Editing Christian Science practitioner (section)

== Practice and ethics ==
Christian Science practitioners are those who devote their full time to prayer for others.<ref name="NYT"/><ref name=":0"/> Regarding prayer in Christian Science, sometimes called "treatment" when focused on a specific issue or problem, [[Mary Baker Eddy]] wrote: "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, — a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love."<ref>Gottschalk, Stephen (1973). ''[https://archive.org/details/emergenceofchris00step/page/226/mode/2up The Emergence of Christian Science in American Religious Life]''. University of California Press. p. 226.</ref> Christian Scientists see practitioners as following in the footsteps of Jesus' disciples in order to "reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing."<ref>Braden, Charles S. (1958). ''[[Christian Science Today]]''. Southern Methodist University Press. p. 5</ref><ref>John 1962, p. 3.</ref> The work of a Christian Science practitioner, according to [[John M. Tutt]], a medical doctor who left medicine and became a Christian Science practitioner, is that of a "helper"; and the patient is encouraged to pray along with the practitioner to "know the truth" when possible.<ref>Plagenz, George. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1908&dat=19960105&id=gEAvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3t8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5310,147665 "Does prayer actually heal our ills?] ''The Nevada Daily Mail'' (January 5, 1996). Retrieved June 15, 2013</ref><ref name="tutt">Tutt, John M. (February 12, 1916). [https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/10k79zbtiu "Practitioner and Patient"]. ''Christian Science Sentinel''.</ref> However, Christian Scientists note that the patient does not need to pray or even believe in Christian Science or have any religious faith at all in order to be healed by a practitioner's prayer.<ref>Gottschalk 1973, p. 227</ref><ref>Braden 1958, pp. 4-5.</ref> Practitioners are also not confined to praying about sickness, but pray for people regarding any type of difficulty such as financial or relationship problems.<ref>Braden 1958, p. 7</ref><ref>Williams, Jean Kinney (1997). ''[https://archive.org/details/christianscienti00will/ The Christian Scientists]''. New York: Franklin Watts. p. 10-11.</ref>

Christian Scientists do not consider healing to be the primary purpose of Christian Science, but rather a deeper sense of God that they say comes with healing.<ref>John 1962, p. 3-5.</ref> However, [[Charles S. Braden]] notes that most Christian Scientists probably originally came to the religion for healing.<ref>Braden 1958, p. 6.</ref> Critics of Christian Science have ridiculed the idea of "absent treatment", where a practitioner prays for a patient who is not physically present with the practitioner, and sometimes compared it to witchcraft; but Christian Scientists counter that Jesus did the same thing, citing the [[healing the centurion's servant]] in the [[Gospel of Matthew]].<ref>Gottschalk 1973, p. 227</ref>

Practitioners are required to maintain the confidentiality of their patients' private communications. In cases where the patient's recovery is "chronic" or if the practitioner fails to bring about a recovery, he is required to lower the bill.{{sfn|Eddy|1910|p=46}} Combining Christian Science treatment with medical treatment is not recommended by ''Science and Health''<ref name="NYT" /> and traditionally, practitioners have withdrawn from cases where the patient undertook medical treatment, except where it was clear this was against the patient's will. As noted by [[Robert Peel (Christian Science)|Robert Peel]], Christian Scientists are "not 'against doctors'... [but] experience has shown that any attempt to combine Christian Science with medical treatment is likely to lessen the efficacy of each, since they start from exactly opposite premises."<ref>Peel, Robert. ''Spiritual Healing in a Scientific Age'', Harper & Row (1987), pp. 40-41.</ref> Some practitioners no longer give up such cases, although they may change the nature of their prayer, a loosening of standards precipitated by several well-publicized deaths under Christian Science treatment, including those of children.<ref name="NYT" />