Christian Science Its All in the Mind

Lesson 2 13 May 2012

Christian Science
Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910)
Born Mary Ann Morse Baker in Bow, New Hampshire on 16 July 1821 parents Mark and Abigail Baker Congregationalists Was given to both physical and psychosomatic illnesses Dec. 1843 Married George W. Glover, died of yellow fever 7 months after married became an invalid June 21, 1853 Married Dr. Daniel M. Patterson marriage ended in divorce 1862 Phineas P. Quimby in Portland, ME a mesmerist, The Science of Christ or Science of Health dies 10 JAN 1866 1 FEB 1866: Mary slips on ice and claims she was incurably injured and discovers Christian Science (Mt. 9:2) 1875: Publishes Science and Health with Keys to the Scriptures 1877 Married Asa G. Eddy he died in 1882, she claimed it was due to mentally induced arsenic poisoning 1879: The First Church of Christ, Scientists was established in Boston, MA 1910: Dies 3 December at age 89

Mormonism
Source of Authority
The Sources
The KJV (rightly translated and interpreted) Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures Mary Baker Eddys other writings Lessons approved by the Board of Directors

Organization of the Book 16 Chapters Claims to be of Divine Authorship Ignorant of biblical history, theology, philosophy or languages- Rev. J.H. Wiggin Eddys adviser Revised edition in 1908 changed two sentences Issues of Plagiarism
Phineas P. Quimby Science of Man Francis Lieber The Metaphysical Religion of Hegel

Other Legal issues

The Tea Jacket Swindle

Church of Christ, Science

Organization of the Church
Mother Church 14 acres on Huntington Ave. in Boston Built in 1894 and expanded 1906 additions were made in the 30s and again in the 70s Board of Directors 5 members Manual of the Mother Church Reading Rooms books, lessons and mid-week services The Christian Science Monitor 1997 2200 churches world-wide mainly in US, Canada and Northern Europe Decline: by 2002: 1885 churches mainly in US and Canada Number of adherents: between 150,000 and 400,000 Issues:
Ageing Population More popular alternatives Lawsuits and claims of child abuse

Christian Scientists in Austin: 3575 S FM 620 near Lakeway

Christian Science
Theology
Creation only the Spirit is real, the material world is evil and an illusion God the Father the Divine Principal; not a person God the Son Jesus is not God; but is the Son of God Christ is spiritual and infallible; Jesus was material and not infallible The Holy Spirit indistinguishable from the Divine Principal The Trinity the Christian doctrine is polytheistic Life, Truth, Love Virgin Birth the result of the thoughts of Mary thinking about the Divine Principal Sin, disease, death all illusions and are all error Malicious animal magnetism the cause of most diseases and it is inflicted on one by the erroneous thoughts of another The Death, burial and resurrection did not happen; Jesus did not die on the cross, only appeared to and then healed himself Prayer cannot change anything except by getting thoughts right Man a Spirit being body is an illusion Gods reflection

Christian Science
Practices
No successor to Mary Baker Eddy No pressure to remain in the Church Christian Science Reading Rooms and Services
Emphasizes Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures Learning to recognize your own divinity

Mission work
Mainly through establishing reading rooms Focus is on the intellectual and the well educated Recently major converts Asian-Americans at universities

Medical Care
Emphasizes healing through the proper mind set Miracles are merely getting your thoughts right Material medicine is for the material body which is an illusion

Impact: Far greater than numbers

Neville Chamberlain and Mary Astor in England H.R. Haldeman in the US

References
Brown, Harold O.J. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. 1988 Martin, Walter. The Kingdom of the Cults. ed. Ravi Zacharias, 2003, pp. 193 - 259 MacArthur, John F. Charismatic Chaos. 1992 www.probeministries.org www.cri.org