First Church of Christ, Scientist, Palos Verdes Peninsula, California
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1. Is Christian Science in fact Christian?
2. Do Christian Scientists give Science and Health precedence over the Bible?
Coming Soon...
3. Is Christian Science "faith healing"?
4. Is Christian Science the same as Scientology?
5. Do Christian Scientists worship Mary Baker Eddy?
6. Are Christian Scientists forbidden to go to doctors?
7. Do Christian Scientists do science experiments in church?
8. Are Christian Science Reading Rooms our churches?
9. Is Christian Science a cult?
10. Are Christian Scientists asking for the right to "do nothing" when a medical condition appears to arise?
ANSWERS
1. Is Christian Science in fact Christian?
Some people say Christian Science is not Christian, owing to its unique viewpoint on certain aspects of the Scriptures. But here are a few facts:
A. Christian Scientists believe in one all-powerful, all-loving God who created everything in the universe and is wholly good.
B. They acknowledge Jesus as God's son, and believe in the virgin birth and the resurrection (however, Christian Scientists do not believe that Jesus was God, which Jesus himself affirmed multiple times in the New Testament).
C. Christian Scientists believe in all of Jesus' so-called "miracles," although they believe them to be natural expressions of God's law and not supernatural or miraculous occurrences.
D. Christian Scientists take to heart Jesus' command to "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons" (Matthew 10:8), which can be found on the seal of the Christian Science Church.
E. Christian Scientists, though they don't believe that Jesus was God, see him as the highest possible human example, the "way-shower." Jesus is seen as a great teacher who first brought the light of Christ to the world in its complete form. Christ is seen as the idea that Jesus taught, while Jesus was a man who lived in the first century.
It is impossible to fully explain the Christian Science viewpoint on the nature of God, Christ, and Jesus, in one paragraph; that would be like trying to explain calculus in five minutes. Our church members and Reading Room staff would be happy to answer deeper questions about the Christian Science perspective on God, Christ, and Jesus.
2. Do Christian Scientists give Science and Health precedence over the Bible?
Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures is the Christian Science textbook, written by Mary Baker Eddy in 1875. It enlightens one’s understanding of the Bible and makes it teachings practical today. It notes the divine presence in its Science found throughout the Bible, which she denominated for this age Christian Science. In fact, Christian Scientists put so much importance on the Bible that it, along with Science and Health, is considered Christian Science's only pastor - that's right, Christian Science churches do not have ordained clergy. Selections from the two books are assembled into a lesson sermon months ahead of time by an anonymous group of members, and the same lesson sermon is read by elected congregation members in every single one of the about 2,000 Christian Science churches worldwide. It is read in each church because the Lesson is studied by individual Christian Scientists throughout the week, the Sunday service being a culmination of this study and application.
However, Christian Scientists don't take every part of the Bible literally. The first tenet of Christian Science states that Christian Scientists "take the inspired word of the Bible as [their] sufficient guide to eternal life" (Manual of the Mother Church, p. 15). Christian Scientists seek the deeper spiritual meaning of all parts of the Bible. For example, Christian Science sees the first chapter of Genesis as the true account of creation, and the second as an allegory.