Category
First Hand Experiences
Former Christian Scientists tell their own stories of believing, questioning, and leaving.
I never received childhood vaccinations.
Jodi describes growing up unvaccinated under a religious exemption, measles outbreaks at camp and Principia College, and vaccinating their family after leaving.
I was Deprived of Medical Care
An anonymous former Christian Scientist recalls attending from age 4 to 18 and going without medical care, glasses for years, and acne treatment, then finding a Bible-based faith.
Thanksgiving 2018
Thanksgiving testimonies from ex-Christian Scientists giving thanks for medical care, freedom from guilt and thought-policing, and a life after leaving the church.
Unashamed ExCS
Content warning: rape. A former Principia student describes a date rape, being made to stop antidepressants, an overdose with no medical attention, and being barred from campus.
Freedom from Christian Science and a Path out of Anxiety
A former Christian Scientist describes fourteen years of fear over heart symptoms, then medical tests that found no problem, and therapy for anxiety and panic attacks.
Musings on Zombies
Two former Christian Scientists trade Halloween thoughts on zombies, church members with visible untreated conditions, and regular medical checkups.
Dear Christian Science Teacher
An open letter from a former Christian Scientist to her Class Instruction teacher, covering the class, church discipline, her son’s treatment, and the bills.
Chrystal's Story: New Beliefs
A former Christian Scientist, now a Quaker, describes rebuilding her beliefs, raising her sons with doctors and vaccines, and recovering through therapy.
Chrystal's Story: The Year I Left Christian Science
Chrystal describes the year of leaving Christian Science: her father’s death, grief counseling, joining a Quaker meeting, and finding other former Christian Scientists.
Chrystal's Story: Finding My Way to the Quaker Path (Part 2)
Chrystal describes withdrawing from the Mother Church after her father's long Parkinson's illness and death, and what she found at her Quaker Meeting.