| Author | Message | ||
| Jude the Obscure |
Who might be interested in contributing to a book with the working title FORMERADVENTIST.CALM? The basic idea is to explain to the Evangelical world why we -- the formeradventist.com people -- are who we are. "Former Adventists" is not an identity description of who we are. The "Former Adventist Fellowship" is, as has always been made clear, only the name of the "safe place" where former Adventists can "gather in cyberspace" to get acquainted, to share experiences, and, above all, to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, too many people have misunderstood the reason for starting the website, confusing the name of the group, "Former Adventist Fellowship," with the group's true identity. Not. Our true identity can be accurately described as "Christ Followers." This is the first reason for publishing such a book: To tell others that we are not to be identified as "Former Adventists," but as "Christ Followers." The first term has some negative connotations, but the second is totally positive. The second reason for publishing the book would be to explain, or rather to testify, to the Evangelical world primarily, and the rest of the world secondarily, why we left the Seventh-day Adventist church and became the people we are today. Only people who left because Jesus Christ led them out of Adventism and into new territory (like Abram of old), would be welcome to be contributers. This is the reason for the word "calm" in the title. It refers to the true "Sabbath rest" we have found in the secure salvation of Jesus Christ. The chapters of the book, at least as I envision it now, would consist of individual testimonies in the following format: I. AN SDA ASSERTION. As an individual (or couple) contributor of this chapter you will have the right to select what this assertion will be in order to tailor your following testimony to it. The "SDA assertion" has to be official, i.e., undeniable by any SDA spokesperson. It could be one of the following: 1. One of the Twenty-Seven Points of Fundamental Belief (27PFB). 2. A statement from an official "you must agree to these stipulations before we will baptize you" canon. 3. A clear statement of what used to be called "the doctrines" before the 27PFB appeared, from, for instance, the SDA Bible Commentary. The key word here is "official," meaning, "undeniable under any circumstances." 4. A clear and unambiguous EGW statement such as who will and who will not receive "the mark of the beast." II. A STRAIGHTFORWARD AND UNAMBIGUOUS BIBLE TEXT that contradicts or refutes the "SDA assertion." III. A succinct explanation linking the "SDA assertion" to the Bible text that refutes it. This section does not necessarily have to be written by the individual chapter contributor. IV. THE INDIVIDUAL'S PERSONAL TESTIMONY. This is the heart of the chapter. 1. It must not be a "they hurt me and I left" story. This kind of testimony may be completely valid and worthwhile in some other venue or some other book. But this is not the book for that. It's not this book's purpose. 2. This "personal testimony" part of the chapter should tell should address the "SDA assertion" from an "it is a false doctrine" point of view. You should then tell why you disagree with it and agree with the biblical refutation linked to it. 3. Finally, the ALL-IMPORTANT part: Your personal testimony to Christ. Here you can be as free form as you wish, although there will be rather strict space limits. As I think about it, this book could grow to rather large proportions "before you know it." For this reason it might be prudent to publish a series of books in order to restrict the length of each one. The book could be a 64 to 96 page "saddle-stitched" or stapled self-cover. Or it could be a 128-page glued "squareback." Interested? Let me know. Yours in Christ's name, Jude | ||
| Cas |
Jude, What a great idea. There are so many talented writers on this forum. No doubt a book could turn out to be quite sucessful. I was checking out Azazon.com and noticed a book called Ten Who Left the SDA Church and Why. Have you read it? Contributing to the book may be beyond my capabilities, but I think these stories need to be told. There are so many misconceptions within Adventist Circles, they don't have a clue why people leave. And those that do leave are equated with falling away from The Lord, sadly. In addition, a book could reach those like myself, who have felt,or are feeling alone and isolated. I, like Timo will pray for this idea. God Bless. | ||
| Lynn W |
Jude, you were reading my mind again. I was just thinking I wish I had a collection of testimonies of formers that's based primarily on doctrinal disputes & not so much comparing battle scars (as interesting as that is). As Sondra pointed out to me once, though, it must be in testimony style, or people will be bored. A good example is when my friend Pam tried to get married to a non-Ad., the pastor insisted he must be baptized first. He said fine, but I want to be baptized into Christ, not SDA. The pastor told them that's not Biblical. This sent Pam on a search through the phone book looking for an SDA pastor to marry them, but every single one of them told her the same thing as the first. This got her started wondering about the doctrine of baptizing into a church. A story like this is not so much a "poor, pitiful me" story, but the background that set her up to search the scriptures for the truth. | ||
| Susan |
This is such a fantastic idea Jude! Please do this! We have to reach people with exactly this kind of info., not that the current books out there aren't great but we need one like this. I've often wished there was a book that gave the perspectives of former SDA's who weren't ministers. All of the books I have on adventism are by former ministers or are of a theological nature. While these books are priceless, there are many people who can't "get into" this kind-of reading. Also, the rest of mainstream Christianity might not be as interested in disecting adventist doctrines as we are. It's important to stress the doctrinal reasons why people are leaving, but give it a personal slant. Am I making sense? I love your emphasis on using SDA documentation for substantiating our reasons for exiting adventism. Last summer I ordered a wonderful book from Amazon, called "Out of the Cults and Into the Church". It's a great book that features people from 4 different cults who regularly meet in a support group setting. It's about their journeys out of the cults and into a Christian life. It was very helpful even though none of them were former SDA's. It's amazing to me the similarities between, stuff former SDA's go through and stuff the people in this book had to go through. CAS, the book you mentioned is published by an Adventist company isn't it? I'd be curious to know what anyone thinks about it. Is it worth reading, or is it one-sided? Jude, I will be praying that God will lead you in this endeavor. I hope it's a project that will soon come to be. Thanks for all the ideas, I'm currently working on my testimony and you've given me some great pointers. God Bless! | ||
| Jude the Obscure |
Cas, if you don't contribute, the book will be the weaker for your choice. The idea is, as Susan said, to present the perspectives of people who were NOT former SDA ministers or editors or professors or evangelists or in some other way "on the payroll." This is not a writing contest. This is a "people to people" project. Reconsider? Jude | ||
| Jude the Obscure |
Lynn, bless you for being "on board." | ||
| Allenette |
"Ten Who Left" had a good but misleading (to me anyhoo) title....its merely an SDA "how did 'we' let these people slip out of our grasp and what can we do to win them back" type of promotional tool. The people interviewed in the book all have valid and interesting stories and as I read it I would go "YES! YES" identifying with their explanations of WHY THEY LEFT. But, at the end of each chapter, there's this condescending, cloying, pedantic, almost reaching a childish level, of "now, boys and girls..." if you get my drift. A real turn off book for intelligent formers, I would think; especially if the tactics suggested at the end of chapters actually WORKED to reel those folk back in... :-( Which they might. |
