Articles

A Protestant minister who is a friend of mine wanted to know more about Christian Science and its emphasis on spiritual healing, so he joined me in attending a midweek service at a nearby Church of Christ, Scientist. That night several people gave remarkable testimonies of healing, but afterward my friend was mainly interested in talking about certain changes for the better that were told about, which, he felt, "might well have happened by themselves.

Response to the broadcasts of religious programming As soon as I received it, I immersed myself in it. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy enabled me to discover a new spiritual world.

"It's a small world" probably ought to be a cliche by now—except for one thing. There is so much poignancy, so much hope, and so much yet to be done to make that phrase fulfill its promise.

When I think about church membership, I think about Jacob. It may seem odd, since his idea of church would have been very different from the Christian's.

The recent court cases against Christian Scientist parents have caused wide public comment. Some newspaper editorials have expressed genuine support both for these parents and for the freedom to practice spiritual healing but there has also been considerable inaccurate reporting in the media and much condemnation of Christian Scientists' reliance on prayer for healing.

It's easy to see why people with unusual talents, backgrounds, or interests seem to have a special "calling" that sets them apart from others. But what's the basis of this uniqueness? Does everybody have some version of it? Is everyone "called," or does a sense of mission and purpose in life belong only to a few "chosen" individuals—the prophets described in the Old Testament, for example? One has to admire those ancient prophets.

" Ye are the light of the world," Christ Jesus told his followers. Is that how today's Christians see themselves? Many of us have made a basic commitment to be Christians and to follow him.

The healing practiced in Christian Science is based not on a blind belief or positive thinking or "I sure hope it works this time" but on a deeper understanding of God and of man's relationship to Him. We learn in Christian Science that even healings of so-called incurable ailments are not miraculous or supernatural.

Suppose I were to mention someone you know very well and ask you to tell me what he is like. You would probably describe his physical features.

Stephen W. Hawking, the celebrated professor at Cambridge, recently stated, "If we find the answer to [why we and the universe exist], it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason—for then we would know the mind of God.