Next to a conclave of cardinals, probably the most secret religious assembly is the annual meeting of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist. Last week more than 7,000 of the faithful showed up in Boston to hear the yearly report on how their made-in-America faith is doing. Names and church standing were carefully checked before admission tickets were granted, and reporters of other faiths were barred from the four auditoriums where the proceedings were held.
The curbs help keep secret such statistics as membership figures, but they do not hide internal dissension: there is none. Christian...
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