After quite a long time, the blog has returned. It's a shame the return can't be under happier circumstances. Having been dealing with illness I found I finally had time to make one of the visits I'd been intending to make to the Christian Science RSO (student group) on the avenue.
Suffice to say it was a fascinating experience. Christian Science reminded me of a few other faiths. It's hymnal is similar to hymns I'd heard in the Mormon Church and Lutheran's. The layout was a bit different from a lot of traditions I'd been too, but that might have been because it was a student book.
It began with a 2 readings (from the Bible and from the main book Mary Baker Eddy the founder of the faith wrote: "Science and Health with Keys to the Scripture." This was read after the hymn that was sung after the readings and prayer. The Book and the Bible are seen as the Pastor and it's the committee's involved with organizing it that create the sermons that all Churches do, based off the 2 books.
The silent prayer was a good chance to reflect at where I am today and how lucky I am even with all the challenges that have been going on for a while (health) or recently risen.
The day ended with another song to end and afterwords a discussion where I mostly listened as a Catholic asked about if Christian Scientists believed in the healing power of books or other objects? The answer was a major now and that the whole point is that Christian Science tries to help people heal as Jesus healed, or realize that they can, as well as living in relationship with God. Jesus is not God, though he is seen as the perfect human being that all should strive to be like. In this way it was much more based in mysticism and how Buddhism is expressed on how any person can possibly achieve Enlightenment (and in both these Christian Science and Buddhism, many thoughts on how to get to that point).
In that way it was more Unitarian (Jesus as Example but not Deity . The most important part of the Bible that the student lead group (with 2 professors present) said was that "We are made in the image of God as expressed in Genesis" all else is second to this in how we see ourselves and what we accomplish.
The people were kind without being overbearing or attempting to convert so it was a good experience and a great way to kick the blog back into gear. At this point though I think I'll be expanding it into other topics. Where my own journey leads, I'm not sure, but my doubting of the supernatural has not diminished and skepticism towards religious groups and the corruption that comes with human organizations as a whole.
I was reminded of why I enjoy doing things like this though. I enjoy meeting new groups and getting to know the people. I think it's improbable that I'll ever believe in the supernatural, my doubt is a bit too strong for that (and reason why I find more truth in philosophy) but there is still value. Religions like people are changing and where it goes will be shaped by the practitioners and the world around them.
