There are so many authorities holding forth today on all subjects that one can easily become confused as to whom to believe, whom to follow. Then, if a course is chosen, another, perhaps more insidious, state can set in — a kind of unthinking, mesmeric allegiance to a concept — hurtling us along materialistic ways leaving us in the end quite unsatisfied.

We all need to follow human authority to some extent — e.g. to stop at the traffic light, pay our taxes, follow a sensible diet. But none of these will save us from an errant driver, a paranoid IRS agent, or a poison tipped inadvertently into the meat loaf. Clearly, even on the simplest level we must constantly question what authority we're trusting and why. For the student of Christian Science and other people of faith, God is the ultimate Authority "...underlying, overlying, and encompassing all true being," (see Science and Health, p. 496: 9-19). Seeing the human accommodations as divine ideas and not merely human concessions protects the activity.

Here are some specific areas covered at the meeting:

1) The first tenet of Christian Science states, "As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life," (Science and Health, p. 497:3). An internet friend pointed out that we accept only the inspired word, not the rest. He quoted Bicknell Young, an early Christian Science teacher, to the effect that we must stay conscious of the age in which Scripture was written and question whether, and if so, how it applies to us today. Our only authority is our own understanding of Truth. To escape from the influence of false religion, we must "take on the viewpoint of God". Our standpoint must be that of God.  He added, "Among the early workers there was much more openness to Truth revealing Itself to Itself."

2) The discussion opened into how one might interpret inspirationally any biblical text — no matter how benighted. One member said this would require dropping personal sense but that once one is proficient at this he has a tool in his kit that is very powerful in the practice of Science. One can then interpret even the most malignant human situations from the standpoint of God — see true Authority where dualistic, crack pot authority claims to be. Here is the quote from Science and Health he then read to us: "The manifestations of evil, which counterfeit divine justice, are called in the Scriptures, 'The anger of the Lord.' In reality, they show the self-destruction of error or matter and point to matter's opposite, the strength and permanency of Spirit. Christian Science brings to light Truth and its supremacy, universal harmony, the entireness of God, good, and the nothingness of evil," (293:24).

3) A member then described to us how he used thoughts similar to the above to work on the situation with the Turkish earthquake and the storm in South Texas. He saw them both as mortal mind's rendition of what God is actually being, there and everywhere. Man is permanently, unshakably established on the Rock, Christ — the oneness of God and man. A divine idea is uncrushable. He specifically saw the storm — a grade 4 occurrence — as a dualistic belief about the Omnipotence of Good. He stuck with assurance of this Omnipotence as the storm moved ashore, without incident. As for Turkey, powerful Wednesday readings and a clear testimony emboldened our member to question authoritative utterances about the situation. As the medical authorities promoted panic and warnings to get inoculated against cholera and other exotic diseases — motivated by what sinister intentions one can only imagine — a very calm French doctor with the World Health Organization got before the cameras to state the impossibility of developing such diseases in the circumstances, thus redirecting funds and effort towards actual helpfulness. Later that day, our member heard that casualty figures had been revised downwards from 18,000 to 12,000.

4) Vicarious living via news and gossip about celebrities, one member felt, shows little human progress from Pharaonic times, when all attention was focused by the slaves on the life and doings of the god-king. "We need to live as the Authority of our own universe as infinite Life and Love."

5) Doctors, lawyers, other professionals and helpers are but amplifications of our own senses and dualistic mentalities. If we feel we must use them, we need to let these amplified extensions of our dualism be controlled by Divinity as thoroughly as we would our own so called thought. Let Authority perceive, evaluate and "treat", i. e., be Itself.

6) The new book "God's Perfect Child" by Caroline Frazer came up in discussion. Some of us had read the review in the New York Times and a couple of members had actually skimmed the book. It is quite negative about and dismissive of Christian Science, in which the author was raised.

Most of us saw no value in the book — the public generally doesn't care one way or the other about this kind of exposé and serious students of Science will find its arguments and stabs at theology truly laughable. One member, a victim in his youth of medical malpractice, did pity the author however. He feels she is an outstanding example of child abuse, having been beaten over the head with a belief in — note, not understanding of — Christian Science. She probably needs some time with a good psychologist or group like Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families to clarify the issues and then proper Christian Science treatment, which is most adequate to handle the beliefs of abusive upbringing. Pouring out even the most heartfelt books about one's abusive background is merely "acting out" and will not heal.

One member remarked on the "golden rule" aspects of this silly book and all other diatribes against the church. The level of "know nothingness" exhibited here is very much akin to the level shown by certain segments of our church and other right-wing groups towards Gay people.

7) A member brought in what he calls a Christian Science "koan" — a term used in Zen Buddhism for a riddle given by masters to their students, to so tax their thinking that they finally give up and thereby achieve expanded consciousness. He warned us it might make some of us run for the exit but felt, in view of his own experience after it arose in his thought, that it was worth the risk. Get a grip. Written out it's not as threatening as when spoken, because of the capitalization. Here it is — it's a prayer, "Let this Mind be in us which was also in Adolph Hitler." There were gasps, but everyone remained. Our member felt anything/anyone could be handled with the impersonal Truth released by this koan. What about the Mind that is also in Fred Phelps? Uh, uh....well, OK. There is one Mind and that is our Authority. It's not in anyone ("In. A term obsolete in Science, if used in reference to Spirit, or Deity," Science and Health, p. 588) but is the real being of all. Whew, got through that one.

At the end of the meeting we rummaged for next week's topic. One member wanted Chastity. Some of us squirmed — not that it didn't describe a prevalent state among the squirmers — and looked for something more uplifting. Finally we settled on Purity.