If the mind treatment is not suggested to replace medical treatment, then why bother? If it's suggested to have some effect wouldn't the church goer find their belief in it displacing their desire to get medical treatment?

But you're right there's qualifiers given. So why be a member of the Church of Religious Science?

Perhaps it's not a cult, perhaps it's not even very easily described as quantitatively destructive? It's just a silly ineffectual belief system with social perks, and a lot of grifters hanging around in the local chapters in my particular spot.

Just describe as an anti-thiest from here on out.

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Kastlefeer
If the mind treatment is not suggested to replace medical treatment, then why bother? If it's suggested to have some effect wouldn't the church goer find their belief in it displacing their desire to get medical treatment?

You obviously don't understand the dynamics of prayer. Spiritual Mind Treatment is a form of prayer. The prayer would include the medical practitioners' being guided, inspired, and informed by the Wisdom of God. :wink:

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Kastlefeer
But you're right there's qualifiers given. So why be a member of the Church of Religious Science?

Why be a member of any group? It certainly seems to bother you that people belong to Religious Science churches.

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Kastlefeer
Perhaps it's not a cult, perhaps it's not even very easily described as quantitatively destructive? It's just a silly ineffectual belief system with social perks, and a lot of grifters hanging around in the local chapters in my particular spot.

The first part of the above statement is simply an unsupportable opinion, and the second part is an insult to people who frequent the Religious Science church.

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Kastlefeer
Just describe as an anti-thiest from here on out.

An adherent of Religious Science is not an ant-theist; an adherent of Religios Science is a theist.

Forgive my typo, this message board has no edit feature ...

Just describe ME as an anti-thiest from here on out.

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Kastlefeer
Forgive my typo, this message board has no edit feature ...

Just describe ME as an anti-thiest from here on out.

Whatever you are, you seem like a nice and sincere person, and I enjoy my exchanges with you.

I've been going to CSL in Seattle off and on for years. There are simply no cult-like characteristics to this church. People come and go as they please, there is NO pressure to stop associating with non-CSL members, quite the opposite in fact. People are encouraged to work for the greater good for everyone, not just church members. There is also very little pressure to contribute money to the church beyond the passing of a basket at the end of a service.

As far as stories of CSL discouraging members to seek medical attention, that is simply not the case. If someone has a medical problem it is assumed that they go to a doctor and do everything possible to resolve it. The church simply teaches that we can affect the outcome of a situation by the way we think about it. Many medical studies support this viewpoint. If people in the church try to resolve medical issues simply through prayer at the exclusion of medical attention it is NOT because of the teachings here.

Simply put this church teaches that we will largely find what we are looking for in the world. If you focus on the good and positive things in life you will find over time that they come to you. If you're looking for cults everywhere you will find them - everywhere. If you're focusing on cruel and dishonest people, you will find many of them in your life. It is the "Power of Positive Thinking" in spiritual guise. (This forum reminds me of the Salem witch trials - bring up just about any organization and someone here will scream, "It's a cult!")

Although you may take issue with the teachings of CSL, it is most certainly NOT a cult.

Hi! I'm new to this forum, but feel compelled to join because of the nightmare experience I had with so-called religious science. Science of Mind is Pseudo-science of Mindlessness.
It is quite harmless if nothing bad happens to you......but since they don't believe that anything bad happens to anyone, when the thing that happened to you (or didn't?) happens, or doesn't....it is all your fault, and they shun you. "There are no victims" according to them; which obviously means that there are no perpetrators...... The prosperity thing is very sick, in my opinion. "Money is Love in Action". These people are dangerous. I am speaking from personal experience.

It might not be considered a cult by some, but Religious Science is definitely corruptive and dangerous. This business manager was a so-called "Religious Science Practitioner". Beware anyone that puts RScP at the end of their name!

WOMAN CHARGED WITH STEALING $713,000 FROM CHURCH
Posted: 1:59 pm PDT September 26, 2011

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- A business manager accused of stealing more than $712,000 from the Center for Spiritual Living over a seven-year period was arraigned Monday in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Eleanor Zapanta, 51, of Guerneville, was taken into custody Monday morning in court on a $1 million arrest warrant and was scheduled to enter a plea on Wednesday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Bill Brockley said.

She is charged with seven counts of grand theft, seven counts of forging business documents, and an enhancement alleging theft by an employee of more than $500,000, and could face 12 years in prison if convicted, Brockley said.

The alleged thefts and forgery of more than 250 checks occurred between 2004 and 2010 when Zapanta was the center's business manager, Brockley said.

Brockley would not disclose how the theft occurred or how the allegedly stolen money was spent.

Santa Rosa police began investigating the case several months ago, he said.

The Center for Spiritual Living promotes Religious Science, a religious movement founded by Ernest Holmes in 1949. Among other beliefs, the center emphasizes the power of the mind in achieving healing and fulfillment in life, according to its website.