In the November 2011 issue of the Journal, in the column, “Frequently Asked Questions on the Healing Practice” (p. 19), the question that month had to do with love in marriage and how “a normal sex life [fits] with a life devoted to Christian Science healing.” The answers given were thoughtful and, I trust, helpful to readers. I believe there is yet another perspective that may be worth considering.
In the chapter “Marriage” in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, there are many references to the importance and normalcy of affection within the marriage relationship. Mary Baker Eddy, the textbook’s author, chose to devote a whole chapter to the subject of marriage and its relation to the progress of humanity. How wonderful it is to know of present-day examples of successful marriages that include both warmth of affection and sincere devotion to Christian Science healing. The purity and love expressed in such a marriage are sure to support the healing practice, since love is an essential element of healing.
What moves me to write is a deep concern about the rampant societal acceptance of extra-marital sex. Eddy explains in her characteristic clarity and candor that “chastity is the cement of civilization and progress. Without it there is no stability in society, and without it one cannot attain the Science of Life” (Science and Health, p. 57). Could the lack of stability in our society today have something to do with mistaken views on the subject of sex?
