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Susan_2
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Username: Susan_2

Post Number: 1413
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dd, I have a cousin who is a teacher at WW. Small world in Adventism.
Pheeki
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Username: Pheeki

Post Number: 472
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 10:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dd, I lived in College Place for a year...wow! I wasn't a practicing SDA at that time so I didn't have much exposure to the college church (I think I went once or twice) and walked around the campus some...I lived right on the corner across from the campus with a railroad track on the right (across the highway) and I think the campus was across the street...it's been nearly 20-years. There was an Ethiopian diner there with good food...I worked for an orthodontist in Walla Walla...loved the climate! It wasn't a harsh cold like here in Texas. I hear they have a lot of winery's up there now...looks like I lived there at the wrong time!
Susan_2
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Username: Susan_2

Post Number: 1417
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 11:09 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just dropped my mom off at church. While watching the faithful SDA's go in I noticed many of them were carrying Clear Word Bibles. Well, the word "Bible' in this case is pure mockery. But, this brings me to another cultish aspect of the SDA. And, that is that they must think God didn't write the Bible the way it was ment to be writtem so wanting to show more authority of truth than God, they wrote their own verion of the Bible. The Clear Word is not just another translation. It is a rewrite. So, while dropping off my mom I grabbed several issues of the Jan. 2005 Signs of the Times. I wish every person reading this forum could get a copy of that magazine. There are two articles in it that really are mind blowers. On page 28 someone wrote in to ask how the SDA's interpert the passage of Romans 14:5-6. After stating that Paul made a bg deal about telling the Christians they didn't need to be circumsised the author of the article says that Paul is possibly referring to the ceremonial feasts, Passover, Penticost and the Day of Atonement. Then he ends the article with this, "...Basically Paul was advising Christians to respect each others convictions, even though they might disagree with them. While it's perfectly approiate to hold strong convictons over the right day to celebrate the Sabbath (Paul did say each should be fully convinced in his own mind), we must also respect each others choices, even where we disagree with them. We should not judge anyone to be a non-Chistian simply because of his or her choice of a day to keep." There, I have it in writing in an official SDA publication that SDA's ARE NOT to find fault with Chrstians who understand the issue of when to worship different than they (the SDA's) do. I will keep this with me for evidance. The other article in this magazine that caught my eye is on pages 26 and 27. SDA and her non-SDA friend are having a conversation about the state of the dead. Finily the SDA in summing up the concept of "sleeping in the grave" says this, "It's comforterating to know that should I die before Jesus comes, I'll have a chance to catch up on my rest while God works out the final details concerning our planet. Then, when Jesus comes, I'll wake up and, along with my family and friends , meet Him in the air. Now, that's what I call real life after death." Did yu all catch that? "WHILE GOD IS WORKING OUT THE FINAL DETAILS CONCERNING THIS PLANET". Is that just wild, or what?
Susan_2
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Username: Susan_2

Post Number: 1418
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 11:12 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just dropped my mom off at church. While watching the faithful SDA's go in I noticed many of them were carrying Clear Word Bibles. Well, the word "Bible' in this case is pure mockery. But, this brings me to another cultish aspect of the SDA. And, that is that they must think God didn't write the Bible the way it was ment to be writtem so wanting to show more authority of truth than God, they wrote their own verion of the Bible. The Clear Word is not just another translation. It is a rewrite. So, while dropping off my mom I grabbed several issues of the Jan. 2005 Signs of the Times. I wish every person reading this forum could get a copy of that magazine. There are two articles in it that really are mind blowers. On page 28 someone wrote in to ask how the SDA's interpert the passage of Romans 14:5-6. After stating that Paul made a bg deal about telling the Christians they didn't need to be circumsised the author of the article says that Paul is possibly referring to the ceremonial feasts, Passover, Penticost and the Day of Atonement. Then he ends the article with this, "...Basically Paul was advising Christians to respect each others convictions, even though they might disagree with them. While it's perfectly approiate to hold strong convictons over the right day to celebrate the Sabbath (Paul did say each should be fully convinced in his own mind), we must also respect each others choices, even where we disagree with them. We should not judge anyone to be a non-Chistian simply because of his or her choice of a day to keep." There, I have it in writing in an official SDA publication that SDA's ARE NOT to find fault with Chrstians who understand the issue of when to worship different than they (the SDA's) do. I will keep this with me for evidance. The other article in this magazine that caught my eye is on pages 26 and 27. SDA and her non-SDA friend are having a conversation about the state of the dead. Finily the SDA in summing up the concept of "sleeping in the grave" says this, "It's comforterating to know that should I die before Jesus comes, I'll have a chance to catch up on my rest while God works out the final details concerning our planet. Then, when Jesus comes, I'll wake up and, along with my family and friends , meet Him in the air. Now, that's what I call real life after death." Did yu all catch that? "WHILE GOD IS WORKING OUT THE FINAL DETAILS CONCERNING THIS PLANET". Is that just wild, or what?
Freeatlast
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Username: Freeatlast

