Last Wednesday, I drove 80 kilometers from Gosford into the heart of Sydney, dropped off my rental car, walked up to my hotel in the drizzly rain, luggage in tow, and got ready for a 1 p.m. lecture at The Mint.
The lecture venue was super—modern, well-located, and equipped with an excellent sound system.
But the audience was even better! There was a healthy mix of ardent students of Science, plenty of newcomers, and seekers of all degrees in between.
After the talk, one woman said she was a practitioner of naturopathy and other similar healing arts. She told me she agreed with everything she heard, and was going to start putting the points in the lecture into practice.
Her comments reminded me of the universality of Christian Science. When it is presented as a universal Truth, and not as a religious institution, people of all belief systems who are open-minded will pick something useful up from it.
Another man who expressed heartfelt appreciation for the lecture asked me afterward to delineate explicitly what the unique differences were between Christian Science and other world religions. In his words, “Everything you said is taught by all the other major religions.”
My inner reaction to his assertion was vehement objection. I did not agree with him at all, and was distressed that he came to that conclusion after listening to the talk, but then I recognized other influences at work on his thought that caused him to draw that conclusion, because I’ve heard it occasionally before in the past: “What you say is what other religions teach.”
Well, yes, maybe, somewhat, but not really…
I said to him that Christian Science explicitly explains the unreality of evil and matter in light of the allness and reality of God, good. Other religions, I pointed out, preach the powerlessness of evil in the face of God, but still teach, generally, that evil is a real power stalking the earth out to get people. He began to backtrack and see the unique aspects, but it was a lesson to me as a speaker on the subject.
There is an aggressive confusing aspect of mortal mind toward Christian Science that clouds people’s perception of what makes it special and valuable. Crystal clear and authoritative explanations of its teaching are needed to counter this misleading influence.
The man was a dear one, thoroughly loving the lecture and thanking me for it. He just wanted to know answers to his questions. He was genuine and sincere and stayed long after collecting literature and asking questions at the table in the foyer.
Noontime lectures can be very successful, by the way… This one was.
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| Lecture Venue at The Mint in Sydney |
That is a really good point regarding the difference and the specialness of Christian Science. You explained it well and it will help me when I am asked the same question. Thank you Evan
Love it, universal Truth!
Thanks Evan!
Sancy
That was very helpful, Evan. Loved how you addressed the uniqueness of Christian Science, too. Mrs Eddy quotes the renowned naturalist, Agassiz, regarding the world’s reception of new ideas (Science and Health, page 104): “…Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next, they say it has been discovered before. Lastly, they say they have always believed it.”
Christian Science goes to the bottom of mental action,
and reveals the theodicy which indicates the rightness of all divine action, as the emanation of divine Mind, and the consequent wrongness of the
opposite so-called action, — evil, occultism, necromancy, mesmerism, animal magnetism, hypnotism.
The medicine of Science is divine Mind; and dishonesty,
sensuality, falsehood, revenge, malice, are animal propensities and by no means the mental qualities which heal the sick.”
Good tip about the noon meeting! Keep up the great work!
Sharon