10 Myths About the Bible

Posted on May 22, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

As most of you know, I love the Bible and read it often. (See previous blog from last fall on this subject).  With this in mind and although only one of the myths below identifies the Good Samaritan, I thought this article entitled “10 Myths About the Bible” from the November 20, 2012 Christian Science Monitor, explores and speaks to some of the unique aspects of this sacred book that cause many to question its value and overall intent. If you like what it has to say, be sure to check out the more in depth article in the Christian Science Sentinel by using the direct link included at the bottom of the page.

Bible1. The Bible is drier than the Mojave Desert.
True, the Bible is, in a sense, just a bunch of words. But the reader’s desire to understand God, to love Him and one’s brothers and sisters around the world more, and to grow in grace brings the Bible to life. Our desire to grow spiritually converts the Bible from a desert of words into a garden of spiritual truths and inspiration.

2. The Bible teaches religiosity, not spirituality.

The Bible is profoundly opposed to a merely surface spiritual practice. It demands honesty with oneself and others, freedom from hypocrisy, and that one love God and others unconditionally.

In Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan, a priest and another worker in the Temple refuse to help a man who has been beaten. Finally he receives aid from a compassionate, generous man of a religion that was detested by Jesus’ compatriots (see Luke 10:25-37).

3. The Bible is antiwomen.
Some letters attributed to the Apostle Paul say that women should dress and act modestly and keep quiet. But these are views about what was appropriate in that time and culture – not comments on the superiority of one gender over another. In fact, millions of women and men, throughout history and today, have found that the love of God as explained in the Bible reforms, frees, and heals. Consider Mary Baker Eddy, who found in the Bible the answer to her own suffering, as well as a system of healing upon which to found a church. In this church, men and women have enjoyed equality since 1879.

4. The Bible is exclusivistic.
That is, it teaches that only some are “in” while most are “out.” For example, this statement of Jesus is often interpreted in a narrow, exclusivistic manner: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). But as the Gospels indicate, Jesus was not trying to get people to accept a certain phrase or even a certain narrow teaching. He invited everyone everywhere, and in all time, to love God supremely, and to love their brothers and sisters. This is the way, the truth, and the life by which we come to God.

5. The Bible says that people who aren’t Christian are just plain wrong.
In fact, the writers of many parts of the Bible seem to go out of their way to emphasize that everyone everywhere can recognize and base their lives on God as infinite Love. In the book of Acts, Peter has an experience that shows him that God doesn’t care about a person’s background as long as the person is truly righteous (see Acts 10:1-35).

6. The Bible teaches that we’ll go to hell if we don’t accept Jesus as our personal savior.
Few biblical passages actually talk about hell. Rather, many passages talk about the blessings that flow – here and now and eternally – from doing right (see the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, for example).

And here’s a passage that emphasizes that salvation is won as we think and live the way that Jesus did: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31, 32).

7. The Bible contributes to an unhappy status quo in societies around the world.
This is a serious misconception. In fact, one could argue that it was the availability of the Bible in the vernacular that drove forward the Reformation. The Good Book was the main inspiration for ending the transportation of Africans as slaves to the United States, and many ministers and others who fought for civil rights for African-Americans in the latter part of the 20th century leaned heavily on the Bible.

The love of God, as explained in the Bible, reforms, frees, and even heals.

8. The Bible is old-fashioned and becoming obsolete.
For centuries, the Bible, which has outsold any other book since it was printed for the first time in the 15th century, has shaped Western law and culture. The Ten Commandments form the basis for laws in many countries.

9. The Bible should be interpreted literally.
The Bible abounds in metaphors, parables, and stories. Interpreting this richness literally would kill its spirit. The Scriptures heal us as we open our hearts to their spirit.

10. You could study the Bible for centuries, but it can never save you from dying.
Christian Science teaches that to understand the Bible spiritually is to be guided to eternal life.  Jesus said, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51).

