Christian Science Essay, Research Paper

Of all the biblically based cults in America, Christian Science is one of the most interesting. Not only does it deny the essential doctrines of Christianity, but it has also completely reinterpreted the Bible. It redefines the Bible s culture and terminology, and rips thousands of scriptures out of their historical and Biblical context. Christian Science is a non-Christian mixture of metaphysical and philosophical thoughts. Christian Science is so foreign to the Bible, that if did not use words like Jesus, Trinity, Love, Grace, Sin, etc., you would never suspect it had anything to do with the Bible at all. The book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is the Christian Scientist s mainstay of spiritual knowledge, it reads with a rhythm of false and spurious statements that has the tendency to dull the senses when read long enough.1

Christian Science was founded by a woman named Mary Baker Eddy. She was born Mary Ann Morse Baker in New Hampshire in 1821. She was the daughter of a New Hampshire Congregationalist church member. As a child, she was frequently ill and highly emotional. She is said to have been domineering, quarrelsome, and extremely self centered. 2 At age 22, she married George Clover. He died seven months later. She then married Dr. Daniel Patterson, but the marriage failed in divorce. In 1862, while suffering from an illness, she visited a man named Phineas Quimby. He taught a system of healing dealing with the mind. He taught that the mind had the power to heal the body. He exerted a significant influence on her thinking regarding spiritual matters.

In 1866, Mary Baker Eddy fell and was seriously injured and she was not expected to recover. She supposedly read Matthew 9:2 ( And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee ) and experienced a miraculous cure. This experience convinced her of the truth of Christian Science.

She first published Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures in 1875, when she was 54. She claimed it was the final revelation of God to mankind and asserted that her work was inspired of God. The word Key in the title of her book is in reference to her being the woman of Revelation 12; that she is the key to unlocking the Bible, which she called a dark book. She claimed the Bible had many mistakes and that her writings provided the Key spoken of in Revelation 3:7.

In 1879, four years after the first publication of Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy and some of her students organized the church of Christ (Scientist) in Boston, Massachusetts. Of course, like all cults, it claimed to be the restoration of the original New Testament Church. In 1881 she opened a metaphysical college and charged $300 for 12 healing lessons. The Church was reorganized in 1892, and the Church Manual was first issued in 1895, which provided the structure for the church government and missions. She died a millionaire in1910.3

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is the primary interpretive source of the Bible and source guide of Christian Science. It interprets the Bible in a radically different way. It is so different; in fact, that it absolutely rejects the atonement of Jesus Christ and states that it had no effective value (S&H, 25:6). It denies that Jesus is God, second person of the Trinity (S&H, 361:12-13). It says that sin is a false interpretation of Divine Science, which is best represented by Christian Science (S&H, 331:31). Unfortunately the list goes on and on.

To the Christian Scientist, God (the Father-Mother) is a Principle known as Divine Mind. It has no personhood and no personality. A catch phrase used in their literature is that God is All in All. In other words, God is all that exists and what we perceive as matter is an interpretation of divine mind. Since God is love, it means that sin and sickness are only errors of interpreting the Divine Mind and have no true reality (S&H, 330:25-274; 470:9-14).

To the Christian Scientist, Jesus is a Way-shower. He is someone who condensed the true principle of the Christ Consciousness, which indwells us all. Therefore, Jesus did not really die on the cross. He was not God in the flesh, and he made no atonement in shedding His blood (S&H, 25:6).

Christian Science teaches that man does not have a sinful nature and is a reflection of Divine Mind. To achieve salvation , he needs only to find the true reality of understanding, as revealed in Christian Science teachings. Unfortunately, these teachings are from Mary Baker Eddy, a woman, not God.1

