Christian Scientologists: Is that like Christian Scientists?



Christian Science Mother Church (Bcorr)

As Scientologist Juliette Lewis told Vanity Fair interviewer Eric Spitznagel in December 2010, Scientologists can and do celebrate Christmas.

During this same interview, Lewis asserted:  I’m a Christian!  I think there’s so much confusion because people don’t understand a religion where you can be another religion… 

That’s why it’s completely progressive.  It’s just tools for

living…  Lewis then attributed the “funny folklore” that is associated with Scientology (such as that concerning reincarnated alien ancestors) to the confusing of L. Ron Hubbard’s science fiction with his theology.  She later concluded:   You could be a Jewish Scientologist or a Buddhist Scientologist or a Christian Scientologist or anything else.  (Perhaps, but would this be in keeping with Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, and/or “anything else” theology?)

A peek into the Cruise family’s Christmas might help to clarify the “progressive” nature of their faith.  On the

one hand, it’s Christmas as usual:  hanging together, playing games, having a “really nice, quiet time.”  On the other hand, Suri Cruise’s Christmas wish list contains $130,000 worth of gifts - all of which she will reportedly receive from her parents.  (Is this in keeping with “the policy of equal justice for all” from The Code of a Scientologist – point 9?)

Contrasting this approach with that of Christian Science becomes a relatively easy task.  Belief.net reports that many Christian Scientists emphasize Thanksgiving far more than Christmas.  In fact, “The Church of Christ, Scientist, is the only denomination in the United States that observes Thanksgiving as a religious holiday, one marked by church services, specially published Bible lessons, and personal healing testimonials.”  This harkens back to Mary Baker Eddy’s “emphasis on gratitude.”  As for Christmas?  Here is the final statement from Eddy’s What Christmas Means to Me essay:  Material gifts and pastimes tend

to obliterate the spiritual idea in consciousness, leaving one alone and without His glory.

Resources

http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/850025/how-scientologists-tom-cruise-and-john-travolta-celebrate-the-holidays

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/12/juliette-lewis

http://www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology/the-scientology-creeds-and-codes/the-code-of-a-scientologist.html

http://www.beliefnet.com/Love-Family/Holidays/For-Many-Christian-Scientists-Thanksgiving-Bigger-Than-Christmas.aspx?p=1

http://www.endtime.org/library/mbe/what_christmas_means_to_me.html

Copyright December 21, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved