As a new student of Christian Science, I was very much impressed not only with this religion but also with the people who practiced it. I was in awe of the poise, dominion, love, joy, and intelligence I saw in the members of the first branch church I attended. As someone might idolize a movie star or a gold medal athlete, I put Christian Scientists on a pedestal; I literally worshiped their spirituality. They all seemed so perfect to me.
Science and Health says of divine Science: "It dooms idolatry. A belief in other gods, other creators, and other creations must go down before Christian Science" (p. 535). So it's not surprising that I was ripe for some challenging spiritual growth. In a very short time I moved about an hour's drive away from this branch church and joined another one closer to my new home. Here I came face to face with a church member whose words and actions led me to believe I was being treated with mild contempt. At every church meeting I felt put down and ridiculed. Each time I went home in tears, crushed and disillusioned. The idolized concept of what I thought a Christian Scientist should be like came crashing off its pedestal and seemed to land with all its weight on me!
I turned to God in prayer and increased my study of Christian Science, yearning to make spiritual progress. It seemed as though I couldn't do it in that church, so I withdrew my membership and drove twice a week to the church that was an hour away, the one I thought was filled with perfect Christian Scientists. I did continue to pray about this unresolved problem, though.
