Christian Science is a religion of semantics. Words and phrases are parsed ever so carefully to reveal deeper, hidden meanings. People debate about what a particular statement means. It gets crazy sometimes, let me tell you. And, there are the peculiar statements unique to Christian Science, which to outsiders must seem stupidly weird. The one that crosses my mind today is “know (or knowing) the Truth.”
I always kind of wondered about that statement when I was a Christian Scientist, how do you “know the Truth”? I’ve always thought you either do know it or you don’t, and if you don’t you find out what the truth really is. You don’t “know it” until you DO know it. Yeah, it’s that stupid word-play. It’s one of those instances when you apply simple logic to a Christian Science statement and it just blows up in a mess of illogical stupidity.
Anyway, that’s my thought for the day. On another note, this morning I realized that if I was still “in the faith”, I would be attending my Association meeting today. Oh how my life has changed, and how far (forward) I have come. Instead of stuffing myself into slacks and collared shirt, and sitting in a giant fancy ballroom, listening to my former Christian Science Teacher, I went to work this morning, and fed 82 folks who live on the streets of our little city here. A couple of my usual volunteers weren’t able to make it, so we were shorthanded, but with a lot of hustle and hard work we got it done, and many thank-you’s from our grateful guests went around. This was far more fulfilling to me than what I used to do on the first Saturday of May. I love my job!
Life is indeed good! On a final note, back to the topic of “truth”, I leave you with Pilate’s famous statement, and one that I always remember: “What is truth?” So, what is truth to you?
Emerging Gently 
We are all God’s Perfect Children. There is no sensation in Matter. Pray harder.
Yeah, I’m so over that.
Also, as Biblical figures go, King Herod is still one of my favorites, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9ALiADrJro …
Ha ha! I love that version of King Herod! Another misunderstood character I think, is Pilate. I like his question: “What is truth?”. I think he may not necessarily have been such a bad guy despite how Christianity has generally depicted him.
Thank you for this blog. I now read it and Kindism every day. I have had only had one CS friend ask me why I left the religion and my response was “I no longer think it is the Truth”. It was simple and easy for her to understand. She didn’t ask me other questions. We are still friends but not as close as when I was CS. Fortunately, most of my friends today were not CS and one of my best friends from Principia left CS around the time that I did. We have had thousands of hours of conversation helping each other through our deprogramming. I stopped attending my association over 20 years ago. The last year I attended, I felt the need to make an appointment with my teacher while still in the area. He always offered this. When I called him, he didn’t have any appointments left so I said “no problem” and went back home. Frankly, I am glad I didn’t go see him because it may have delayed my escape from all the nonsense. I had been not feeling the love towards CS for several years and wasn’t sure what it meant at that time. Therefore, it was my last association. My mother-in-law still attends and my husband and I go every year and stay at the hotel to spend time with her. The morning of the meeting, we go to where many of the association members come to get a quick bite before going the long boring day of programming begins.(as I see it now). Many of my former association members recognize me and come say hello and how happy they are to see me. At first, they think I’ve come back into the fold but now they know that isn’t the situation. Of the thirty people in my class, I would say only about five are still there. Several of them died young and I have no idea about the others. Many of my Principia friends are now in the association and probably don’t realize that I was ever a student of their teacher. I look at it as a mini-Principia reunion and am so grateful each year that I no longer am under the CS spell. If I could I would give a testimony about it 🙂 Thanks again for your blog!
Thanks for the comment! It feels good to know that this has helped someone. I agree with your point about feeling glad you didn’t get that appointment with your teacher. I broke up with my teacher via e-mail (we had been corresponding that way)–yeah, I know it sounds tacky. I wanted to call him, and I felt I should, but I felt more able to express my thoughts in writing, and I do tend to be better in writing–geez this sounds like the end of a bad relationship! Anyway, I’m glad I did. I too realize that talking to him or meeting would have probably delayed my departure. Writing about my experiences in and out of CS, and reading others’ experiences has been great for my deprogramming. I’m also looking forward to a visit with an old Prin friend this summer who departed some time ago. And hey, your comment is sort of like a testimony! Or, you could write your story and present it here as a guest writer if you wish. Just drop me an e-mail.