The beliefs of Christian Scientists in specific areas do not comply or agree with the Bible, their beliefs are completely unbiblical and obviously made up by Mary Baker Eddy. The remainder of this paragraph lists the many false beliefs of the Christian Scientists that are in contradiction to the scripture. Angels are God s thoughts passing to man, an inspiration of goodness, and purity that counters evil and material reality. Atonement is not the shedding of Christ s blood, but At-one-ment. Lifting the whole man into Christ Consciousness. They believe that the biblical account of atonement is metaphorical, and not real. Baptism is the daily and ongoing purification of thought and deed. This is done by spiritual communion with God, celebrated with silent prayer and Christian living. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit proves that God created disharmony in the world. Christ is the divine idea man to the Christian Scientist. They believe that Jesus was not the Christ but a perfect representation of the Christ consciousness that is the true and higher self of every person. Christ is the manifestation of all that is good and true, the realization of divine principle. Therefore, a Christian Scientist can say, I am Christ. Creation is the product of Divine Mind and that there is only one reality that emanates and is part of the Divine Mind. Anything that is not in harmony with the Divine Mind is not a reality, but a lack of understanding of the principles of Divine Mind brought about by people. Death is only an illusion, the lie of life in matter . The Devil is not an entity or person, and has no existence. God is Spirit who is ever present, all knowing, all-powerful, and good. God is the Father/Mother God. Other names for God are Divine Mind, Soul, Principle, Life Truth, and Love. To the Christian Scientist God is the governing Principle of the universe to which a person must harmonize his belief system. Heaven is not a literal place of eternal bliss, but a harmonious condition of understanding where a person s consciousness are in harmony with Divine Mind. Hell to the Christian Scientist is a state of mind, which can include the effects of their improper understanding of Divine Mind and Christian Science Principles. Hell is not a literal place of damnation and eternal torment. Hell exists when a person s thoughts are out of harmony with reality of Divine Mind. The Holy Spirit is Divine Science, the spirit of God and is only discernable and knowable by a person through his spiritual awareness. Prayer is contemplation and internalization of divine truths. It is an affirmation of God s being in relation to man. Salvation is Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness, and death destroyed. Sickness is the false understanding given the appearance of reality by the unfaithful and ignorant Divine Principle and Mind. Sin is not understanding and behaving according to the Divine Law of God and the law of our being. Wrath is really the working out of the law of God s being upon a person. It is not God s judgement upon a sinner.4

One of the greatest errors of Christian Science is the belief that the Christ is the divine-idea man. Christian Science denies that Jesus was the Christ (S&H 333:3-15; 334:3). The Bible says in 1 John 2:22, Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? It is apparent from the following verses, that Christian Science is not telling the truth about Jesus.

The Bible specifically declares that Jesus is the Christ in Matthew 16:16, And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Bible points this out again in Acts 5:42, Matthew 16:20, Luke 9:20, John 20:31, Acts 3:20; 9:22; 18:5; 18:28. Jesus also called himself Christ in John 4:25-26, The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He. The Christ was born in Matthew 1:16, and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Christ did works in Matthew 11:2, Now when John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples. Christ suffered in Luke 24:26, Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? Christ s suffering is also mentioned in Luke 24:46, and Acts 26:23. Christ rose from the dead in Acts 17:3, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ. Christ was resurrected in Acts 2:31, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. Christ is a son in Hebrews 3:6, but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence ad the boast of our hope firm until the end. Christ has a body in Romans 7:4, Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear for God. Christ has a body and blood in 1 Corinthians 10:16, Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Christ died in Galatians 2:21, I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, the Christ died needlessly. Christ can be sinned against in 1 Corinthians 8:12, And thus, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Christ bore the sins of many in Hebrews 9:28, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. All of these verses prove that Christian Science is not telling the truth about Jesus. The Bible is the infallible Word of God and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is one of the most fallible books in existence. It is an abomination to say that this book is the Key for the correct interpretation of the Bible.5

As was stated before, the religion of Christian Science is a cult. This is so because the word cult by definition is: a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. b. The followers of such a religion or sect. This cult is very different from Christianity. Christian Scientists are different in many ways. They prefer not to use doctors, medicine, or immunizations. Christian Science Practitioners are used to help people through the false reality of illness. Proper prayer and training are employed to battle the non-reality of illness. Christian Scientists have no ordinances like the Lord s supper or baptism. The church services of Christian Scientists are interspersed with Bible reading and readings from Science and Health. Another main difference between Christianity and Christian Science is Mary Baker Eddy is highly regarded as a revelator of God s word, almost equal to Jesus.6

Christian Science is a well-known cult that has deceived many and still does today. Obviously, the teachings of Christian Science are false because they directly contradict the Bible. It is horrific to many that this religion affiliates itself with Christianity, (as do all cults) and that their book is thought and believed to be inspired by God. Mary Baker Eddy was a very powerful woman and still is today as she just recently was honored in the National Woman s Hall of Fame. It is a shame that so many people are deceived into such cults as these, but to avoid being deceived remember 1 John 3:7, Dear children, do no let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

Works Cited

1. Is Christian Science Christian? , by Matthew J. Slick. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, URL: http://www.carm.org/csult.htm

2. The Religious Bodies of America, by F.E. Meyer. Concordia Publishing House, Saint Louis, Missouri. 1961. P. 832.

3. Christian Science History , by Matthew J. Slick. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, URL: http://www.carm.org/cshistory.htm

4. Terms and Definitions of Christian Science , by Matthew J. Slick. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, URL: http://www.carm.org/csterms.htm

5. Jesus is the Christ , by Matthew J. Slick. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, URL: http://www.carm.org/csjesusischrist.htm

6. What does Christian Science Teach? , by Matthew J. Slick. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, URL: http://www.carm.org/csdoctrine.htm

7. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. Mary Baker G. Eddy. 1934