| Author | Message | ||
| Kathy23 Registered user Username: Kathy23 Post Number: 73 Registered: 6-2005  |
It would be interesting to find out what was the final deciding factor in setting people free from the SDA religion. I had been out of the SDA church for years but was still an SDA in my heart. I was going to a women's Bible study and wondered why the Sabbath was never brought up. I started skipping ahead in the New Testament and found scriptures about not judging people according to the Sabbath's they keep or what they eat. I knew that contradicted what I had been taught. One night I got up the nerve and put in the search query "fallacies of the Seventh-day-Adventist religion" into Google. I found this website and forum (and other websites). I was surprised at how much information was out there on what was wrong with Adventism. I don't think I really expected it. I half expected to find stuff that would tell me I had to go back into Adventism. Instead I found the exact opposite. Such a burden was lifted from me that night. I was truly set free and will never be the same again. I'd love to hear what the deciding factor was for others. I know there are many contributing factors, but what was the defining moment? | ||
| Bobj Registered user Username: Bobj Post Number: 438 Registered: 1-2006  |
Hi Kathy A lifelong friend of mine worked as a hospice nurse a few years ago here in the Loma Linda area, and she commented to me that in general, SDAs really struggled spiritually in the months preceeding their death, but that mainline Christians were at peace with God. After reading and struggling with adventism all my life, I knew I had to have the peace with God that Christians had--regardless of what it ended up costing me. So thankful now! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10884 Registered: 12-2003  |
It was a process--but the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, was when Richard and I looked at each other as we discussed if we could "stay in and make a difference", that if we stayed Adventists but didn't believe Adventism anymore, just teaching "the gospel" from within, we would still be endorsing a system we had come to believe was wrong. If we stayed Adventist, thus endorsing what we no longer believed, how could we expect our sons ever to be truthful? We would be modeling deceit! Colleen | ||
| Jonvil Registered user Username: Jonvil Post Number: 334 Registered: 4-2007 |
It was a ‘straw’, the cumulative effect. There had been MANY straws in my 36 years as an Adventist which I winked at and rationalized with ‘all churches have their idiots’ (an assumption based on my exposure to only one church-the SDA Church). But a couple of years ago an Amazing Factoids ‘idiot’ handed me a straw, an egregious distortion of scripture, that I was unable wink at. That straw finally woke me up. It woke me up to my need to actually study God’s word. One year later, after attending both the Adventist Church, where I was a SS teacher, and a ‘Sunday’ church (Oh my!) I left Adventism without a backward glance. Saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. John | ||
| Christo Registered user Username: Christo Post Number: 205 Registered: 2-2008 |
I listened to the New Testament over and over again while on the ladder painting a house. It was Alexander Scourby"s reading of the King James version.He is quite good at old english, he was once a Shakespearian actor, and originally created these recordings for the blind so they would have access to the Bible. That in itself is quite a testimony as the gospel became freely available to a distinct group of people who did not have that access before. There was just too much in the Bible that I could not reconcile with sda teachings, and one of them had to go,either the Bible had to go. or Aventism had to go. I chose to discard Adventism. My friend told me that the way experts at detecting counterfeit money used to be able to most accurately detect counterfeit money was to spend lots of time with the genuine, authentic, real currency, and then when exposed to counterfeit bills, they become quickly apparent. How often do people spend more time in Bible commentary, than they do with their Bibles. This is true of many people in all denominations. When you become familiar with the Bible all kinds of things keep popping out from behind the pulpit, and contained in commentary that do not corroborate with the Bible. Especially in Adventism. I have witnessed pastors injecting Old Covenant requirements into their sermons, and would tell myself," no wonder people get sucked into Adventism." It is written," Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, a little leaven leavens the whole lump." We as individuals are each a lump, to be shaped by God, not by Pharisees' leaven. The faith God wants is faith in him, not faith in a church. Chris | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7872 Registered: 3-2004  |
For me it was two things that happened within the same time frame in Dec 2003. At the sda church I was attending one of the pastors challenged the ss class to read only the NT with no other help. Then God brought my attention to a bookmark on my computer. It was Dirk Anderson's website about EGW. I read it all. When I finished reading I spoke out loud to myself, 'I cannot go back to that church. She has had too much influence on it's doctrines". When I said that I felt a burden lifted from my shoulders. I had been planning to be rebaptized sda as that was all I knew, even though I did not like the legalism. Like I have said, that was all I knew. So between reading the NT and Anderson's website I followed God out of the sda church. I was not a member anyway as my name had been removed for apostasy sometime in the 1980s. I went to it anyway because it was all I knew. So that was the deciding factor in how I ultimately left sadventism for good. Diana L | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 1463 Registered: 11-2007  |
Reading the New Testament (both times - 1st time the blindess was only 1/2 lifted, so had to go through it again). Hebrews and the gospels. Reading whole books, getting the big picture, not proof texts. Sondra (Message edited by 8thday on January 30, 2010) | ||
