Deconversion stories from Biblical Errancy
DS
Letter #665 from DS of Davenport, Iowa (Part a)
I was reared as a Christian Scientist and my mother died when I was fourteen, a victim of cancer and Christian Science. Her only treatment for cancer of the uterus was Miss Perkins, a CS practitioner, "working for her."
This caused me to seriously study religion, CS in particular and Christianity in general. My first attempt to study the bible was to start with Genesis and try to read it through. As you've probably guessed I bogged down in the middle of Leviticus and said to hell with it. Later when I was in the navy I got hold of the University of Chicago's American Bible Translation. I used it for study and went through the NT first.... Although I found contradictions by myself, I stumbled on to Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason and was really off and running. I debate local ministers on bible inerrancy and the existence of god on occasion and find your encyclopedia very useful. I have found it most practical to stay away from the subject of atheism and concentrate on the bible.
Editor's Response to Letter #665 (Part b)
You are probably already aware of the fact that the Christian Science denomination is an exceptionally jeopardous outfit that is responsible for the deaths of many through prayer overdose. It may be Christian but it's reliance upon metaphysical mutterings instead of responsible and qualified medical care creates a canyon between it and science. I can't help but recall the recent Twitchell case in which two indoctrinated parents rejected medical assistance for their baby and caused it to die from an easily remedied bowel obstruction. By not being able to evacuate, can you imagine the sheer agony, the torture, that child must have gone through--all because its parents succumbed to absurd biblical teachings and medieval nonsense.
Your evolution away from religious superstition resembles that of many, and I am glad to see that you are using our material in the manner intended. Keep up the good work.
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