To Christian Scientists reality is different than what most people think of as reality. I've read many CS related authors and quite a bit of MBE's writings. I can see some truth, but I have a problem reconciling the temporal, relative world of the senses as opposed to the absolute, if you know what I mean. In other words the world of matter and objectified error supercedes the invisible unchanging reality in day to day activities where the rubber meets the road. The appearance of evil often seems more real to me than truth. I suspect those who have read or studied similar material will know what I mean, although I expressed it poorly.

Yes, Mom was a Christian Scientist -- and, as a kid, I attended their church and Sunday School.

CS is a variation of the Platonic view of reality. There is reality beyond this physical reality/universe -- i.e., God -- and this physical reality is only an imperfect reflection of the perfection of God. However, since this temporal realm and all the people in it are in essence the reflection of perfection, of love, of goodness -- to the degree that our lives and thoughts are in alignment with that perfect essence, we cannot suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous earthly fortune. Hence, no need for medicine or doctors to cure sickness, since we are, in essence, perfect beings and incapable of sickness. We just need to know or experience our innate perfection and we are well.

At some level, I believed this for a long time. So I've never taken much medication or been much to doctors. No doubt a positive. If I had a real physical problem, however, I would see a doctor.

Mary Baker Eddy (the founder of CS) did, in her way, try to take a scientific approach to the Bible -- and, in turn, perhaps somewhat influenced by this, I took a scientific approach to my quest to understand the universe, reality (both physical and spiritual). CS never emphasized creation over evolution and so I had a quite easy time accepting the truth of evolution.

Christian science steered and kept me away from the regular Christian religions and their literal beliefs in Christian mysticism (including creationism). In that sense, I've not been much indoctrinated by the jew-Christian myth and the necessity for faith as a basis for determining and understanding reality. Thus, I was freed up to live a life based on reason, on truths derived from observable facts -- as opposed to unprovable religious dogma requiring faith, instead of proof. And I never thought of God as a person or as Jesus. This lower level of brainwashing may have freed me to determine for myself the nature of reality -- the truths of both this world/universe and a spiritual reality. It may have made it easier for me to see my way through to the truth of our situation as a race -- since I didn't have to first fight my way around or through the anti-white, genocidal myths and lies promulgated by the Christian Church -- although it certainly took me a long time to see the whole truth anyway (due mostly, I think, to chance and the unavailability of the internet for most of my life -- i.e., in other words, due to the nearly unavoidable immersion in the jew propagandasphere).

It had an effect.

The idea that “Mind” precedes matter is irrational.

My maternal grandmother needlessly died of breast cancer with a copy of Science & Health beside her and a Christ “Science” practitioner whispering bunk about Divine Love and Mind in her ear.

The memory of my father wrapping my weak but resisting mother in blankets and carrying her to the car of his friend, a real doctor, for treatment of pneumonia, will stay with me always.

My tolerance of witchdoctors and quacks has been low ever since.

I'm surprised you think MBE took a scientific approach. I see her as trading on the popularity of science in the 19th century in taking her name. I can't imagine anything less scientific than Science & Health.

I got Mark Twain's book on her and CS. He sees her first as a shrewd businesswoman. She always kept all the copyrights and power and money in her hands. She set up a structure for the church, but she alone had the power. Tons of funny stuff where he points out her literary fakery.

I see her a too-common crazed NE WASP selling snake oil. She was basically dumped by her husband after the Civil War, lived with all kinds of friends, and ended up getting kicked out of their houses. A very disagreeable woman.

The lesson of Christian Science is that if you let women control things, you sign up for a ride not dissimilar to jumping on the back of a deflating balloon.
"Illogical and emotionally fragile," as they say. If they can be harnessed they can serve a purpose, but MBE was nuts. Her book is gibberish with airs. It dovetails perfectly with liberal racial insanity from the Abolitionists to the progressives to the civil rights nitwits to the multicultural nematodes.

If reality is whatever you make it, then sickness is really health, and black is really white. And it is only those listening to evil mortal mind who deny racial reality. I mean, just close your eyes and see it.

Really, the world divides into people who prefer their eyes open and people who prefer the show in their head.

The odd aspect of CS, given MBE's temperament and behavior, is that it is NOT dogmatic. It's "tennis with the nets down," as Frost said of free verse. You would think there would be harsh punishment or expulsion for going to doctors, but there isn't. Perhaps that was a shrewd concession to reality on the part of MBE. So you can heal yourself of imaginary diseases, and testify to these in church, but if something really goes wrong, better to concede to reality.

I would honestly have to say, though, that CS are about as close to unclassifiable a group of people as I've ever met. I truly cannot think of any common mental or physical characteristics they share.

It's a weird, light, polite hypocrisy compared to the modern liberal state, with its thousand forms of enforced insanity.

It had an effect.

The idea that “Mind” precedes matter is irrational.

My maternal grandmother needlessly died of breast cancer with a copy of Science & Health beside her and a Christ “Science” practitioner whispering bunk about Divine Love and Mind in her ear.

The memory of my father wrapping my weak but resisting mother in blankets and carrying her to the car of his friend, a real doctor, for treatment of pneumonia, will stay with me always.

My tolerance of witchdoctors and quacks has been low ever since.

Yes, that's how it is. The man must dominate the woman. Women are not made for figuring out stuff that requires extended thought. They will fall sucker to stuff like CS more often than not.

I had four grandparents. They died at ages 96, 96, 94, and 57.

Guess which one praticed CS?

So you can heal yourself of imaginary diseases, and testify to these in church, but if something really goes wrong, better to concede to reality.

In my experience women run the show. Women in the church tend to ostracize others who make concessions to reality.

I would honestly have to say, though, that CS are about as close to unclassifiable a group of people as I've ever met.

As a group Christ Scientists share a superiority complex and men taking it seriously tend to be neutered.

Matter has always existed and always will logically. Where are you going to break the link of causality?

But I like the idea of not relying on medicine too much. After all nature has it's way of strengthening the herd and keeping population levels down. If only all the missonaries to Africa had been CScientists.

I always thought the words "christian" and "scientist" never belonged anywhere near each other.

I do, however, believe Christianity has a valid place in the world. It represents the power of a people organized in such a way as to spread a moral way of going about living.

Religionists will do anything to keep their learned-in-childhood beliefs intact. Anything! Why do I say this? Because Christians mutate!

I have an Episcopalian background. Went to church with the family all of five times in my childhood.

And I always wondered why they passed out that collection plate when I went with friends to the Baptist congregation. If god created the universe and all that is in it, why is he so hard up for our money?

CS claimed they were going back to primitive Christianity, what with Jeboo and his rise-from-dead act. No evidence they're able to produce such themselves. They are able to overlook their own kids coughing up shit due to constricted bowels.

In 1986, Robyn Twitchell, age 2, who lived near Boston, died of peritonitis and a twisted bowel after a five-day illness. It began with his screaming and vomiting. By the second day, his parents Ginger and David Twitchell were calling the Christian Science church's worldwide public relations manager for advice. He assured them that the law granted them the right to use Christian Science treatment instead of medical treatment.

Ginger and David Twitchell were convicted of manslaughter in 1990. In 1993 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned the conviction on a technicality, but also ruled that parents had a legal duty to provide necessary medical care for their children regardless of their religious beliefs. Later that year the Massachusetts legislature repealed a religious exemption to a misdemeanor in large part because of public outrage over Robyn's painful death.

Had relative who went to Principia, and knew girl who died of measles. That was a national story couple back when it happened.

You see how strong the reality-denial streak can run in people.