What do you want to know about Religious Science? Revs. Joe and Toni Niemiec, New Thought ministers, are ready to answer your questions. Fill out the form below or .
Q. How did each of you come upon the path of Religious Science?
A. The Rev. Joe:
After many years of being an agnostic and finding my salvation through “drugs, sex and rock and roll,” I awoke to the fact that I needed to find a new way of living. After spending an additional number of years in a conscious search for personal spiritual fulfillment through meditation and shamanic practices, I was told about and visited a Religious Science church.
During the first talk I heard, the minister said it did not matter where we came from or how long we stayed; if we returned to an earlier belief, we would go with a deeper understanding of God. I was intrigued because:
- He didn’t say he had the absolute answer.
- There was no guilt or shame about where I might have been or that I might not stay in the teaching.
- Classes were offered on what was believed, so deeper exploration was encouraged.
After beginning to attend these classes, I continued to do shamanic practices. I learned that the minister had studied with a guru, and I found that all paths were honored; Ernest Holmes actually quoted from the Tao and other Eastern texts in his later writings. I found that I could stay in a teaching that honored all beings and found it refreshing to be in oneness rather than continual separation.
A. The Rev. Toni:
In many ways, I was raised with the basic principles of Science of Mind (the teaching Religious Science is based upon). I knew that there was God and only God and that it was loving and ever- giving. I loved the teachings of Jesus and knew they were guides for me to live as a good person. I was taught that Jesus was the way-shower, and that he was the son of God just as each of us is a child of God.
I learned as a teen to not talk about my beliefs — they made me feel “odd” and so I kept them to myself (but I was always astounded as to the beliefs of others). My path took me through Judaism and agnosticism. Then a friend invited me to a fundraising event for her church, which was a Religious Science church. As part of the event, the song “Imagine” by John Lennon was sung. Something in me opened and I knew I wanted to know more. As I studied, I realized I had found my spiritual home.
