A brief glimpse at Christian Science

I was sitting in Starbucks on Victoria and State Street last night, and on my way there, I passed by the Christian Science Reading Room on the corner. I grabbed a couple free articles they have on the wall, and strolled into Starbucks to examine them. I've noticed that if any group has a tendency to veer off course, doctrinally, it is usually in the way of the person of Jesus Christ, or the authority of Scripture. Everyone seems to have the same interpretation of "God" (for example, Russian President Putin claimed to be a believer his recent headliner in Time Magazine), but do they have the same interpretation of Jesus, who Christians hold to be God in the flesh? Many people, even non-believers, will have something good to say about the Bible, but do they believe it to be entirely true and sufficient?

Here is an excerpt from one of the articles, entitled Some Essentials For Being A Christian Science Practitioner:

"...as the first tenet of Christian Science states, '...we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal life.'"

Ok, good! It seems that Christian Scientists and Christians have the same view of God's Word...right? Let's read the next paragraph:

"Another essential is a love for Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures and for it's author, Mary Baker Eddy....She wrote: 'I should blush to write of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" as I have, were it of human origin, and were I, apart from God, its author.'" [1]

Uh oh.
You could have gone through this entire magazine and gotten a basic perception that Christian Science looks to be pretty right on, because for the most part, a lot of what they teach on the surface of the magazine is similar to what we teach. Except for that one little part where they just claimed that there is something ELSE essential for living other than God's Word...or where they claim that Mary Eddy Baker's book is authored by God.

The Word of God is not sufficient? Doesn't 1 Timothy 3:16,17 teach us that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work?"
So if the Word of God is adequate for EVERY good work that we need to accomplish in this life, then what do we need Mary Eddy Baker's book for? We don't. Of course, she claims that it's inspired by God, but is it?
Last time I checked, we were not supposed to add words to God's words as Mary Eddy Baker has.
Deuteronomy 4:2 states that "You shall not add to the word which I [God] am commanding you."
In chapter 12:32 He reiterates that "you shall not add to nor take away from it [His words]."
In Proverbs 30:6 we are told not to "add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar."
God seemed to know that there would be the temptation to add words, because He waited until the one of the last verses in the very last chapter of the last book of the Bible, where in Revelation 22:18, 19 He states, "if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book."

That's interesting that God says he'll add plagues to those who add to His words, because in another paragraph of this article, it is told that to believe that sickness is real, is to believe an error, which Mrs. Eddy labels "animal magnetism." [2]
She must have skipped over that verse in her newly revised version.

The inerrant and sufficient Word of God states that there exists "Satan, who deceives the whole world" (Rev 12:9) This is contrary to Christian Science that teaches God as the "only real power that exists." Jesus has conquered death on the cross, and we should, as Christians be living in that realization, but the Bible also clearly teaches that we have a common enemy who is the "god of this world" [2cor4:4] who seeks to deceive.

Don't let Christian Science deceive you.


1. Christian Science Sentinel | Oct 23, 2006, pg 21.
2. Christian Science Sentinel | Oct 23, 2006, pg 28.