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"Christianly qualified" for church membership

Some questions that membership applicants and current members might regularly ask themselves

 

Mary Baker Eddy wrote (Church Manual, page 118:5-12):

One who is not a member of any church, excepting a branch church of Christ, Scientist, who loves Christian Science, and reads understandingly the Bible, and SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, by Reverend Mary Baker Eddy, and other works by this author, and who is Christianly qualified and can enter into full fellowship with the Tenets and Rules of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass., is eligible to membership.

 

 

 

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17, Deuteronomy 5:7-21)

  1. Am I free from worshipping other gods?
  2. Am I free from making idols for myself or for others to worship?
  3. Am I free from taking the Lord's name in vain?
  4. Do I keep the Sabbath day holy?
  5. Do I honor my parents?
  6. Am I free from murder?
  7. Am I free from adultery?
  8. Am I free from stealing?
  9. Am I free from falsely accusing others?
  10. Am I free from coveting?

 

10 Commandments
Sermon on the Mount
Paul's teachings
Church Manual
Science & Health
Top of page

 

 

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, and 7; see also "the Sermon on the Plain," Luke 6:20-49)

  1. Do I value the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the humble, those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires, the merciful, the pure in heart, those who work for peace, those who are persecuted because they do what God requires, and those who are insulted and persecuted and about whom evil lies are told because they are followers of Christ Jesus' teachings and example? (Mat 5:3-12)
  2. Am I like salt and light for humanity? (Mat 5:13-16)
  3. Am I free from doing or teaching anything disobedient to "the law or the prophets?" (Mat 5:17-20)
  4. Am I free from being angry with anyone? (Mat 5:21-26)
  5. Am I free from committing adultery in any form - whether by act, by thought, or by other means? (Mat 5:27-30; Mat 5:31-32; Mat 19:3-9; Mar 10:2-12; Luke 16.18; 1Co 7:10-16)
  6. Am I committed to supporting the permanence of my and others' marriages, unless issues of immorality, abuse, or other similarly serious offenses require one to consider or to initiate a divorce? (Mat 5:31-32; Mat 19:3-9; Mar 10:2-12; Luke 16.18; 1Co 7:10-16)
  7. When I make a promise, am I free from swearing by God's name, or by my own life? (Mat 5:33-37)
  8. Am I free from retaliating when others ignorantly or maliciously seek to harm me? (Mat 5:38-42)
  9. Do I love my enemies? (Mat 5:43-48)
  10. Am I free from publicizing my charity? (Mat 6:1-4)
  11. Do I pray privately rather than publicly? (Mat 6:5-15)
  12. Do I fast privately rather than publicly? (Mat 6:16-18)
  13. Do I value heavenly treasures rather than earthly treasures? (Mat 6:19-21)
  14. Am I committed to seeing and acting spiritually rather than in a mortal, animal manner? (Mat 6:22-23)
  15. Am I free from attention to possessions and cares and devoted to attention to God? (Mat 6:24-34)
  16. Am I free from hypocritically or self-righteously judging others? (Mat 7:1-6)
  17. Do I do to and for others what I would want others to do to and for me? (Mat 7:7-12)
  18. Is my life committed to walking through the narrow gate of following Christ? (Mat 7:13-14)
  19. Is my life as a Christian and as a Christian Scientist bearing good fruit? (Mat 7:15-20)
  20. Do I believe that Christ Jesus would recognize my faithfulness and say, "I know you?" (Mat 7:21-27)
  21. Am I obeying Christ Jesus' teachings and building my life on a rock? (Mat 7:28-29)

 

 

 

Paul's teachings (Gal 5:19-25)

  1. Am I free from immoral, filthy, and indecent actions?
  2. Am I free from the worship of idols and witchcraft?
  3. Am I free from fighting, being jealous, angry, or ambitious?
  4. Am I free from separating into exclusive cliques or groups?
  5. Am I free from being envious, getting drunk, having orgies, or doing other things like these?

 

 

 

Church Manual, by Mary Baker Eddy

  1. Are the Bible, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and the other published writings of Mary Baker Eddy my only textbooks for self-instruction in Christian Science and for teaching and practicing metaphysical healing? (Man 34:12)
  2. Am I free from being impelled in my thoughts or actions by either animosity or mere personal attachment? (Man 40:1)
  3. Am I free from mental malpractice? (Man 42:19)
  4. Am I free from the use of my or others' written formulas for teaching or practicing Christian Science? (Man 43:5)
  5. Am I legally married to the man or woman with whom I have an intimate relationship? (Man 46:1)
  6. Though I myself do not adopt doctrines of theosophy, hypnotism, or spiritualism, am I free from all enmity toward those who do believe in such doctrines? (Man 47:24)
  7. Am I free from publishing or causing to be published any article that is uncharitable or impertinent towards religion, medicine, the courts, or the laws of the land? (Man 48:6)
  8. When I correct others, do I do so without prior gossip and in accordance with Matthew 18:15-17? (Man 50:22; Man 51:14)
  9. Am I committed to living in Christian fellowship with all members who are in good and regular standing within The Church of Christ, Scientist? (Man 51:7)
  10. Am I free, mentally and otherwise, from working against the interests of another member, or against the interests of Mrs. Eddy and what she has stated is advantageous to this Church and to the Cause of Christian Science, or from influencing others thus to act? (Man 52:20)
  11. Am I free from the study or practice of hypnotism? (Man 53:15)
  12. When I read from or quote the writings of Mrs. Eddy, do I first mention her name; and when I read her writings in public or private assemblies, do I read from the books instead of from manuscripts or printouts? (Man 58:20; Man 32:7-9; Mis 315:6)
  13. Am I committed to maintaining an attitude of Christian fellowship with all Christian Science churches and societies advertised in The Christian Science Journal? (Man 74:15)
  14. Am I committed to wisdom, economy, and brotherly love in all of my affairs? (Man 77:18)

 

 

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy

  1. Am I free from ..?

 

 
Copyright 1996-2004 Robert Nguyen Cramer