The Thanksgiving Day service is the only ‘special’ service the Christian Science church offers. The readings from the desk include the Presidential proclamation for Thanksgiving, as well as a few passages from The Bible and Science and Health. The service is then opened to the congregation for them to share ‘testimonies of healing and sharing of experiences in Christian Science.’
The following are testimonies from Ex-Christian Scientists, as they give thanks for having left Christian Science. Thank you all for your contributions!
We at The Ex-Christian Scientist offer no readings, or lengthy proclamations, merely our sincerest thanks for everyone who has contributed to our efforts. We do not advocate any one particular path but acknowledge that there are many legitimate pathways that can be personally and spiritually fulfilling.
All Thanksgiving posts are tagged Thanksgiving. Comments are moderated and closed automatically after 30 days.
I’m so, so glad to have had friends when I was growing up who stuck by me in spite of my bizarre parroting of CS. They led by example and offered insight on life without pressure. Geography has scattered everyone, but I hope they know how important it was to have them in my life, helping me leave CS one step at a time.
– Anon
This Thanksgiving I am so grateful not to be a Christian Scientist particularly because outside of Christian Science it is OK to mourn and even to cry in public. When I started to cry when talking with someone about my husband’s death one year ago Thanksgiving I started to apologize and say I was sorry for crying. She responded, don’t be sorry it’s natural to cry. Then she came over and gave me a hug. I am so grateful to be X CS
–crs
I am grateful this year for simply being human, and living this material human existence fully, completely, and normally. No more denial of what is real and right in front of me. I am also grateful for proper and timely medical care, which has surgically repaired a hernia, treats a chronic heart condition, and has treated minor skin cancer successfully. I made it through a very real pandemic without the cognitive dissonance that would have resulted from trying to deny it, and I accept life as it comes at me. Thank you for no BS readings from the desk. Enjoy your very real and material turkey dinners. I’ve already had mine, as us Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October.
– Jeremy Bowers
I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving anymore, but this year I’m grateful that some of my CS relatives are starting to wake up out of the ether and recognize Christian Science for the cult that it is. I’ve spent a long time shouting into the wind, preparing myself to continue going it alone, and frankly I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop. But there’s been a shift toward reality, so I’ll take it. I’m grateful to have been on this journey out of CS indoctrination and into recovery. It takes a village, and a metric ton of work, and it’s far from over, but I’m so glad I’m on the journey. I wouldn’t be a Christian Scientist for all the world, could never go back into that dark, terrifying box.
– Emily G
I am so glad for the growing community of former-CS, the variety of resources that have been created. I’m glad to have found a therapist who understands that “mindfulness” exercises are not a good fit for me, and who has worked with me to set, and more importantly, hold boundaries. I am glad that I can talk with my children about feelings, and not limit them to “happy thoughts from God.” I am also so very glad that I don’t have to sit through a Wednesday evening testimony service tonight, and a Thanksgiving service in the morning, it really frees up my time.
– K.
This is my favorite service every year. It is such a relief not to have to go to church on Thanksgiving Day.
I love that there are no readings from the desk, no turkeys waiting to be cooked when we get home, no bleary-eyed First Readers who had to do the Wednesday testimony meeting immediately followed by the Thanksgiving service the next day. I don’t have a house full of relatives to frantically prepare food for after having spent hours cooking from 3am before church, leaving for church, then coming back 2 hours later to cook some more then entertain.
This year, I am thankful for the ways I have learned about Community since leaving the Christian Science belief system.
I am thankful for the books like “fathermothergod” by Lucia Greenhouse, “God’s Perfect Child” by Caroline Fraser. There are other books that you can find on this blog, too. I am so glad the books are here – reading the books helped me feel less alone when I first left Christian Science.
I am thankful for the various Ex Christian Science communities on Facebook, too. As much as I don’t like Facebook, I stay on it because of these communities in particular. There is what we call “The Main Group,” then there is another group for folks who left Christian Science and became Christian, and another group for folks who left Christian Science and walked away from a belief in any of the gods.
I find community in these groups. We have shared experiences. This reminds me of the blog post here about The Kaleidoscope of Christian Science – how we may not all share 100% of the same experience, but we all share some aspects together.
I am also grateful for the new YouTube podcast put together by Hilary. She has interviewed me twice now and it’s wonderful community to talk with her and find more commonalities that we both shared or didn’t share.
It is valuable to learn of other people’s experiences, and I’m so glad to be able to watch these podcasts on YouTube that Hilary puts together. It’s just another way to connect and find community.
Thank you, also, for this blog. It has been helpful for me to read other people’s stories and also share my own stories, and get comments. It’s nice to finally have community after being in a church that discouraged community at all costs. “No socializing at church,” “don’t let folks know when you’re sick,” and other weird things that destroy rather than build community.
So this year, for Thanksgiving, as I eat my traditional nachos and watch my Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade followed by the Purina Dog Competition, I will be grateful that for my various places I find Ex Christian Science community.
– “Just Jodi”
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s testimonies. All Thanksgiving posts are tagged Thanksgiving. Comments are moderated and closed automatically after 30 days.
This site offers support resources to help individuals negotiate a transition in a manner that best fits their needs and convictions. We do not advocate any one particular path but acknowledge that there are many legitimate pathways that can be personally and spiritually fulfilling.