Can someone explain to me the use of the word 'science'...

[wildflower]

in a religious context?

I wasn't raised with organized religion, and I've often wondered what the word 'science' means in religions. For example, I'll see the 'Christian Science Reading Room,' the 'Christian Science Monitor,' etc.

Ma'at, is this similar to the 'Science' in 'Church of Religious Science'?

In essence, does 'science' in these contexts have a meaning that is different from the word as it's normally used?

Please forgive my ignorance on this topic.

Thank you! :hi:

-wildflower

ON EDIT: This Web page discusses the "Science of Mind," but I'm still having trouble understanding the use of the word 'science.'

http://www.visions-center.com/

I must say, though, I quite like this site, and what the church and its belief system represents.

[Az]

1. Science in religion

When a religion applies the term science to itself it typically means it holds to a methodological approach to its practices. In other words for a group like Christian Scientists, they take their understanding and doctrine and apply it in an active sense. Thus if the bible says that healing is possible one should be able to apply this in and heal someone. Furhtermore you can try to adapt and add to the understanding of the doctrine. Find the underlying features that make it so and further develop them.

Think of it as science with the doctrine of the religion as the initial premise. The premise cannot be questioned. Thus outsiders may become confused due to their understanding of the application of the scientific method.

[wildflower]

2. Okay, I think I understand. Thanks! n/t

[Maat]

3. My faith was called 'Religious Science' because ...

the founder, Ernest Holmes, believed that science (typical definition of the term) and religion (belief system, daily life practice framework) were compatible - that one availed oneself of God acting through the scientists. Whatever they were able to model was a gift to mankind.

[Az]

4. Can the science aspect question the religious aspect?

Science can coexist with any religion that does not propose things that science will find to be untrue. The trouble is that we don't necissarily know ahead of time what science is going to turn up. So in the Religious Science mindset what happens if such a thing were to come about?

[Maat]

5. Very tough question - very intellectual.

Religious Science just doesn't define nature, or how creation occurred, or anything like that. So, having no preconceived notions about that, a change in scientific viewpoint does not really affect us.

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. I have a side question about Religious Science and UUism.

We had a family visit us recently that had relocated from another part of the country. They were previously members of a Religious Science church and we do not have one in our immediate area so they visited our UU church. I thought they were fabulous people and would loved to have learned more about them and connected personally. Their children and my children hit it off quite well. They never came back. What can UU congregations do to help Religious Science church members who do not have local resources from their own denomination?

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. My perspective

I belonged to a Religious Science church for years. Then I moved and just didn't connect with any of the congregations in the new area, so I do other things now.

I think there are two aspects of science in Religious Science. First is that there is a methodology. Spiritual mind treatment, their process of "scientific prayer" or soliciting your good from the universal good is a well-defined process or method that you use.

Second is that you can test it. This may seem a little tricky because the basic premise is that belief makes it so. So how do you skeptically test something if it won't work without belief. The best answers I can come up with for that are 1) observe other people's results, and 2) temporarily suspend disbelief while you try it on small things. I can say that I observed people receive what seemed to be totally miraculous results from doing spiritual mind treatment, and these were rank amateur, absolute beginners in Science of Mind 101 classes.

Now I'm very eclectic in my beliefs and practice, more pagan than anything else. I've noticed significant parallels between the process of spiritual mind treatment and the way pagans do "magick."

[BeFree]

7. Hey wildflower, you are about to hit 1000 posts! Congrats!

Science.

My take on the word is that it came about because we humans read the observable signs around us and 'take' those signs in to our heads and try to make sense of those signs.

Signs-in. Science.

This just came to me: What else is science but observing signs and attempt to make sense of them in our minds? Signs + sense = science.

[wildflower]

9. Thank you! I don't know how it happened so fast! On science...

I think you sum it up pretty well in that last sentence. We developed rules against which to measure things, so everything we know is really that which is filtered through our view.

-wildflower