Q: We learn in Christian Science not to specifically pray for someone unless they have asked for it, while we also learn how we can change our thought about a person who has not asked for prayer, without actually giving them a treatment. What is the right thing to do when we read online posts from friends that describe an unfortunate situation and ask for prayer? Does Christian Science treatment for the person or their family cross the line of what is ethical in response to such a plea for prayer? —A reader in Godfrey, Illinois, US A: For me, this question is critical to my practice of Christian Science, since I also volunteer as a nondenominational chaplain in hospitals and for hospice organizations, and am active in a number of online spirituality and healing forums, where the lines between prayer and treatment are not always clearly drawn.
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