Post Number: 275
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 12:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Very interesting that an official SDA publication would promote an approach that is directly contradictory to the Testimonies of Ellen White! The doublespeak never ceases to amaze me.
Dennis
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Username: Dennis

Post Number: 292
Registered: 4-2000
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 12:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet"

A hymn that is frequently song in Mormon (LDS) churches is entitled, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet." This would be an ideal theme song every week in SDA churches. In the College View SDA Church here in Lincoln, Nebraska, Ellen White is depicted in the stained-glass windows.

To their credit, Mormons are upfront about their prophet while Adventists try to masquerade as mainline Christians. Revealing Ellen White is consistently one of the last things they tell new converts--shortly before their baptism. After all, they must confess Ellen White before they can be baptized into Adventism.

Dennis J. Fischer




















Dennis
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Username: Dennis

Post Number: 293
Registered: 4-2000
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 1:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

TYPING CORRECTION: "Song" should have been spelled "sung" in the first sentence above. :>) Obviously, my perfection is not possible on this side of heaven. --DJF


Dennis
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Username: Dennis

Post Number: 294
Registered: 4-2000
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 3:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

WHEN LIFE WAS CHEAP

Not long after my becoming a departmental leader in the Carolina Conference of SDA in 1969, our first baby (a boy weighing around seven pounds) died after living for only eight hours due to respiratory problems. In those days, a baby could legally be disposed of through the hospital waste system if it had never left the nursery. We opted for this cost-free method instead of incurring funeral expenses. Our not believing, at that time, that our baby had a separate spirit entity made this decision much easier. Our new baby, we believed, was nothing more then a physical being anyway.

We were constantly surrounded with Adventist ministers and other denominational personnel. Of course, everyone knew that our baby David had died. Shortly thereafter, our local SDA pastor stopped by one day but he never said one word about a funeral or memorial service. He never even asked if our baby was buried, cremated, or medically disposed of. Yes, several people expressed their sympathy to us in person. However, in Adventist circles, it seemed that babies were somewhat less than fully human. I have known SDA people that felt a baby should not even be photographed until several months old.

Amazingly, we never even received one sympathy card or letter from any Conference personnel--not even from the officers. The sanctity of human life is a "Popish" concept in Adventism that supposedly gets the Protestants and Catholics united for impending persecution. Not many years thereafter, SDA hospitals began to routinely perform abortions with the blessing of the General Conference leaders. It turned out to be a lucrative business.

I immediately plunged into my duties with the Conference. I had a perception that they would somehow frown upon my taking any time off for the death of our baby. The SDA work was paramount to anything else, and I certainly didn't want to jeopardize my good position. My SDA mother-in-law encouraged me not to miss a meeting. She too was very proud of my new position.

Indeed, the biblical view of death dramatically changes one's entire worldview. The entire Bible now makes sense and comes alive. Sylvia and I eagerly await our reunion with our little David soon. Life now has an extra-special meaning to us compared to the time when life was cheap. With the soul of our baby in heaven, we have another good reason for being there. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

In awe of His grace,


Dennis J. Fischer



Susan_2
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Username: Susan_2

Post Number: 1420
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 4:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dennis and Sylvia, Please accept my deepest sympothies on the loss of your lttle David. I know that time blunts the sorrow. At the same time though I immagine the deep sense of loss will always be there. Was the lung problem the same thing that caused President and Jacqualine Kennedy's baby to die soon after his birth? I was a little girl then and I remember feeling so sad for our president and first lady. Maybe because the president and his family were part of the beast the SDA's, at least in private, won't mourn at the loss of one more Catholic. I guess I'm getting a bit too sarcastic. I can only assume the SDA facilities preform abortions because generally abortions are very low risk and they are very high prophit. I also figure the SDA denomination is ot anti-abortion because EGW never addressed abortion. She did say though that it would be better for a child to die than to be sexually abused. I don't think she had much use for kids. In her book called, Education she says the children should have no formal schooling until age eight. This seems so weird to me because all the SDA schools have kindergartens and many even have pre-schools for children to be tended to during the week. In the 27 fundamentals as well as he baptizam requirements adhearance to the ongoing inspiration of the writings of EGWis a requirement. Yet, there are many instances that the denomination itself goes contrary to what EGW said. SDA is a religion on contradictions. They contradict the Bible an they contradict themselves. There is a verse somewhere, I'll have to look in my Strong's and find it, but it says to avoid chaos. And, to me the SDA religion is total chaos.
Jeremy
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Username: Jeremy

Post Number: 301
Registered: 10-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 5:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, and EGW's writings are full of confusion. She contradicts herself all the time, even on how end-time events will unfold, etc. EGW wrote, "The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scriptures
and of the Spirit of Prophecy." (Selected Messages, Book 3, page 30, paragraph 3.)

