THE BIBLE TELLS us, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" (Ps. 107:2). It's high time that I put my gratitude on record for the way my life is continually being set free through the study and practice of Christian Science.
I was raised in a small town in eastern Canada by parents who were evangelical Christians. They believed in the power and presence of God and were also great Bible students. My dad used to read the Bible to the family regularly, so I grew up knowing and really loving the Scriptures. My parents were firm believers, however, in the doctrine of eternal damnation, the idea that man is created a sinner and that if one doesn't accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they are doomed to everlasting hell. I found this doctrine deeply disturbing. I couldn't understand why, if God is Love and all-powerful, as the Bible tells us, He didn't make everything perfect to begin with and avoid all the problems humanity seems to be having. It seemed to me that creation, as I knew it, was pretty much of a disaster, and frankly, I felt that given the opportunity, I could have done a better job. I didn't say anything about these thoughts in the years prior to high school. I was afraid that it was probably a very sinful thing just to ask the question.
The summer I graduated from high school, my mother went to the US to visit relatives and friends, including a couple whom she'd known as fellow evangelical Christians but hadn't seen for a few years. In the meantime, these friends had found Christian Science. The wife had a wonderful healing and both she and her husband had become devoted students. They introduced my mother to Christian Science and gave her a copy of Science and Health, which she brought home with her. I don't think my mother knew what had been bothering me, but one of the first things she did when she got back to Canada was to hand the book to me suggesting I might find it interesting.
