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Science and Christian Healing.
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In regard to spiritual capability, the science that had once dramatically advanced it, which Mary Baker Eddy called Christian Science, has regressed because of a lack of development. The leading edge has not been pushed forward. Christian Science had become converted into a religion, because there is no such thing as a static science. The scientific element has almost become lost.
If one considers the regression that has taken place during the last century, one would expect that Mary Baker Eddy's most advanced work would have to be of a type that promotes continuous development. Indeed, this is the case. In the form in which it is presented, it is a structure that opens the horizon to infinite discovery and scientific development.
Without moving forward in constant advances in scientific understanding and application of discovered principles, mankind's scientific understanding of Truth, which scientific perception had once made credible, had lost its impetus for moving consciousness towards a deeper and broader recognition and application of the underlying truth about man that the scientific texts indicate.
It is interesting to note that this credibility gap did not exist in the stone age period. The people at this period understood the operational principles of their tools and constantly created new designs, and wrought with them increasingly better results.
On the positive side, in countering the credibility gap, it should be noted that over 90% of humanity does, in spite of the credibility gap, recognize the existence of some higher power. In some cultures this power is known as the "great Spirit." In other cultures it is defined as God. The scientific mind understands it as underlying Principle. Christian Science presents perhaps the broadest definition of all, by identifying it as Life, Love, Truth, Principle, Soul, Spirit, and Mind. This definition comprises all that which truly matters in human existence, what supports civilization. And even as Christian Science presents the broadest definition of all, it presents the most specific definition at the same time. One can easily recognize from this broad inclusion of the most vital aspects of existence, that an increased intelligent focus on these aspects can have a healing influence in a person's life. Still, this single scientifically focused perception of the higher power, that most of humanity recognizes out of myriad personal experiences, is insufficient in itself to heal a cancer. More is needed.
Another factor that widens the credibility gap against Christian Science is Mary Baker Eddy's revolutionary definition of matter. Her definition is, that fundamentally, there is no matter. By definition, she renders nearly all of mankind's perception about matter as erroneous. Proceeding from a scientific standpoint, however, one must support her conclusion. If one were to rank her definition of the higher power, and matter, in order of importance, one would find that matter does not even get onto the scale for classification. Every single building block of the universe, from the atomic structure onward, has no real substance in itself as matter but consists of structures of order and energy, bound together by an array of fundamental principles.
What we as matter is in reality empty space within which is circumscribed the shape of atoms, produced by particles held in place at great speed, which are not really particles as such, but only behave, most of the time, as they were particles, which at times cease to exist in this form and become a wave. What we regard as matter is in physical terms nothing more than a construction of forces held together by underlying principles. Mary Baker Eddy, merely extends this concept one step further and invites the human consciousness to explore the freedom and potential that this still more concept brings into view, and to experience this freedom and potential.
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