Our topic came from the title of a periodical put out by Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) which is rallying the community to move beyond mere tolerance and safe schools — important as these have been and are — to respect and enthusiastic inclusion within schools of students who are Gay or have Gay parents.

As a human concept, respect is marked by the ability to appreciate, esteem, value, prize and even treasure ourselves and others. Its opposite seemed to us contempt — a feeling so negative that we could sense its application basically to its perpetrator, not just his presumed object of scorn. But we felt that as long as we're caught up in comparisons — an inevitable part of being human really — respect won't pass the test of Science.

This we agreed on: true respect, the respect of Science, must be based on seeing God's man where the human concept claims to be. Such practice of the presence of God as man would rectify any concept and bring it into closer accord with its underlying harmony.

One member recommended we break respect into its component parts, meaning "to look again"or as he put it, "to look deeper". Then the work becomes much easier; whatever the senses present we are in a position to strike straight for the divine idea seeming to parade in the dualistic clothes of human belief.

One member thought this was fine when we're talking about something like the glories of nature "... hieroglyphics of Love..."as Mrs. Eddy describes them, but what about Pat Buchanan or Jesse Helms — how could we have respect for them? What's to be seen on a deeper level there than sheer obstinate rage? A member offered that they undoubtedly suffer from intense castration fears and we could approach them with as much love, care and metaphysical aplomb as did Mrs. Eddy in her comments on Philip's meeting with the eunuch (see Miscellaneous Writings, pp 77-78). Understanding the vision of the depths and expanse of divinity there revealed would enable us to meet anything on the human level and bring out its perfection.

We then had an interesting discussion based on one of our readings (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 223: 11-19) as it reflects on Jesus' crucifixion. He had such respect for his persecutors and the mob as to let them have their sin (and suffer from it) while he understood his (and their) real at-one-ment with the Father, thus effecting his so-called resurrection and ascension — and pointing the way for them and for us.

This apparent permissiveness on the belief level is an important aspect of true healing. Some members practice Science first from the mountain top, carrying the reality thus derived into the valley; while others practice from the standpoint of translating the minutiae of the valley into their divine ideas. Either way, however, we cannot afford petty crossfire with beliefs, trying to figure out who or what is worthy of respect and disrespect on that level, using the judgments and other tools available there. Truth lived is the only thing worth seeing or being seen.

One member mentioned some work he's doing on awe. He noticed during the week that he regularly withholds approval from beautiful men. Even if they seem interested in him! He was justifying this on the basis that he's a Christian Scientist and not interested in what the senses push forward; but as he felt his way into this area he found much bitterness and eventually was able to see a lot of envy present. Decades of envy piled up, dating back to his plump girly boy youth. He's now working on it with Science: initial findings include the fact that his being does not stop at the perimeter of his skin but is infinite, including those he's finding attractive. If he surrenders to awe in the presence of a beauty, is he caving in to matter or celebrating the presence of God?

Some healings were reported.

1) A Guestbook visitor reported two healings based on a proper sense of respect. You can see his testimony firsthand by going to the Guestbook, September 20th.

2) A member, feeling bereft of respect from certain members of his family, had the angel thought that perhaps he needed more respect for them. Indeed as he thought about them he discovered much scorn for their shallow ways. He decided to look deeper and was able to find some really endearing things about them. One of them seemed quite unique in the "grandeur of his homophobia". He is now endeavoring to keep their divinity clearly in sight.

3) Another member's patience was severely tried by a client's behavior. She came to him for advice about the work of a competitor. He gave himself a day of prayerful contemplation before talking to her about the inappropriateness of this request and worked with our topic to keep her human rights and divine being uppermost in his thoughts as their discussion proceeded. He feels good about the interaction.

4) Another member, while still seeing respect as a meritorious human concept, was surprised to find himself having pity for a presidential candidate who seems in over his head. Before this he saw him as dangerous and backward perhaps but now he could feel the low self-esteem and family animus driving him in his quest. It was only at our meeting, with its strong emphasis on the divine radicalism necessary in practicing respect, that he was able to start correcting his thought to reflect reality.

Our topic for next week is History. It came up as one of the factors we must often see through in order to accomplish healing; but our facilitator pointed out that it can also be taken as part of the promised series of topics relating to the elections here in the U.S.