You don’t have to be perfect (SPOILER ALERT: you can’t)

If there is one thing that Christian Science theology drills into its adherents and those unfortunate enough to be raised by its adherents, it is the relentless pursuit of “spiritual perfection” as a so-called “reflection of God”. It is impossible to be fully and completely perfect, completely lacking any measurable flaws. However, Christian Science teaches that in some sort of “spiritual reality” we are all perfect, as so-called “reflections of God”; we just need to somehow “see” or “realize” this. None of what I have just said here should be new to anyone who has been a regular reader here, or who knows anything about Christian Science.

Boundaries

I hear a lot of talk about boundaries these days–especially on-line. It has become one of the latest buzzwords, but it is an important subject. One of my favourite Reddit sub-reddits is called AITA (Am I The Asshole?). It is filled with stories of people having their boundaries violated, as well as some coming on to seek redemption when they violate someone else’s boundaries. A story in the summer of 2023 that floated across the flotsam of my Facebook newsfeed, involving actor Jonah Hill and his former girlfriend Sarah Brady, a professional surfer and model, caught my attention and brought to the fore for me the whole idea of how some people weaponize legitimate psychological terms, in this case, boundaries.