Tell the Truth

Archive for December, 2008

I’ve heard it said that Christian Science is common sense, but I don’t buy it.

While working in the Reading Room yesterday, I read a wonderful article in a Christian Science Journal from 1908, called The Authority of Common Sense (George H. Moore, J-26-263), which describes common sense as a sense of something held in common by the community. Wikipedia agrees, describing it as consisting of “what people in common would agree on: that which they “sense” (in common) as their common natural understanding.” Christian Science definitely doesn’t fit into that definition. It is common sense to us as Scientists, but definitely not to the community at large.

The Journal article also quotes Mrs. Eddy as saying that Christian Science could agree more easily with common sense if only it was “consistently sensible,” which it certainly is not. A Christian Science understanding of Life as being spiritual is not common sense to a material mentality.

Mrs. Eddy uses the phrase “common sense” in Science and Health in a single citation, suggesting that common sense is a mental quality “which which to evoke healing.”

 365:7
   The benign thought of Jesus, finding utterance in such
   words as “Take no thought for your life,” would heal
 9 the sick, and so enable them to rise above the supposed
   necessity for physical thought-taking and doctoring;
   but if the unselfish affections be lacking, and common
12 sense and common humanity are disregarded, what men-
   tal quality remains, with which to evoke healing from
   the outstretched arm of righteousness?

But Christian Science is above common sense, just as metaphysics is above physics, and Mrs. Eddy more commonly, sees the common view of reality as being material, not spiritual as she suggests here:

92:17 the
                                            the common conception of mor-
18 tal man — a burlesque of God’s man — is an outgrowth
   of human knowledge or sensuality, a mere offshoot of
   material sense.

Rather than merely a common sense, I find Christian Science to be an extraordinary one. 

I found 10 references to “common sense” yesterday—5 in the Journal, and 5 in the Sentinel, so I have more reading to do before I’m done, and it is only common sense that I should read them all before putting the issue to rest.

I think for much of my life I hid from truth, not trusting it, or being positively afraid of it, because I associated it with fundamentalism.

Moralistic people seem to use an unloving version of truth to hit others over the head, and convey a sense of condemnation. Those who jokingly refer to being a “recovering Catholic”, or Baptist, or Christian, etc., are generally referring to the condemnation that accompanies this false Christianity—and that’s not the Christianity of Jesus.

Christian Science has brought me a trust and love for Truth. It is a Truth which heals and blesses mankind, not oppresses and condemns them! As Jesus said,

John 8:32
32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Truth doesn’t oppresses or condemnus; it sets us free. The “truth” which binds or restricts us isn’t the real truth, it is a human mockery of it.

 224:32
   What is this supposed power, which opposes itself to God?
 1 Whence cometh it? What is it that binds man with iron
   shackles to sin, sickness, and death? Whatever enslaves
 3 man is opposed to the divine government. Truth makes
   man free.

As a Christian Science Hymn (No. 201) says,

O do not bar your mind
Against the light of good;
But open wide, let in the Word,
And Truth will be your food.

Truth will from error free
Your long enslaved mind,
And bring the light of liberty
Where it shall be enshrined.

Hid treasures it reveals
To all who know its power;
And all who will may light receive
In this most gracious hour.

Then open wide your heart
To Truth and Light and Love;
You then shall know your life is hid
With Christ in God above.

We instinctively love and respond to Truth. God’s Truth is a balm of Love and inner peace, of kindness and healing—and even when correcting us, it brings a sense of rightness with it, not condemnation.

 Mal 4:2 (to
2    But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;

Righteousness should be paired with healing—not with condemnation and criticism.

The Truth sets free. If it condemns, it isn’t Truth.

In the early 80′s when I was a Catholic, I joined a covenanted lay community. I made a sacred promise to remain in the community for the rest of my life. The Alleluia Community, where I was a member, is a family-oriented, covenanted, charismatic, Christian community located in Augusta, GA.  (You can see their website at http://www.yeslord.com/.)

In the late 90′s I became increasingly unhappy there and eventually, after much emotional turmoil, chose to leave. Though the specific reasons I left aren’t all that important, the actual experience of leaving was, in retrospect, terribly important.

Our family was considered “covenant breakers” and we were shunned by community members. It was a time of great emotional stress and isolation for us; however, there was a small group of 10 or so former community members in the area who offered us comfort and encouragement.

I made several requests both in person and by letter to be “released” from the covenant, and after a delay of 3 or 4 years, the release was finally given and we were able to close the door on that chapter of our lives.

Why do I bring this up now? Because it resulted in much guilt and emotional pain that cried out for resolution, and because my Christian Science understanding brought me the healing I had sought for so long.

For 20 years, I grappled with my feelings each time I thought of the situation. I didn’t understand why I should feel guilty. I had been formally released from the community. They no longer claimed any hold over me, and had forgiven me. For my part, I had made great strides spiritually. I no longer held any negative feelings about the community or any of its members and was able to look back fondly at the wonderful years I had spent there. Why was I feeling guilty?

I knew it would not be possible for me to return to the community, to turn back the clock and live out my commitment. “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” I had moved on with my life and had passed through many wonderful experiences and involvements since that time in a variety of religious experiences, both Christian and non-Christian. I had found my way back to my Father’s house, and I knew I was right where I should be. I was growing in my understanding of God and man. Why did I still feel guilty?

The answer came to me through accepting that I had sinned. I had made a promise and broken it. I had always resisted admitting that my leaving was a sin because leaving has led to much needed and positive growth for me, and greater happiness and fulfillment. But recently, even though I recognized that leaving had been the right thing for me to do, I needed to acknowledge the sin of my leaving.

The saving grace for me was realizing that in spite of the story of Abraham, God doesn’t make covenants with mankind. God isn’t a person. God is Principle–not personality. God wasn’t holding me to my promise. God didn’t even know about my promise, and couldn’t care less. Then where did the sacredness of the covenant I had made come from? From myself. I was the one who had made the covenant holy, and I was the one who had broken it. I was the one I had wronged. Once I saw that, I could admit that I had sinned, even while acknowledging that leaving was the best thing for me. As I did so, I found the peace I had been searching for.

Today I have peace about the whole affair and am no longer struggling with the dreams of my past. Thanks to Christian Science I know that my suffering was only a dream–that God was not the one punishing me, but that I was punishing myself. Today I forgive myself and let the past go. Through this experience, I can appreciate in a deeper way Mrs. Eddy’s statement that “The true theory of the universe, including man, is not in material history but in spiritual development.” S&H 547:25-27.

When the new patient was settled comfortably on the couch, the physiatrist began his therapy session, “I’m not aware of your problem,” the doctor said. “So perhaps, you should start at the very beginning.”

“Of course.” replied the patient. “In the beginning, I created the Heavens and the Earth…”

“Do you keep the First Commandment? Do you have one God and creator, or is man a creator?”  S&H 69:20-22