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Hope. Courage. Resilience. Forgiveness. These words mean more, not less, against a backdrop of war, suffering and violence. The June 6 Annual Meeting of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, highlighted this message, welcoming members in-person, and virtually, from 60 countries worldwide.
This was an unpublished letter to the editor of The Sun in response to an article about Val Kilmer, making a reference to his faith.
Just before Christmas a blog titled ‘The Greatest Gift’ was posted on two UK websites. It stated that some religions shun present giving at Christmas time, citing Christian Science as an example of this and claiming that this was Mary Baker Eddy’s position, making her un-Christian. Read our response here.
In a recent article by The Guardian, parallels were drawn between the current pandemic protesters and similar historical movements including those in the 1920s. However, it is misleading to link Christian Scientists to them. Read our full unpublished letter to the editor here.
On June 7, 2021, church members from all over the UK watched the annual meeting of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, as it was live-streamed from the Church’s headquarters in Boston. Watch the recording here.
A letter to the editor of The Daily Mirror: In your May 13 story about DeGeneres, your brief reference to the Christian Science faith and its attitude to the medical profession might mislead your readers…
Does the Christian Science Church have a policy about vaccinations? If vaccinations are required by law, for example ‘vaccine passports’, what is the view of the Christian Science Church? Your questions on vaccinations answered. Read on to learn more.
I cannot think of a faith more opposed to the “Positive Thinking” that Canon Angela Tilby writes about (Comment, 16 October) than Christian Science. Yet she implies that Christian Science is one of the sources for the religious positivism espoused by Norman Vincent Peale and his church, which Donald Trump attended as a young man.
We are delighted to post a LONG READ by Robin Harragin Hussey on a much overlooked but fundamental influence on the life of Nancy Astor – her adherence to Christian Science . Any collection on Astor would be incomplete without an exploration of her faith.Robin studied Religious Studies at Sussex University and gained a Masters and PGCE from Kings College, London. A lifelong Christian Scientist, she has worked to present religion to her students and in a wider arena as a medium through which change for good and healing can be effected. Most recently she was appointed Christian Science Committee on Publication, London and District Manager of the Committees on Publication in UK and Ireland. This position involves liaising with the media and legislature on issues to do with Christian Science.
Monday, June 8, marked the annual meeting of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston. This annual meeting was different from previous years – not just from a logistical perspective to ensure the virtual meeting went smoothly, but also the topics addressed, including the economic and public health crisis as well as global concerns about racial injustice.
In a recent book review by The Guardian on the book, The Circle and the Squares, two Christian scientists are referenced to as being “positive-minded Christian Scientists.” There is nothing wrong with being positive but Christian Science is much more than simply a method of thinking positively…
A local interfaith reader asked this question and Christian Scientists may appreciate reading the answer, sent by Jenny Pearson, Committee on Publication for South East 1.
As a Christian Scientist, I’d like to give a different perspective on Damian Thompson’s Feb 28 podcast, because I see in my church energetic, committed, and joyful individuals. However, Mr. Thompson’s argument begs the question vital to the practice of all faith, namely, what about religion will actually last? If it isn't practical, real, revitalizing, what is religion for?
Christian Science beliefs and practices, often misunderstood, can run against cultural norms. They are based on a deep faith in a loving God and on the teachings and healing works of Jesus proved practical. The Church’s aim is to relieve suffering and uplift humanity. The health and safety of children and adults are paramount to all.
Given the looming challenges the world faces—strife, corruption, climate crisis, health care costs—Christian Scientists at their church’s annual meeting in Boston reaffirmed their faith that the things of the Spirit are what the world most needs.
Four women, a Hindu, a Moslem, a Christian Scientist, and a Unitarian spoke to the question, "Can female leadership be a force for change and renewal in religion?" Lizzie Witney, Committee on Publication for South East England, gave a 15-minute talk on Mary Baker Eddy.
In light of severe weather conditions and ongoing fears surrounding global warming, it’s enlightening to reflect on how ‘on message’ the Christian Science pastor (Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by our founder, Mary Baker Eddy) is.
"This “think and get rich” philosophy seems less a source of “resilience” in today’s world than of destabilizing selfishness and short-termism. So, I am saddened to see my own religious faith — I’m a Christian Scientist — lumped in with this philosophy.
This talk (transcribed) celebrates the role of three women who shaped thought in their religious traditions: - Ellen G. White, Seventh Day Adventist Church - Mary Baker Eddy, The Church of Christ, Scientist - 'Amma', Hindu Guru.
Media reporting on religion in the United States often focuses on the challenges many denominations are having as their membership numbers have trended smaller. The following letter to the editor, sent to the Chicago Sun-Times, addresses this widespread concern.
Christian Scientists have lived and worshiped in communities around the world for over a century. This year, the thoughts, and earnest prayers, of our church’s members turned toward Ottawa, Canada, following the news in May of an assault in a Christian Science Reading Room which took the life of a fellow member (and for many of us, loved friend).
Someone asked what the reason for my hope is. For me, God's saving presence is more than an innate optimism and merely hopeful religious thinking. It's a question of actual experience: my life - and the lives of others - radically altered by our experience of God.
I was fascinated by this ancient graffiti when I visited Jerusalem. The city itself is one of momentous history but also, I found, extraordinary vitality, making it an inspiring place to visit. Historically, it has often been a center of turmoil.
As people of many faiths, Christian Scientists take the Golden Rule as basic ethics. It guides our relations with society, and while we can’t claim to have been always perfect in this regard, we feel strongly about respecting the rights of our neighbors and fellow citizens, and not imposing our own religious choices on others.
Below is our original response to a Sunday Telegraph book review of Emily Fridlund's debut novel "History of Wolves," which includes a couple of characters described as Christian Scientists.
Your article “The joy of sects” (Feb 2nd, 2017), inaccurately states Christian Scientists “do not believe in conventional medicine”, perhaps suggesting to some readers that we are opposed to it.
Headlines warning of the social fallout from alcohol and drug addiction often fail to record the remarkable fact that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have successfully “recovered” from these often devastating dependencies. The highly lauded “12 Steps” programme, that has fronted the decades long efforts of both Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, as well as similar organisations, have undoubtedly saved many lives. At the heart of this success story is an acceptance of a spiritual “higher power” available to all, one which supersedes mere will power and puts them on the road to recovery.
Varsity has the honour of being the oldest student-run newspaper at Cambridge. Its article by the newspaper's science editor, entitled ‘The death of Cambridge’s anti-medicine cult’. The piece described the Christian Science church in Cambridge and elsewhere, but was incorrect in many of its assertions and assumptions.
Research is beginning to confirm that your concept of God makes a huge difference to your health. HIV patients experience significantly slower disease progression rates when the God they believe in is “benevolent/forgiving” rather than “harsh/judgmental/punishing”. Is your God, like Michaelangelo’s, a scowling, angry presence? Or is your God more of a loving, healing presence? What difference does it make?
As a frequent visitor to Boston, Massachusetts, myself, I delighted in reading Linda Laban’s romp through 48 Hours in Boston. She brought out the sparkling essence of the blend of history, quirkiness, and modernity that is this unique East Coast city. One of the places she so adeptly describes is the Christian Science Plaza where one can learn about the New Englander who founded a religion…