I recently received an e-mail inviting me to “watch and pray” with a local CS group:
Join us for the really rewarding spiritual experience of “keeping watch”.
Jesus expected his disciples to watch with him, Mrs Eddy had her household watch sometimes 3 days straight without sleep.
It will be a continuous prayer from sunset to sunrise, being so clear in thought as to break the neck hypnotic beliefs and animal magnetism so that divine Truth can pour in.
The hypnotic belief we are correcting is the claim that sex-trafficking is the largest growing economy in the world today.
Our central watch is: “Women are not sex-toys!”
We watch —- sunset to —- Sunrise at —–. Please join us in person if you can, or Hangout in if you’re too far away.
Let’s rejoice together that:
The Mind or intelligence of production names the female gender last in the ascending order of creation.
I’m not sure what the group hopes to accomplish by staying up all night praying about sex-trafficking. I can’t remember the last time I voluntarily stayed up all night, there were a few times in college, but that was usually accidental, I lost track of time and then suddenly the sun came up as I walked across the campus.
On one hand, I am slightly shocked that a CS group is taking on this task, on the other, this is typical of Christian Scientists, why make meaningful change when you can stay home and pray about it? If your thoughts are clear enough you can “break the neck hypnotic beliefs and animal magnetism” and “divine Truth can pour in.”
Right.
I agree people are not sex-toys. I strongly believe people should have autonomy over their bodies. People should not be trafficked for sex, or other questionable undertakings.
This may shock some people, but I strongly feel that WOMEN ARE PEOPLE, and TRAFFICKING PEOPLE (yes, that includes men, women, LGBTQ, children, etc.) AND LIMITING THEIR AUTONOMY IS WRONG. Praying about problems is great, but there comes a time when you need to stop praying and start doing.
There is not nearly enough DOING in Christian Science (unless you’re talking about congressional lobbying to shield themselves from litigation, there’s more than enough of that happening). There is a lot of sitting and prayerfully knowing the truth, reading the lesson, studying the books. If all good Christian Scientists spent a third of the time DOING GOOD IN THEIR COMMUNITY instead of reading and studying the books and maintaining an air of superior aloofness I’m fairly certain that Christian Science would be thriving today.
So want to make a difference by doing something other than praying about it?
kind-ism 
The primary need is to determine in various ways how prayer works. The skepticism about religions today plus the sarcasm that prayer can’t do anything points to the problem for spiritual and religious people. Modest examples and experiments of prayer are needed. Followed by how the subtle effects of prayer do matter will be taken into consideration rather than thwarted as “doing nothing.”
Prayer, if it leads to action, does accomplish much. Praying, in and of itself, helps the person who’s praying, and little else. If one wants to effect real change, get out of the books, get out of your head, and DO something. Volunteer in a community kitchen, or for an organization that works with recently housed people, or with organizations that fight human trafficking. So many people give themselves absolution by saying, “I prayed about it”. No, you did NOTHING to help anyone, you just absolved yourself.
Hubris, thy Nemesis awaits….
If I were part of that group, I’d be praying for TMC to wake up, get conscious and dissolve its current corporate structure, so that the precious Founder’s message is no longer preventing any changes in thinking.
Whoever was in the leadership of that idea should end their hubris and tend to something possible.
But Eddy herself set the standard for hubris in TMC and it has been/is/will be, her undoing and the undoing of all who uncritically believe her. Hubris, is not in any MBE concordance, therefore her praying jesters think it is cool to rush in and pray away one particular crime.
Instead do something difficult, but not impossible. ie. Start with “knowing” voter’s rights in the US and make sure everyone who is eligible can vote. Then take action like signing email petitions from your computer, if nothing else. Call Congressmen. That would make sweeping changes, that in turn will allow other changes.
That kind of ‘working prayer’, EG mentions might have some effect. A huge number of mortal minds are already in alignment with that idea and can respond. After all didn’t our righteous Discoverer think that if more than 50% of mortal mind was convinced of something, it would be true? If wouldn’t be that hard to get 50% of the voting adults in this country to be influenced enough to effect the change.
Praying away sex trafficking is about like praying away pimples, or more likely, praying that Mount Everest had enough oxygen at the summit so they could build a hotel for summiters to relax in, before they take an elevator down. Right now, praying for an end to sex trafficking is like praying that a volcano in full eruption will reverse itself if a group of people pray that it cease doing so.
Jesus demonstrated against hubris and his ‘temptation in the desert’ story is meant to teach wannabee gurus (or priests or preachers) to stay away from self-exaltation, so why do followers of Mary Baker Eddy exhibit it in such an ill directed direction?