But the Bible says that "God is NOT the author of confusion"! (1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV.)

Jeremy
Dennis
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Username: Dennis

Post Number: 295
Registered: 4-2000
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 5:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Susan,

Yes, our little David's respiratory problem was the same as the Kennedy baby had. I knew there was a serious problem when the nursery personnel put a screen around his bassinet to hide him from the view of passersby. He turned increasingly blue in skin appearance due to lack of oxygen.

Thank you for your thoughtful comments and condolences. We were later blessed with three daughters--all adults now. Oh yes, we have three grandchildren now and two sons-in-law.

Dennis Fischer
Susan_2
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Username: Susan_2

Post Number: 1422
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 7:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My oldest child is in his early 30's. When he was a toddler he became extremely ill and was in the St. Helena San for a very long time (Actual time hospitalized was six weeks and six days.). I have no idea what their emergency room system is now but back then if it was after hours and there was an emergency one had to ring a buzzer by the emergency door and be let in. My child had went into convulsions, the colored part of his eyes disappered right before my eyes and he went limp. It was late, probably eleven at night.I bundled him up and drove him to The San, as that place is referred to. The nurse let me and my baby in. I insisted on her calling our family doctor. Se refused, telling me she knew our doctor and he was a very hard working man and I should have enough respect for him to let him stay at home asleep as he had to go to work tomorrow. I had an overwhelming sense of assertiveness come over me. For the first time in my life I stood up for what I knew had to be. I just knew that if I took my baby and left he would not live, I knew it. So, I told the nurse to admit my baby. She told me she wasn't authorized to do that, only a doctor could do that. I told her I was not going to leave, my baby was very ill and he needed medical attention. After at least an hour of going round and round with that bitty she finily called our doctor. He came as soon as he could. He took one quick glance at my son and told the nurse to admit him, hook him up to i.v.'s and to place him in ICU. It turned out he had spinal meningitis. It was a horrendous experience. Anyway during the time that my baby still had a very poor prognosis I went to the SDA minister and asked for him to come and anoint my child and to pray over him. As soon as the SDA preacher found out I was living sin he refused to come and pray over my baby. He told me it would be a waste of his time because God hears the prayers of the righteous and as long as I was openly living in sin God would not acknowledge my prayers. Once again I was "forced" to write a letter to the conference and tell them they had best not have my name on any of their membership lists anywhere or any of their mailing lists or anything else. Of coure, I have never heard back from any of them. Then not long after my baby came home from the hospital my friend went in to have her baby. This very same nurse was working in emergency the night my friend went in. The nurse asked her if her husband knew she was in there about to have the baby. She told the nurse she wasn't married and she wanted the nurse to call her mother to come be with her. The nurse got all bent outta shape and had said, "Oh, another little bas***d being born!" My friend threw a lamp at the nurse and then her mother got there and insisted on a different nurse. I heard soon after this that the nurse got fired. Anyway, my son grew to be a fine man and now has a family of his own. Except for that one emergency room nurse I want to say that my child and me were treeted very good by all the rest of the staff at The San. But, I have always thought it was/is extremely unChristian the way I was treeted by that SDA minister. You know, I lived in that area for several years and I was frequently asked if I'd like to gowith this erson or that person to spend the day touring EGW's home. I never did it. I thought the place might by possessed and I wouldn't even go on the property. By this time I'd read enough by EGW to know I wanted no part of her or the religion she invented.
Flyinglady
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Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 968
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 9:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dennis,
I want to extend my belated sympathies to you and Sylvia.
I am so glad God redeems our past and loves us so much. I, also, have a reason similar to yours,to be in heaven. I do not want to miss it.
Susan, you have had some horrendous experiences with adventism.
Our God is awesome.
Diana
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 1329
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 9:50 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dennis, thank you for sharing your lifelong sadness over your firstborn. While it's clear that God has blessed you and Sylvia in many ways since then, it still makes me sad to think how you somehow weren't "entitled" to grieve or mourn over your son. What a great sadness and permanent scar that whole event left on the two of you--and it was made more intense by the inability of your community to believe that losing an infant is as significant and wrenching as losing an older child.

