Volume: 3

Paganism 1 - Unanswered

Introducing the "miracles" and insanity of Christian Science.

They had no children, unable to conceive despite constant prayer. They never adopted either, thinking that at any moment, the hand of their god would alter one or both of their internal systems and deliver a miracle. Taken further, why didn't they head straight down the immaculate route? Her husband's death, coupled with unanswered prayers should have provided enough non-evidence to question the validity of her faith, but instead, she hurled herself further into the church, creating a closer bond to my parents and widening the chasm of illogic that I never traversed. Her infrequent visits became less tolerable as I grew older. Conversations invariably drifted toward church politics, evidence of their god's love and how the media constantly bombards America with horrible advances in drugs and medical science.

I winced after returning from Ketchikan and heard from my father that my mother was working on a "situation." That is Christian Science-speak for "she is ill and praying." Knowing her devotion to the religion, I suspected that she would not, at sixty-three, be able to withstand an internal illness without medical help. It was more than a suspicion because after hearing of her problem, I became sickened with a burning feeling that sapped my energy, a feeling of fear. In effect, my mother had left all logic in the shitter and was preparing to die.