I am participating in a Get Wise* pilot program, to keep myself somewhat accountable, I will sometimes be sharing some of the journal prompts and my responses.
Semester 2 focuses on exploring how our intrapersonal and interpersonal wounds from Christian Science affect our sense of self. Understanding how we are personally wired (personality), our attachment styles, and how to develop healthy boundaries is essential for creating interdependent relationships where we feel connected and valued.
This week we delved into the realm of personality, which led to an interesting conversation about how “personality” was not really allowed in Christian Science, as we are all God’s Perfect Children, and therefore filled up full with thoughts from God.
We were encouraged to take the Myers-Briggs test, (https://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new), which is apparently more insightful than Buzzfeed’s Which Taco Bell Menu Item Are you? (fwiw, I’m cinnamon twists, which are delicious), less fraught than which Hogwarts house you’ve been sorted into (idk, I’ve never taken one of those), and possibly more scientific than astrology. That said, it is worth checking out the critiques of accuracy and validity of the Myers-Briggs test. Take what you find helpful, and leave what you don’t.
As an ISTJ, you are logical and methodical, and often enjoy tasks that require you to use step-by-step reasoning to solve a problem.
You are meticulous in your attention to details, and examine things closely to be sure they are correct. With your straightforward logic and orientation to detail, you work systematically to bring order to your own small part of the world.
You like to know what the rules of the game are, valuing predictability more than imagination. You rely on your past experience to guide you, and are most comfortable in familiar surroundings.
I mean, it isn’t wrong, but I suspect I could take it again with different results.
Questions to Ponder:
How did “all-harmonious” offer power? Control? Pain-free gain? What was the cost of “all-harmonious” in your life? In your family? Currently?
As I wrote in my post Everything is Fine & Other Lies Principians Tell Each Other:
In Christian Science we are to correct our thought, if we perceive something is amiss, we are to correct our thought. If CS are perceived to be behaving in any way that is less than Perfect, it is a Failing on our part and we must work to correct it. …
Let’s be honest, most CS are pretty good at putting on a good show. Unless something was truly horribly wrong, they showed up for classes, meals, etc. and even if they didn’t, we were all so busy with our own lives we wouldn’t have noticed unless they were our roommate, and even then, with some extreme exceptions, there were no “red flags” — and even the ones we did see we didn’t know how to act on.
Principia was a crucible (3rd definition) for the practice of Christian Science. It was a Christian Science utopia, where the worst thing my peers pressured me to do was attend Church on Sunday, and hymn sings, and read the weekly Bible Lesson. There was no conflict! You could fit an infinite number of Principians, in the car, as they were all in one Accord!
Christian Science forces people to create a facade of everything is Perfect. There are no chinks in the armor of God. To admit shortcomings is to give power to mortal mind. God is working his purpose out! Fear not little flock! The “everything is Perfect” attitude penetrates the community at the deepest levels.
There was no room for anything less than all Harmonious, and to point out that there might be, was to face some level of ostracism, criticism, or being reminded to “correct” my thought. It was often obvious something was wrong, but all Harmonious overrode that, and social pressure reinforced it. Christian Science gaslighting at it’s finest.
Can you think of other ways Christian Science exhibited “Milieu Control” and “Mystical Manipulation?” Describe your experience of “Milieu Control” and “Mystical Manipulation”in Christian Science.
I’ve touched briefly on both Milieu and Mystical Manipulation control in my post Christian Science is a Cult. For me, milieu control is directly tied to the CS obsession with Authorized CS Literature, and no one seems to mind just how much that can cost. It is also reflected in the CS movement’s continued abhorrence of “obnoxious books” (yes, that links to the CS Journal). Then there is the Church Manual (ebook, wikipedia article), which cannot be changed, because MBE wrote it, and therefore it is Perfect.
As for Mystical Manipulation, Eddy claimed her book was the Key to the Scriptures, unlocking Biblical secrets and the lost art of healing. Eddy had followers who claimed she was the woman in Revelation, and how she is portrayed has been very tightly controlled in all church propaganda, to say nothing of the “Church Authorized” biographies of her, which tend to portray her in a sympathetic light.
My previous post musing on All Harmonious, can be found here: https://kindism.org/2024/10/09/intro-to-trauma-part-1-week-2/
Get Wise is organized by the Fellowship of Former Christian Scientists, which is, a Christian Ministry. They connect people with a background in Christian Science and those who walk alongside them with Christ-centered resources, care and community. The content for the Get Wise support groups is safe for both Christian and secular participants. If you’d like to learn more, you can reach them directly at https://ffcsministry.org/
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