The Bible rescues us and lifts us to a higher perception of God as the only Life now. This knowledge is practical and will save us bodily to the degree that we understand and prove it in daily living.

Adapted from the Christian Science Sentinel. To read the full article, click here.

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In the Wake of Tragedy

Posted on May 21, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

The cover article of the  May 20, 2013 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel explores one man’s way of finding healing after experiencing tragic circumstances.  Johnsrud draws a parallel between his horrific personal experience and that of the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.  His approach speaks to matters of the heart and what he found effective in his efforts to heal the immediate feelings of loss and anger.

sentinelIn the wake of tragedy

By Richard Johnsrud

God has given us an answer to every expression of hate—whether it is a hurtful comment or a terrorist attack that shakes our whole sense of personal and national security. The recent act of terror in Boston, which impacts so many, immediately captured the attention of so much of the media and of individuals throughout the United States and the world. We all want to know the details. We are all looking for answers to the question “Why?” We must, though, ask another question: “How do we turn to God for answers in a situation such as this?”

When we are directly involved in a frightening situation, turning to God might not be our first response. We might be tempted to ask, “Why did this happen to me, or to my loved one?” The answer to that might not be revealed immediately. God will, though, always respond to our need for answers when we sincerely turn to Him.

When I was in my early 20s, my wife of two months was brutally murdered during a home robbery while I was at work at my office. I came home to discover the scene, and the incident became the immediate subject of attention of the city’s police and media.

Not unlike so many other individuals who are confronted by such a terrible act, that very night I asked, “Who, why, what, and how?” That night, when there was not a single individual to consult with, I was given a message from God. I remembered a line from a poem written by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, in Poems. The line reads, “Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear / No ill,—since God is good, and loss is gain” ( p. 4).

The evil crime was based on an erroneous concept—a belief in the absence of Love, God.

Mrs. Eddy’s inspired message gave me the most important answer to my questions. Wait! The immediate answers to “Who did it?” and “Why?” and “What happened?” could wait. But the need to deal with the bigger picture couldn’t wait. The answer was right there—right when I needed it: “Love more for every hate.” I had to elevate my concept of love for my wife above a human sense of physical beauty, personality, and personal companionship. I realized a much deeper love based on shared spiritual truths, joy, and beauty. I could never be separated from, nor deprived of, those eternal qualities that were the foundation of our love.

But the verse also says to “love … for every hate.” I had to love the perpetrator, too. I had to see him as a child of God, reflecting all the spiritual qualities that my wife did.

This led to the next answer: the evil was not personal. It was not aimed personally at my wife or me—nor was it aimed at anyone in Boston. The evil crime was based on an erroneous concept—a belief in the absence of Love, God. I had to see past all the labels, clichés, and human theories that we are tempted to attach to individuals. I had to see the spiritual qualities of everyone just as if they were my brother or sister.

By holding on to this truth about humanity—whether the perpetrator was sitting in a jail cell, or fleeing from capture—I gained a great sense of peace. Following my wife’s passing, that understanding of spiritual purity opened up the opportunity to volunteer as a prison worker, helping numerous individuals to see their real identity as the child of God.

When we love more, we see God’s love more clearly. No matter what we see as a human condition, no matter how much hate we see, loving more opens our thought to God’s messages—and God does indeed answer our questions.

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Any Age Can Participate – Corrected Link

Posted on May 21, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

Today’s blog included a link that is not working.  Here’s the corrected link.  And thanks for your patience.

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Any Age Can Participate

Posted on May 20, 2013 by L. Kelly White

 

Dear Friends,

kids giving

Jean Todt and kids give a thumbs-up at the Children’s University Annual Summit, OECD in Leipzig, Germany.

