Beliefs
Key Issues
Eating, Food and Drink
Death and Dying
- Christian Science teaches a reliance on God for healing, rather than on medicine or surgery. It will be unusual therefore for Christian Scientists to be patients in ordinary hospitals. They will usually seek care at home or in a Christian Science nursing home.
- They may be admitted to hospital following accidents or during pregnancy or childbirth and because of family or legal pressures. They will accept medical care for their children where the law requires them to do so.
- The Church does not attempt to control the actions of its members and the decision whether to accept medical intervention lies with the individual.
- If admitted to hospital a Christian Scientist will appreciate the normal care of a hospital but will normally wish to be totally free of drug treatment. He/she will probably wish to contact a Christian Science practitioner for treatment through prayer.
- If the patient is voluntarily in hospital, they are likely to accept conventional but minimal medical treatment. They will also ask for drug therapy to be kept to the minimum.
- If the patient is involuntarily in hospital e.g. after an accident, they may wish to be completely free of medical treatment. Therefore there will be a need to contact a Christian Science practitioner.
- There are no specific objections to blood transfusions, but would prefer to rely on prayer. Therefore they would not usually wish to participate as donor or recipient.
- Privacy will be needed for prayer and Bible reading and this should be made available simply by closing the curtains.
- There are no specific dietary requirements
- Worship is kept free from ritual and there are no last Rites.
- Female body should be handled by female staff
- Routine Last Offices are appropriate.
- The question of organ/tissue donation is the individual decision of church members.
- Christian Scientists object to post mortems unless required by law.
- Cremation is usually chosen in preference to burial but is entirely a matter of family choice.