The Decatur Church of Christian Scientists (DCCS) is a cozy building nestled on Clairmont Road. Every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00-11:00 a.m. and 7:30-8:30 p.m. you can find the Christian Scientists reciting scripture and singing hymns. They look nothing like the crazed scientologist you see on TV.

And they aren’t. But due to ‘Science’ in the church’s name, DCCS Reader John Weiss estimates that about 15 percent of people think Christian Science and Scientology are the same thing.

A Christian Science Reader is similar to a pastor or priest in that the readers are the ones addressing the church congregation. There are two Readers at every Sunday sermon, and the ‘first’ Reader does most of the talking. Weiss is the second Reader for DCCS, and has had to distinguish Christian Science and Scientology to the uninformed public.

“It’s like mail and nail, they sound similar but are very different. I don’t believe that the Scientologists even worship the same God,” Weiss said.

This is partially correct, and according to the Scientologist website, Scientologists do not worship any God. But rather believe that the concept of God is expressed as the ‘Eighth Dynamic.’ The ability to exist infinitely and gain knowledge of a “Supreme Being,” that can only be understood after having knowledge of the previous seven dynamics.

Both religions believe in an infinite existence after death, but their reasons differ. Florence ‘Flo’ Wells, DCCS first Reader and former Decatur High substitute believes in a standard Christian Science afterlife.

“Life is real, death is the illusion… Heaven is not a locality, but rather a state of mind,” she said.

For the Scientologists, it is not nearly that simple. Deceased Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, describes the afterlife as “Living time after time, getting a new body, eventually losing it and getting a new one.”

Every new body retains its previous soul, called the Thetan. However, the Thetan forgets everything that happened in the previous life.

The Thetan theory is especially prevalent in the ‘Sea Org’, a naval fleet that contains only the most loyal Scientologist members. When a Scientologist joins the Sea Org they sign a billion year contract that binds the member’s Thetan to serve the next billion years of his or her life to the church.

The Church of Scientology runs the largest non-governmental anti-drug campaign in the world. When Hubbard founded Scientology, he blamed many mental health problems on the increasing presence of drug use.

“The planet has hit a barrier which prevents any widespread social progress: drugs and other biochemical substances,” said Hubbard, “These can put people into a condition which not only prohibits and destroys physical health but which can prevent any stable advancement in mental or spiritual well-being.”

Prominent Scientologist members like Tom Cruise have spoken out against drugs, even insulting other celebrities for using standard antidepressants.

This hostility towards modern medicine may be the closest link between the Church of Scientology and the Church of Christian Science, but not without it’s fair share of controversies.

Since the Church of Christian Science’s founding in 1866, an unknown number Christian Science members have died due to withholding medical care. The Christian Scientist’s core belief revolves around healing through prayer, meaning that illnesses from a paper cut to bone cancer have the potential to be healed naturally through God.

Many members are advised against using modern medical practices to heal, meaning for many orthodox Christian Scientist, prayer is the only way to heal. A certified Christian Science practitioner from Chattanooga told her account of healing in one of DCCS Wednesday healing testimonies:

“I had an aggressive spider bite on the back of my hand. For a few days I studied the healing prayers and nothing seemed to be happening. A thought came to me that I could relieve the symptoms by icing down my hand. After all, it’s just matter with matter. But then I realized, I am not matter, I’m spiritual. After that the symptoms went away almost immediately.”

According to Catholic convert and DCCS member Julia McBee, healing works the majority of the time. The deaths caused by the withholding of modern medicine are an anomaly.

“The one [death] out of thousands are what the media focuses on.”

A Scientologist member who did not wish to be identified shares McBee’s annoyance with jump-to-conclusion media.

“Don’t believe the media, [Scientology’s] not brainwashing, it’s actually the opposite.“

For more information on the practices of Scientology:

http://www.scientology.org/

For more information on the practices of Christian Science

http://christianscience.com/

Photos by Patrick Russell