When it comes to doing for others, kids often jump in with both feet.  Years ago my niece spent her high school spring break helping with the clean up in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.  She is still talking about all she learned from that experience.  Given that summer is soon upon us and kids will be out of school everywhere within the next few weeks, click here to read a Washington Post article that identifies a great possibility for combining summer youth activities like going to camp, with learning to be a good Samaritan.

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To Be A Good Samaritan

Posted on May 19, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

Have you ever found yourself looking away from the homeless person standing at the street corner with his sign asking for help?  Or moving to the opposite side of the street to avoid someone sitting with their guitar and its case propped open to receive spare change? Have you ever said “I’m sorry I have no cash” when asked to give as you get out of your car in the parking lot?  And when it comes right down to it, are you someone who just can’t seem to decide what to do about homelessness and the idea of living on the streets?

Well I more often struggle with all of it than I am comfortable.  I don’t like the idea that someone doesn’t have enough to eat.  I don’t like the idea that someone doesn’t have shelter from the cold or the heat.  I don’t like the idea that someone is struggling with an addiction that is so all consuming that they have no control over their thoughts and actions.  But most of all, I don’t like the idea that I could have more than someone else.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Quine, USA

Photo courtesy of Thomas Quine, USA

Recently, while visiting a dear friend who lives in a large city with a significant population of homeless, I was reminded of what a present day “good Samaritan” might look like.  As we passed an extremely tall fellow on the sidewalk near her home, he called out, “Hello my friend who cooks as well as my mum!”  And she chuckled and asked him how he was getting on. A friendly and casual conversation followed.  It was a brief but lovely exchange.

Like many, he is one of the people living on the street in her particular neighborhood. Later she explained to me that from time to time she heats up left overs from her frig for him.  And that every time she does he tells her how wonderful it is to taste meals like his mother use to cook for him.  And she followed this by adding, “I love that it serves to remind me that everyone was and still is some mother’s child.  And that nothing changes this spiritual fact.”

I was and am still so moved by what this experience revealed to me. How simple, but powerful its message.   In a nutshell, to think good thoughts about another is to actually bless (wish all that’s good for) them.  As a long time student of Christian Science she recognizes that the qualities of motherhood and mothering are always present, even when what we see (including a homeless man or woman) would try to hide them.

She was raised believing that God was both her ultimate Father and Mother and that all the lovely qualities of each were constantly and continuously embracing her and guiding every aspect of her life.  A simple example of this foundational teaching of Christian Science can be found in the spiritual interpretation of “Our Father which art in heaven” which Mary Baker Eddy translates as spiritually meaning,  ”Our Father-Mother God, all harmonious.”

What was evident was that this childhood teaching has carried over into my friends thoughts about and the way in which she defines her relationship to others.  Regardless of who they are, what they do, how they live, like her they are all members of divine Love’s universal family.  And as such, thinking good and even doing good on their behalf is easy and natural.

I love the simplicity of her thought and the practicality of her actions.  For me, they provided present day evidence that the good Samaritan does in deed live on.

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‘Pray Without Ceasing’-What Does It Mean?

Posted on May 7, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

The cover article of the April 29, 2013 Christian Science Sentinel, written by Judith Hardy Olson, has even more to add to this subject.

The habitual struggle to be always good is unceasing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the blessings they bring,—blessings which, even if not acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love.

—Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 4

Multitudes followed Christ Jesus for the good news that the kingdom of God is right here, now. But as soon as they learned that there was a cross to be taken up in following him, all mere “groupies”—those there only for the good words, free food, and maybe even a “free ride”—were out of there!

So Christianity is not without its demands. And, at first, these demands can seem daunting. For instance, to love God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37, New International Version) includes every single thought, doesn’t it? And “Pray[ing] without ceasing” ( First Thessalonians 5:17) means 24/7. I have a way to go on both of these, but here’s something I’m learning more every day.

The God whose love enters our hearts and minds, giving us beautiful, solid, sound, healing glimpses of His almighty love, is the same God who shows us His demands are doable, and how to do them! He who demands our affection, strength, and obedience also supplies them. Isn’t our love for and loyalty to God really His love for us reflected back?

