The following answers are from A-, a member of the Ex-Christian Science Facebook community.
1) Why did you attend Principia?
My cousins went to the Middle and Upper schools so I was familiar with it. I loved the A/U camp at Buena Vista and some of the counselors were students at the college. I thought it would be like camp. My grandfather went to the Upper school, so he approved and helped pay the tuition. Plus I felt safer. This was just after the 60’s and all the campus riots.
2) Did your experiences at Principia impact/influence your views of Christian Science?
Yes, I became more devout. My parents were rather lackadaisical in their observance of CS. I became very active in the church and went through class instruction after graduation.
3) If you had a do-over would you attend Principia again? Why/why not? …
How can I answer that? I loved it at the time and I met my husband there. So I would. But did it prepare me for real life? Not at all. So from that perspective, no.
4) Would you recommend Principia to a young Christian Scientist?
No.
5) Please share one positive experience and one negative experience about your time at the school/college.
As I said, I met my husband there. As for negative, I didn’t think there was anything really negative at the time. It was after college that the fallout began, the unexplained deaths of friends from college, the eventual breakup of my marriage due to the fact that my husband had been led to believe he could heal being gay through CS. Even after I left the church, my early indoctrination led to my ignoring serious health problems until it was almost too late.
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Thank you for sharing your story.