Yesterday morning’s post — a straightforward story about the opening of a new reading room at the Christian Science church on Compo Road North — drew a surprisingly strong reaction.
One commenter said, “These people aren’t Christian.”
Another wrote that reading rooms “promote dangerous medical misinformation.”
A third reader — citing “4 major measles outbreaks between 1985 and 1994” — said that the Christian Scientists who did not treat children “should have been charged with murder and executed.”
Those words shocked and upset one long-time reader. Asking for anonymity, due to the “nastiness” of the comments, the reader writes:
I spent my childhood in the Westport Christian Science branch church, although I no longer attend any church. I choose to stay out of all organized religion at this time in my life.
We were part of the Westport church before it became the large and beautiful building it is today. We were there when it was the old army barracks building, and I loved that building as a church. The Sunday school was beautiful. And the sanctuary cozy and loving.
Westport’s First Church of Christ, Scientist …
The members were some of the most loving, caring, successful members of the church and Westport society. We had famous artists, musicians, actors, broadcasters, Madison Avenue men, realtors, lawyers and beautiful families. It was a wonderful atmosphere to grow up in.
To paint this broad brush of all Christian Scientists as some of the comments did? And in such a way that isn’t totally accurate, especially about most Christian Scientists?
Most people I’ve stayed in touch with received the COVID vaccine, and most are willing to vaccinate their children. As I understand it, they desire to obey the laws of land. Most do.
And many members of the church will go to doctors if need be. I know many Christian Scientists who have had surgery and received medical care if necessary. It is an individual choice, and many choose medical help from time to time.
… and the new reading room.
What I’m addressing mostly is the hate and nastiness of the comments on this post. Anyone is entitled to their opinion, but the cruel and nasty comments aren’t true of most Christian Scientists. It is like commenting on a whole race of people, and saying that a whole race of people are like the actions of a few.
Never paint a whole group with the actions of a few of a group. And people grow, and churches grow and learn.
My experiences with the medical world have been excellent. We have found many doctors and nurses willing to pray with their patients. I’ve seen a circle of nurses holding hands and praying with a patient.
Healing prayer and medicine aren’t as separate as depicted by some of the commenters. The gap is closing. I’m sorry if that is offensive to some. But it is what I’ve witnessed personally, as I pray every day.
I could say a lot more but I felt I had to speak to the most unkind and un-Christian comments. I will not even debate the “not Christian: debate. I guess the Lutherans started by Martin Luther would have issues too, as their church was started by a man.
Mostly, we need to give each other some room and some grace in this world. I hope the commenters can reflect on the hatred and judgment that came across in their writing. Talking about executing people??
It’s very easy to explode behind a keyboard, and it’s not what we all need now to lift up our world.
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Thank you, Dan for always enlightening us … on our 250th anniversary people still don’t realize that it’s about freedom and justice for all … That is exactly what we are trying to combat in this world, the hatred that people have in their hearts towards others. we all have the right in our country to worship and believe in our own ways ….. we all have the rights to our own beliefs ….
Do I get the anonymous reader’s “shock” and “upset” at the “surprisingly strong” reactions? I do.