Introduction
In today’s society the idea of a cult or the word cult to describe a religious practice is neglected by a large percentage of society but according to Religioustolerance.com, “A cult is a ‘particular form or system of religious worship; especially in reference to its external rites and ceremonies,’ (http://www.religioustolerance.org/cults.htm) so wouldn’t that make every religion a cult? But a Goggle definition goes on to day that a cult is: ‘a religion or sect that is generally considered to be unorthodox, extremist, or false; e.g. “it was a satanic cult" (http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=cult) so the idea of a cult is in the eye of the beholder. There are many different cults throughout the world; they all have different beliefs, values, ideologies and practices or rituals. The cult that will be researched and analysised in this essay is Christian Science also known as the First Church of Christ, Scientist.
History of the Group
Christian Science was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879, due to spiritual healing experienced by Eddy. She stated that in 1866 after an accident she became sick and while reading the bible she had a revelation to do with healing and was able to walk instantly. When she established the First Church of Christ, Scientist in 1979 in Lynn, Massachusetts it was based on an interpretation of the Scriptures asserting that disease, sin, and death may be overcome by understanding and applying the divine principles of Christian teachings''. Unknown Christian Science is based upon two major principles and ideas; having one God, one mind, one life, truth and love; and loving your neighbour as yourself. Thiese views are expressed in Eddy’s major treatise, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, that was published in 1875, the text outlines the belief that by ‘striving toward a spiritual understanding of the world as God's perfect creation, sin, disease, and death are shed from human belief....