 

Photo courtesy of Final Gather

Photo courtesy of Final Gather


For years whenever I heard or read the Apostle Paul’s admonition, “Pray without ceasing,” I’d smile a smirky smile and think that was a nice goal but that only someone who has nothing else to do could possibly do that. Yet it kept turning up again and again in my study of Christian Science. Finally, I realized it must be important—and, if so, it must be doable. But God would have to show me how. Continue reading →

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The New Face of Faith

Posted on May 6, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

This week as we take a look at the importance of prayer, I thought we might also think about what has traditionally backed up and informed our prayers.   Although religion and prayer do not have to go hand in hand, historically they have and often times they still do.  

This past December the Christian Science Monitor ran a great article on what appears to be happening to religion in the United States.  It was written by G. Jeffrey MacDonald and begs the question, “Who’s in the Pews?”  Note, if you want to see some interesting graphs and tables, check out the original article here.

LEWISTON, MAINE

On a snowy 20-degree day in December, the visitors shiver as they move among vestiges of a long-closed Pizza Hut on this city’s struggling main street. A salad bar teeters off kilter. Dust collects on the dismantled facade of a soda dispenser. A few bolted-down tables and chairs remain – usable, but only after a good cleaning

  • Yet none of this bothers the three leaders from the Auburn Seventh-day Adventist Church, who seem warmed by holy fire to carry out their task: Help transform the pizza joint into something with a bit more piety. Their church has reached capacity, having doubled attendance in the past year. So they’ve crossed the Androscoggin River to plant a second church, the Ark, in the heart of one of the nation’s least religious states.

This won’t be worship as usual. Starting early in the new year, a smorgasbord of community services will be served where deep-dish pepperoni used to be the lure. Vegetarian cooking classes and health seminars, hydrotherapy treatments and massage instruction, marriage classes and smoking-cessation clinics – all will be free of charge and led by volunteers. A vegan restaurant will open to bring in revenue. Worship services will begin next spring.

RECOMMENDED: Are you smarter than an atheist? A religious quiz

Photo courtesy of David Antis, USA

Photo courtesy of David Antis, USA

 

“It’s almost like you have to use a place like a Pizza Hut,” says Tracy Vis, a new member of the Auburn church. “Some people are not going to be comfortable with [traditional church buildings] or traditions. But they’ll come here and listen to these different messages.” Continue reading →

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Pray Without Ceasing

Posted on May 5, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

I have recently had several conversations on this subject and decided my thoughts from last fall bear repeating. 

Photo courtesy of Hans de Graaff, Den Haag, The Netherlands

Most of us have taken a walk in the woods.  Sometimes the walk will be to reach some future destination, say an especially lovely lake or perhaps a mountain summit.  And sometimes it’s just for the simple pleasure of getting out and moving around in a beautiful space.

My experience with such treks is that there will be times when the path I’m on will seem to just disappear.  What had initially been well worn and easy to traverse will no longer be obvious.  And I will have to flounder around a bit in an effort to find my way and to know I am on the actual path, once again headed in the right direction.

Sometimes on such a walk there will appear to be more than one path before me and it won’t be clear which one is the right one.  And then there is that sinking feeling that if I choose the wrong path it will result in missing the right or ultimate experience.

I see a correlation between a walk in the woods and managing my life.  At times I’ve had  a specific objective or outcome I was hoping to accomplish, like building a family or to be recognized as the best at a specific profession.  But like that disappearing path in the woods, I have found times when that which was so second nature to me regarding where I was heading and the best means to get there will all of a sudden become hazy or altogether disappear. I will find to my dismay that I’m no longer clear about who I am or what I’m supposed to be doing.  Is this path of thought resonating with any of you out there?