I remember feeling, as a very young Adventist woman, that losing an infant either before birth or very shortly after, couldn't be "that bad" because one couldn't have "known" it. It's horrifying to me to realize that I used to have that opinion, but I realize that it was a view born out of my Adventist worldview--(and my rigidly guarded heart that hadn't been pierced yet by parenthood!)

I am so sorry, Dennis--and as Diana said above, praise God that He redeems our past.

And, Diana, I am sorry for the loss you alluded to, also. God is so good to heal our hearts that otherwise would never quite be OK.

Thank you, God, for melting our hard hearts with Your love and for healing all our wounds.

Colleen
Flyinglady
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Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 973
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 10:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Colleen,
God has healed my heart and my mind, because I had an abortion, while an Adventist. It was nothing more than a mass of tissue until I became a Christian last year. God healed me many years ago when I told Him I was sorry for doing it. Very few people know about it. I feel safe talking about it here. While I am writing this tears are streaming down my cheeks because I realize how much God has had to redeem of my past and the things I have done. Thank you God for your forgiveness. You are awesome.
Diana
Carol_2
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Username: Carol_2

Post Number: 241
Registered: 2-2002
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 10:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

God bless you Diana! You are such a testimony and inspiration to all of us.....God is using you, and it is so cool the way He uses our experiences to mold us into His witness.
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 1330
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 12:09 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Diana, thank you for trusting us with your regret and grief. We love you, and I thank God for putting His love in the place where your heart was hiding and broken.

We all have deep regrets--the circumstances may be different, but the pain and the crippling results have warped us all. I am so grateful to God that He forgives all our sins--even the ones we committed willfully--and creates something strong and redemptive where we were warped.

I am so thankful to God for Jesus.

Colleen
Praisegod
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Username: Praisegod

Post Number: 221
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 5:09 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

While involved with a Christian live call-in radio ministry our co-host was pregnant. It would seem that all the guests who came to the studio would ask about the pregnancy and then pray for her and the baby. Personally, I didnít see that within Adventism. Am I the only one who notices the difference?

This same radio show was doing a program on men and emotions one day and our co-host that day was a chaplain from an NFL team. He knew going in the topic of discussion and the Holy Spirit had prompted him ahead of time to talk about losing a baby at 24 weeks of gestation. He told about them having a funeral in their back yard, which was legal due to the age of the fetus. He told about what had happened at the funeral and how he had wept openly and shared how much the baby meant to both of them. As he was reliving the story live on air, he started choking up. But he confronted it openly and told how God had changed him from being unable to discuss emotions to allowing Godly emotions to bring healing.

It was a powerful program. This man is greatly beloved by his professional football players because Iíve heard many speak about him when he wasnít around. He has taught them how to be authentic Christians. Heís taught them to look to Jesus in the good times and in the bad times. So, so different than my experience in Adventism where I never could be authentic or admit to any problems.

Praise GodÖ
Susan_2
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Username: Susan_2

Post Number: 1425
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 9:08 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Diana, It is a brave thing you did to share your greif publically. As you end your posts, GOD IS AWSOME! Now I want to ask a question. There is a text that says God hears the prayers of the righteous. That is the text the SDA pastor used when he refused to come out to pray for my son. As a result of that preachers refusing to ask in prayer to God for help in my siutation I have never been much into praying. I know this may sound petty but I know I am not righteos so I just don't pray much. I ask other people to pray for he things that are imortant to me. On those little cards we get at church each week to put a prayer request on, well, I fill them up. I think this is why I like communion so much. I try to never miss a communion day. I even attend mid-week services at different churches that I now hold daily communion. I think this also is why I recite the Apotles Creed so much. I even say it when I'm alone, driving or even at home. In the Apostles Creed we ask forgivenss for our sins in thought, word and deed, what we have done that we shouldn't have done and forgiveness of the things we didn't do to bring Glory to God but failed to do. Between the Apostles Creed and communion I figure I've got the situtation with begging for mercy pretty much under control. So, just what does that text that says God hears the prayers of the righteous mean? Because, I have always n the back of my mind wondered if the SDA preacher was right in refusing to pray for my concern. I am far from righteous.
Flyinglady
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Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 974
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 9:49 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Susan, God knew you were going to ask about righteousness, so He had me read Phillipians this morning, chapter 3:9. It reads.."not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteuousness that comes from God and is by faith." This tells me that we do not have righteousness of ourselves. It comes to us when we accept Jesus Christ and it comes through faith.
I, too, am far from righteous, but through faith in Jesus, I am righteous because I am love, accept and believe in Jesus. That preacher was wrong in refusing to pray for you. He was looking at the Bible with EGW filters. We can forget the past and know that because we have accepted Jesus Christ we are righteous. At least that is how I read and understand this text. Get out your Bible and read this text and ask God to show you. Love you friend. God is awesome.
Diana

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