History behind this site

The motivation for setting up this site is because of my personal experiences concerning the effects of Christian Science which began in January 2001.

You can read a little about this story, which was published by our local press, on the Christian Science links on www.rickross.com

My late mother began to exhibit bizarre behaviour and then suffered two falls at her home. She was taken to hospital where she received a full assessment of her condition. I was informed that she had breast cancer (a huge shock for me),had suffered it for some time, and that she also was malnourished. My mother had followed a strict vegan diet for many years without taking any mineral/vitamin supplements - both of which she considered to be "medical". She refused all medication and was sent to a rest home to recuperate before the next stage in her care could be considered.

My mother denied any reality that may have dawned on her at this time and she called for a Christian Science practitioner to help her "acknowledge her spiritual perfection with God." All medication was refused by her and also sterile dressings - in accordance with Christian Science teaching. My mother was a radical relier on Christian Science and Mrs. Eddy's words in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures make it quite clear that one cannot rely on medical aid and Christian Science - the two systems being considered incompatible.One day, my mother decided that she was healed and to prove this, she demanded to return home immediately. She refused all assistance, apart from a meals on wheels service five days a week.I used to shop for her. During this time she set about making her home "perfect" for me to inherit. It was extensively filled with Christian Science literature. She could not accept that I had left Christian Science years previously. Everything had to be in its correct place and even the carpet pile had to be immaculately straightened. From March 2001 until early 2002 we, as a family, were frozen into silence and could only observe my mother's decline. As the decline progressed, she would refuse and return anything that she could desperately think of as being "medical" and which she thought may be impeding the speed of her physical recovery. This would include a personal alarm worn around the neck, a raised toilet seat etc. She would not accept any medical intervention whatsoever, as she thought that this would impede the manifestation of the physical healing of the breast cancer. She believed that in reality she was healed. She would allow no talk of her health and obvious weakness - indeed, we were forced to watch her exhibit hurtful and more bizarre behaviour, mental deterioration etc. etc. My mother's memory began to fail and her recognition faculties worsened. Eventually she did not recognise where she lived and became obsessed with the idea that I had put her into the "wrong" home. She telephoned and asked innumerable people, including local government officers,members of the Christian Science Church, etc to take her to her address and no amount of logical reason would convince her that her home was indeed where it always was. No-one could ascertain the physical progress of the cancer.

She suffered another fall in the road, was taken to hospital but insisted on returning home and gradually, as the strength left her, we watched her crawl up the stairs on her hands and knees...anything but admit she had a problem. In her mind, Mrs Eddy's words would heal her - indeed, had healed her in reality, and so therefore she thought she would have to work harder at "knowing the truth" to bring it to pass on this earth.At the beginning of 2002, after nights of distressing 'phone calls because she did not recognise night or day, we could not obtain an answer from her. My husband and I spent an hour looking for her and finally tracked her to hospital where she had been admitted during the night. She had been found wandering the streets. She had packed a lot of clothes and literally walked out of her home. I believe she had begun to realise that she could not heal herself of cancer and the awful reality of this admission forced her to abandon all that was vaguely familiar to her. We don't know where she was trying to reach or how she ever got to hospital. She never once mentioned her home again.The open wound of the cancer was large. Indeed, over the last few years of her life she had watched part of her body disintegrate and denied the reality of her senses because she would repeat to herself constantly, "There is no life, truth, intelligence nor substance in matter." (Science and Health). My mother died in a nursing home on June 4th 2002. She suffered silently. She did not understand the question as to whether she would like "pain relief". What was that? She had received no medical aid whatsoever for more than forty years. She had never been registered with a doctor since about 1958. No-one could have studied Christian Science harder than my mother. She had dedicated her life to it and had sacrificed normal family life, outings, physical comforts etc etc in preference for the study of Christian Science. Latterly, she became convinced that she had seen Mrs. Eddy and that she had been told by her to stand and walk. The awful realisation that she could do neither devastated my mother and she would stare at me in horror. This placement in a nursing home and losing all personal privacy was definitely not what she had envisaged Christian Science would do for her. She was heart-broken and her family are still recovering from the painful memories and stress. Not one member of the Christian Science Church ever asked to visit her.