| Julieb Registered user Username: Julieb Post Number: 8 Registered: 1-2010 |
I had been studying the Bible for some time and was quite convinced that EGW was a false prophet and that the SDA doctrines contradicted the Bible, but I was still attending church because I felt I should be by my husband's side. One Saturday evening we arrived at a Messiah presentation early and caught the tail end of a Pathfinder investiture service. The woman from the conference said in a very somber tone, as she gave out the various emblems, "If you should ever decide to leave your church and your God, you must return these to ...." What struck me was HOW I had gotten so brainwashed growing up.I finally figured out how they did it. They subtly taught us that being in the church meant being with God and leaving the church meant leaving God. What I have now found is that leaving the church brought me so much closer to God. That was just a small incident, but it has made an indelible impression on my mind. The Lord has blessed my children that none of the nonsense they learned in church school stuck. They have found Jesus outside of the Adventist church. Glory to God! | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7873 Registered: 3-2004 |
GEE, I have all my pathfinder stuff some where in my trunk and have never returned them. Did not know I was supposed to return them. Diana L | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 252 Registered: 5-2009 |
Julieb, you have put into words something really important--that we were taught in many ways, (and therefore came to assume as truth) that leaving Adventism is synonymous with leaving God! Result: When many SDAs find out the lies they were taught, and they want to leave Adventism, they also end up leaving God. It's the same thing in their minds! They become agnostics, atheists, or just float around not knowing where to go/what to do. (I floated a long time). My setting free was a long process, begun by 1. Desmond Ford's talk @ PUC on the IJ & a subsequent reading of Hebrews where I realized he was right and it was not Biblical. 2. The Davenport scandal--(the use of tithe money that I had scrimped to give going to build post offices, etc.) 3. Walter Rae's shock at finding plagiarism, even where EGW said she got the info from a vision from God! (Also the way in which the church treated both the above men--in such a dishonest fashion.) I went to an evangelical type SDA church for a while, but it kind of fell apart in many ways. I wanted Christian fellowship but was really frightened of Sunday churches as the losing-your-salvation thing was so deeply implanted. Then I found 'Proclamation' online! I know this was God's answer to my longing for Christian fellowship and a church where He could speak to me and lead me the rest of the way into His truth, based on His word. Now I know that God's word is so much more intricate than I ever imagined and that God is so much more than I ever knew...He leaves me speechless. | ||
| Kathy23 Registered user Username: Kathy23 Post Number: 75 Registered: 6-2005 |
Julieb and Diana, I still have all of my Pathfinder stuff. I think I did, for the longest time, believe in some part of my mind that I had left God when I left the SDA church. But, even though I couldn't make myself go to the church, I still prayed and hoped God still heard me. Something inside of me couldn't quite believe that God had abandoned me when I left that church. I know now that he never left me. He was with me through it all and now it is part of my faith story. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7874 Registered: 3-2004 |
When my husband and I divorced I was still sda. I equated God with the sda church. I figured that since God/sda church did not approve of divorce that I would be the best sinner I could be. No one from the church reached out to me to try to help me. In fact my young son heard two old biddies talking about the divorce. So, I went out and was the best sinner I could be. I did not get into drugs or alcohol. I did many other things but figured that I was going to die any way. I would face the judgement and die. SOOOO GLAD God taught me different. That is one of the many reasons I think He is so awesome. Diana L | ||
| Kathy23 Registered user Username: Kathy23 Post Number: 77 Registered: 6-2005 |
Diana, I went out and did things I thought were sins and the felt guilty about them. I realize now that drinking a little bit of wine and dancing are not sins. I am so happy that now I can drink wine with my dinner and dance at weddings and I am not sinning. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7875 Registered: 3-2004 |
Kathy, it was more then dancing, which I do not remember having much guilt about, and having a drink once in a while. I was promiscuous. Our awesome God forgave me of all that. Diana L | ||
| Kathy23 Registered user Username: Kathy23 Post Number: 78 Registered: 6-2005 |
Forgiveness is one thing I stressed when I talked to the cat class at my church recently. I told them that nothing was so bad that God wouldn't forgive us. He is awesome! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10890 Registered: 12-2003 |
Julie, thank you. You're totally right--and Nowisee is right on when she says you've touched a really important point. They DID subtly and powerfully teach us that leaving the church is leaving God. We can't leave one without leaving the other. That's why there's so much guilt and fear when we begin to question and transition. Our new understanding and love for Jesus rocks our foundation that was laid down even before we could fully talk. Wow--talk about cognitive dissonance!! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7877 Registered: 3-2004 |
Another AHAA moment. God did not show me all this right away. He took his time showing me about the sabbath and that a day was not important. He also showed me paying tithe was not important. This was over a span from 1978 to 2003 - 25 years. He truly is awesome to be so patient with me and others. Diana L | ||
| Julieb Registered user Username: Julieb Post Number: 11 Registered: 1-2010 |