Even more difficult are those times when there are several options regarding a potentially life changing decision I need to make, the best one not being evident.  It probably goes without saying, but with all this lack of clarity can come fear of failure, doubt in life purpose, and questions about identity, none of which allow me to be very productive!  As I challenge myself to replace this mental space with thoughts I know are not only good, but that promote and encourage good things to happen, I realize I am actually praying.

I know I am not the first to realize the importance and need that exists to be prayerful in our thinking.  What may seem daunting is the directive we are given in I Thessalonians 5:17 where the apostle Paul tells us to “Pray without ceasing.”  Without ceasing!?!  At one time that seemed a tall order, but in studying the Bible and a complimentary book entitled “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures“, by Mary Baker Eddy, I have learned that there isn’t just one way to pray.  In fact, there are numerous ways to pray, and they all begin with the habit of thinking good, or dare I say, right thoughts.

In her book, Science and Health, Eddy devotes the entire first chapter to the subject of prayer.  She identifies that “Consistent prayer is the desire to do right…”  and that, “The habitual struggle to be always good is unceasing prayer.”  And I love the idea that “self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers.”

Most of us have the desire to do right and to be good, I know I do.  And it is not out of reach to put aside self, especially when I am giving and doing for others.  When I am doing something for someone I care about, I find my thoughts and actions naturally become more pure and ultimately more loving.  Yes, all these things are do-able and that means praying without ceasing may not be such an out of reach goal after all.

I’m learning that living a prayer-filled life allows me to live a life that is meaningful, less fearful and more full of all that is good.  All in all, most of the time it just downright feels good.  And when it doesn’t, you guessed it, I pray!

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A Testimony of Healing

Posted on April 17, 2013 by L. Kelly White


Dear Friends,

Earlier this week I mentioned the last chapter of the book Science and Health entitled “Fruitage” and the many testimonies it contains.  The following is one of those testimonies.  You can read the entire chapter for yourself by clicking “here“.

FIBROID TUMOR HEALED IN A FEW DAYS

My gratitude for Christian Science is boundless. I was afflicted with a fibroid tumor which weighed not less than fifty pounds, attended by a continuous hemorrhage for eleven years. The tumor was a growth of eighteen years.

    I lived in Fort Worth, Tex., and I had never heard of Christian Science before leaving there for Chicago in the year 1887. I had tried to live near to God, and I feel sure He guided me in all my steps to this healing and saving truth. After being there several weeks I received letters from a Texas lady who had herself been healed, and who wrote urging me to try Christian Science.

    Changing my boarding-place, I met a lady who owned a copy of Science and Health, and in speaking to her of having seen the book, she informed me she had one, and she got it and told me I could read it. The revelation was marvellous and brought a great spiritual awakening. This awakened sense never left me, and one day when walking alone it came to me very suddenly that I was healed, and I walked the faster declaring every step that I was healed. When I reached my boarding-place, I found my hostess and told her I was healed. She looked the picture of amazement. The tumor began to disappear at once, the hemorrhage ceased, and perfect strength was manifest.

    There was no joy ever greater than mine for this Christ-cure, for I was very weary and heavy laden. I thought very little of either sleeping or eating, and my heart was filled with gratitude, since I knew I had touched the hem of his garment.

    I must add that the reading of Science and Health, and that alone, healed me, and it was the second copy I ever saw. — S. L., Fort Worth, Tex.

science-and-health-cover_medium

 
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God and Health

Posted on April 16, 2013 by L. Kelly White

Dear Friends,

The following lecture focusing on the link between God and our health, was given by Rob Gilbert last weekend at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe.  For those of us who were not able to hear it in person, I thought it would be nice if I included it in this week’s series.  I sincerely hope you can find 59 minutes in your busy schedule to listen to the ideas Rob presents and think about them.  They take the idea of the biopsychosocial model to a whole new level.  

God and Health

Photo courtesy of Laura Ferreira, USA

Photo courtesy of Laura Ferreira, USA

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