I can’t think of anyone who would intentionally sign away their freedoms to a dangerous sect or a toxic community, so how does one find themselves in this type of environment? After talking with my guest Lauren Hunter, who shares her story of leaving Christian Science, I realized that often, it comes down to a very simple unassuming entry.
Christian Science was the faith of her family so Lauren was born into the teachings, practices and beliefs. Family is key. People find themselves in cults just like people join gangs or enter into relationships that end up being toxic because initially they feel like family and ultimately who doesn’t want to belong?
I’ve often said this, when we look at society as a whole, (our worries, fears, anxieties, or motivations to accept less than we are worthy of, when we allow people to violate our bodies and our minds etc.)we can peel away all the different choices that people use to cope and self protect and I personally believe that we can all be boiled down to one thing. We fear being alone.
I also think that our fear of being alone has to do with the way we were created. It’s in our DNA to seek relationship and yet nothing in this world will fully satisfy. Ultimately, our desire for relationship is to draw us to the One who created us. We were created for an intimate, real relationship with the living God. It was His original plan for us to dwell face to face with Him but when sin entered the Garden of Eden we were separated from Him. We’re left with the need, a deep desire to find home, to find God.
This desire to find the One who fills us is a beautiful gift from the Father because once we pass from here, our soul, the part of us that lives eternally will face one of two realities, heaven or hell. God has created in us the desire to know Him so that we might choose Him and therefore live eternally with Him.
The thought of not spending eternity with God grieves His heart and so He gives us an innate desire to avoid being eternally alone (separated from love, joy, peace, a place where there is no pain, no tears etc.). It is the goodness and kindness of God to give us yet another way to seek Him and choose Him. That’s the heart of a Father, to give His children every opportunity to choose Him, to have another chance at eternity with Him.
Being heard, seen, loved, valued, not being alone is an incredibly powerful motivator for people to stay in destructive relationships be that faith based, dating, friendship, marriage, work etc.
Lauren talks about the red flags that we need to be aware of. Granted we may not discern them at first because there is a conditioning, a soft build up to the actual abuse but some of the ones Lauren touched on were things like, the requirement to be obedient to the belief system, don’t question their authority, distrust outsiders, shoulder any burdens you experience, and undermining trust in yourself.
After you hear all that Lauren talks about in this conversation you’re going to want to get her book, Leaving Christian Science. She shares more of her personal story and includes 9 other people who share their experiences and why they too left the false faith.
Each chapter addresses the various theological inconsistencies taught by Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science. Lauren and her guests compare Christian Science themes such as matter, Jesus Christ, contagion, prayer, and sin. Examining these inconsistencies provides a deeper understanding of the Christian faith that Lauren now pursues in freedom and truth.
Let’s get this conversation started.
Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com
Connect with Lauren:
Website: laurenhunter.net
Amazon Book Page: https://amzn.to/32LKPRk
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/laurenhunter.net/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mamahunter100
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenhhunter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenhhunter/
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/laurenhhunter/
Amazon Author Central: https://amazon.com/author/laurenhunter
NetGalley Widget Link to review copy: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/203967
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/lauren_hunter
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lauren-hunter
Bio:
Lauren Hunter is a writer who loves the big picture of God’s journey we are all on together. Raised in a fourth-generation family of Christian Scientists, Lauren left her family’s faith behind at the age of 25 to become an evangelical Christian. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and they live in Northern California with their four children.