Many years ago I left the church for a while, not because of doctrine but because I just wanted to see what I had been missing. I decided that I would do "all the bad stuff" at least once and then come back into the church (I still remember the time I tasted a piece of pork chop). The only thing I couldn't do (well, almost the only thing) was withhold my tithe. So I faithfully mailed it to the church. This was because I figured that when I repented I would have to pay it all back. Well, I did "repent" and I did go back. It wasn't until years later that I studied myself back out. But guess what - I still "pay tithe." The only difference is that this is a way to organize and systemetize my giving. I no longer think of it as an obligation and if I were to not give it, I wouldn't feel that I needed to ask forgiveness or "pay it back." My church struggles financially and I am so thankful to God for bringing me there that I actually give 20%. And God really does open the windows of heaven, even though I know that is part of the old covenant. Am I off base here? | ||
| Kathy23 Registered user Username: Kathy23 Post Number: 81 Registered: 6-2005 |
Julieb, what strikes me about your post is when you said "I decided that I would do all the bad stuff at least once and then come back into the church." Adventism sets people up for failure with the teachings on perfection. It strips you of joy. You can't even dance for joy because dancing is wrong. Of course people are going to rebel and go out and do all the things we were told were wrong. Dianna said she decided to go out and be the best sinner she could be. We are set up for doing this from a very early age because we can't achieve perfection. If you can't achieve it, might as well go the other way. You can be lost in the church because you forgot to confess a sin or you can be lost out of the church and have a lot of fun doing it. I don't know if his makes any sense. By the way, I don't think you are off base paying tithe if it's because you want to and not because the church wants you to. What you are doing goes along with God loving a cheerful giver. That's my 2 cents worth. | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5931 Registered: 9-2006  |
Haaa! Julieb, You decided you would do all the bad stuff, so you tasted a pork chop? Oh, you bad bad girl you! When I was young and full of pep, getting a girl to taste a pork chop wasn't exactly what I had in mind for them.  River | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 495 Registered: 12-2007 |
Reminds me of a sign we have in the store (I am thinking of sending it to my MIL for Mothers Day) LOL I dont know if I have remembered all of what it says, but at least in part... "No swearing, no dancing ,no singing, this is a respectable house". :-) Francie | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 990 Registered: 7-2005  |
I still give a tenth of my gross income, too. But I don't give all of it to my Presbyterian church. I give some of it to the church, but the rest goes to a couple of missionaries in my extended family. No, they're not SDA. I was in Adventism for 16 years and wanted out for about 15 of those years. The honeymoon was over pretty quickly, but I stayed in for the sake of my SDA husband. He is really a very kind and sweet man. After him telling me for years that one doesn't have to agree with all the doctrines to be SDA, he did something that showed me what he really meant by that. I had preached the sermon on Women's Ministry Sabbath and the elders were ready to ask me to preach again, on a regular sabbath. However, because hubby knew of my disagreements with SDA doctrine, he convinced the elders to rescind their request. They got someone else to preach instead of me. Hubby, who is also an elder, showed me by his actions that dissenting members had better not try to have any influence on others with their questionings. If you disagree, just keep quiet about it and you can stay a member in good standing. About that same time, they also ousted several other people who disagreed with SDA doctrine. These folks had been allowed into the church by a former pastor who evidently cared more about his membership numbers that about the doctrinal adherence of those members. But the ruling clique had never felt comfortable with these dissenters, so they cleaned house. I got swept away at the same time. I'm very glad to have been given a key that made it very easy to walk out the exit door. I had, however, previous to my final exit, been to several counselling sessions with professional counsellors to help me find the courage to actually leave. One was a licensed social worker and the other was a psychiatrist. Leaving Adventism isn't easy, but it's so worth the effort and the cost. Hubby still attends faithfully every week and is still a ruling elder. *sigh* | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10894 Registered: 12-2003 |
HonestWitness, I am so sorry. I can imagine how much heartache you continue to live with...and I know you do it gladly because you love your husband. Just know I feel for you, and you are loved. With prayers for you and your husband, Colleen | ||
| Julieb Registered user Username: Julieb Post Number: 13 Registered: 1-2010 |
OK River, I did a bit more than pork chops! Honestwitness, my husband is SDA too, but we are somehow able to agree to disagree. He's not a very good Adventist, but among other Adventists he puts on a good show. We don't discuss our church affiliations at all, but at times we discuss spiritual things we both agree on. Julie | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5942 Registered: 9-2006 |
Heh heh, I was just jerkin your chain Julie. River | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10908 Registered: 12-2003 |
Julie, your "tithe-paying" is your personal response to God's graciousness and the need of your church. While the NT doesn't teach tithe-paying but says all we have is His, still I understand the percentage factor as a really helpful organization and prioritizing method. It's between you and God. He doesn't have a rule about money--He just asks that we surrender to Him all we have. He's faithful to bless you to be able to give what He impresses you to give! Colleen |
