Christian Science

Among other problems, this cult may have the most inaccurate name of the groups we have mentioned, according to Dr. R.C. Sproul. “[Christian Science] is clearly not Christian or scientific,” he says.

Christian Science was the brainchild of Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910). She was very sickly as a girl, and continued to suffer various ailments into adulthood. In 1862, she met Phineas P. Quimby, who was seeking to provide physical relief through mental exercises. She claimed to have a healing under his guidance and became his disciple. But she soon began weaving religious elements into his thought. In 1866, she fell and was injured, and a doctor reportedly told her she would die. But when she read Jesus’ command to the paralytic, “ ‘Rise up and walk’ ” (Luke 5:23–24), she got up and was well. The doctor, however, later swore he never said her life was endangered. Her book Science and Health with the Key to the Scriptures synthesized Quimby’s thought and her religious ideas to form the basis for what she had begun calling Christian Science. In 1877, she married Asa Gilbert Eddy, who became the first Christian Science “practitioner” and helped her form the first Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879. At his death, Mary Eddy said he had been killed by “MAM”—malicious animal magnetism, or the hateful thoughts of her opponents.

Christian Science confesses the Bible to be the supreme authority, but in practice it is authoritative only as interpreted by Science and Health. Mary Eddy claimed that the Bible errs whenever it speaks about “mortal and materialistic” matters such as matter, evil, disease, and death, none of which are real, according to Christian Science. The universe is all an illusion—the only reality is God, who is “All in All.” Man has no body but is only a soul that has always existed as part of God. There was no fall (evil is an illusion), so man is morally perfect. Thus, there was no need for Jesus to make atonement. He simply demonstrated the Christ principle (ideal truth). Salvation comes by knowledge (understanding the difference between truth and error).

Christian Science denies the doctrines of creation and redemption. Very little (if anything) is left that can be called “Christian.” Also, it destroys the scientific method, which relies on sense perception (the senses are an illusion). Thus, this cult is not remotely scientific.