| Author | Message | ||
| Surfy Registered user Username: Surfy Post Number: 623 Registered: 11-2007 |
Come on. Fess up. When you still an adventist, didn't you have some doubts about the inspiration of EGW? Didn't you question some of her writings? Didn't you see some of the doctrines and rules and think, "This is absurd. This is contrary to scripture", but put them into practice anyway..because that is what adventists believe? Didn't you see the abuse and the dirty, closed door dealings going on (all the way to the conference level), knew it was wrong but kept your mouth shut because you did not want to be disciplined? In short, did you drink the Kool Aid and commit 100% or was there always some lingering doubt as to the authenticity of adventism? Surfy | ||
| Rider Registered user Username: Rider Post Number: 8 Registered: 9-2009 |
Most adventist pick and choose what they want to believe in EGW's writing, but most will not discuss it with anyone but friends they can trust. Which begs the question, how can a person believe she is a true prophet if some of what she says is right and some in not. That was how I grew up in my adventist family. We didn't go along with everything she said, but it was neat to believe you belong the the true church. I thank God for opening my eyes. I still pray for my older brother. He is the only one that has not accepted the fact that adventism is error. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1167 Registered: 7-2007 |
I believed it; hook, line and sinker. I would simply take a middle position on something like the apostle Paul saying a believer "has BEEN saved," by kind of going halfway between what he said and what Ellen White said that someone should never say they are saved. I believed the Bible wholeheartedly and I believed Ellen White wholeheartedly. I just figured I didn't fully understand either, so I just took a position in the middle. (I didn't have any assurance of salvation by doing that, despite Paul's definite saying to the believers he's writing to that they had been saved. Eph. 2:8,9; 2nd Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5) I wasn't in a position to notice any shady dealings. I noticed that much of Ellen White's writings were full of many many do's and don'ts, but I still thought she was a true prophet. Whenever I had any doubts, I'd just remind myself of the "miracles" that happened to her - the light over her tent and her holding up that heavy Bible. I knew that the Bible (Revelation) talks about demons performing miracles in the last days. I just never dreamed it could apply to her as well as the Roman Catholic "miracles," etc. etc. So in my case, it took a series of miracles by God to bring me into the light of the gospel!!!  | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7903 Registered: 3-2004  |
Like Asurprise, I believed it all - hook, line, and sinker. I had no doubts about her being a prophet or whatever she called herself. I saw no contradictions, but then I was using the sda proof texting method of studying the Bible. When I quit attending church regularly after my divorce I did not think of egw or what she said about anything. I equated God with adventism and egw. I figured since the church disapproved of me as a divorcee then so did God. So I went out and was the best sinner I could be. Diana L | ||
| Julieb Registered user Username: Julieb Post Number: 18 Registered: 1-2010 |
There was always a question in my mind. So many inconsistencies. I also saw the dirty dealings (I was on the conference committee at one time). But when I questioned these things, the answer was, "The message is perfect; the people aren't." I believed what I was taught - that she was a messenger for these last days and that's why she went further than the Bible. As far as the inconsistencies were concerned, I thought there must be some explanation that I was just missing. I think that's why I read so much - all of the Testimonies, all of the Conflict of the Ages series, Early Writings, etc. But once I saw that she actually contradicted the Bible and that she straight-out lied about having written books that she copied from others,I couldn't excuse her. So I threw off the yoke of St. Ellen. That's when I started to really study the Bible without the veil; I was and still am amazed at how much I had missed. | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 760 Registered: 2-2008  |
As an adventist, I thought it was weird that my church had a prophet... so I dismissed her. I believed I could be adventist and not be influenced by her. HA!!! I just didn't know that they were teaching me the Bible through her very hazy glasses!! It wasn't until I moved and started going to a EGW zealot church that I was forced to study what she had written. The only book I had was Early Writings. After reading that book, I don't know how any church could follow her writings. I've recently had a short e-mail discussion on EGW with a friend. I wanted to discuss Early Writings and she didn't want to. She said that EW was written when EGW was immature and that as she matured, she grew to contradict some of the earlier things she had written. I said that the fact that she may have been immature was irrelevant. God's messages are true... even if His message is given by a very young Samuel. I'm sorry, I just don't think that God would allow His message to be miscommunicated. She is now consenting to go over EW with me... although now she says that she doesn't have time to discuss these things. interesting... vivian | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 266 Registered: 5-2009 |
I believed it all, too. I "studied" the Bible (proof texts mostly) through her filter. Gave Bible studies in college. Didn't really understand the NT--thought it was me. When I heard the IJ wasn't Biblical, started studying Hebrews--realized I had been wrong. The IJ terrified me. What good news it's false!!!! I remember trying to really understand how I could tell whether it was Christ at His second coming or if it was Satan, who was going to totally impersonate His coming. I studied GC to make sure I had it right. Do you all remember the secret detail that egw told us so that we wouldn't be deceived? (I'm quite sure that it was in GC, but it's been years...) | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 761 Registered: 2-2008 |
secret detail? ... tell me so I won't be deceived! ha! vivian | ||
| Surfy Registered user Username: Surfy Post Number: 624 Registered: 11-2007 |
Secret detail?..I'm all ears. (Wait. Wouldn't satan be able to read it and immitate it?) Surfy | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1168 Registered: 7-2007 |
Was it that Jesus was supposedly not to set foot on the ground, but stay up in the air at His coming? | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7908 Registered: 3-2004 |
Asurprise, that is what I remember. Not sure how right it is. Of course, now I do not trust a thing egw wrote/said. Diana L | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10923 Registered: 12-2003  |
I was a neurotic mess! I was a walking contradiction. I believed firmly that Adventism was Truth. Like Julie, I believed that the political and financial messes that always plagued SDA organizations were the consequence of "imperfect people". At the same time, I questioned EGW. I cannot explain how I juggled all the conflicting pieces in my head...but I did. I was a firm believer--I believed in Adventism, and I wanted to know Jesus. No wonder I felt anxious, crazy, and confused and guilt-ridden! I praise Jesus for peace! Colleen | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 505 Registered: 12-2007 |
I remember hearing that the Anti Christ would come first and we would know it was not Jesus because the anti christ would come down and walk around on the earth and when Jesus returns he will not set foot on the earth but we would meet Him in the air. I remember often when outside looking into the Eastern sky and looking for that small black cloud the size of a mans fist and wanting to see it come closer and get larger and brighter.... actually I wanted to see but at the same time was scared to death because I wanted Jesus to wait until I and all my family were "ready" to meet Him. :-( | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 269 Registered: 5-2009 |
Been gone for a while, so just getting back to this. Yes, Asurprise is correct. Satan's coming would look like Jesus' coming, but Jesus would not touch the earth---I'm positive this was from GC--I remember pouring over it and hoping I wouldn't get decieved. (I might get excited thinking I was seeing the second coming, then at the last minute forget to wait and see if his foot actually touched!) Yeah, Surfy, good point! Satan (even tho he inspired this book), probably wouldn't be caught dead actually reading the GC! |
