I was trying to hurt or attack them. Then, recently, I came back to this article because I realized that it is loving to share the truth and to shed some light and hope of the true Gospel in the darkness of deception of a false religion.
Summary Chart
Doctrine | Christian Science |
God | Deny the Trinity as polytheistic; "Father-Mother" God is an impersonal god, a principle governing all of creation; Jesus was a man who came to teach how to heal and Christ is a divine idea that we will all achieve someday; Holy Spirit is a scientific system of healing. |
Authority/Revelation | Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures; Manual of The Mother Church; Christian Science Monitor |
Man | Made in image of God; the earlier editions of Science and Health state that we are god and can become God. |
Sin | Mistake or error; man doesn't sin. |
Salvation | Salvation is achieved through progressive spiritual understanding. A person is not saved from hell, but from his or her belief in materiality. There is no final judgment nor hell. Hell is a state of mind and is on earth. |
Creation | All of creation is flawless and spiritual. The entire world is unreal and illusory. Genesis 2 is a myth. |
Further Resources
Resources
"The House on Broad Street" by Longyear Museum
By: Bible and Hot Cocoa (IG: @bibleandhotcocoa)
Juliana is the founder of Bible and Hot Cocoa. She is a sinner redeemed by Christ seeking to share the Gospel, to stand up for biblical truth, and to encourage other women to embrace biblical womanhood and to grow in biblical literacy. In her free time, she loves to utilize her creativity, to read classics and reformed theology books, to exercise, and to spend time with loved ones. Juliana's favorite book of the Bible would have to be a tie between Psalms and Proverbs (as of now), and her favorite biblical figure besides Jesus is Mary of Bethany (as of now).
Comentários