| Author | Message | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 215 Registered: 11-2005 |
This looks like a cross between Chick Publications and Adventists in cognito... http://www.worldslastchance.com How in the world can they use such distorted logic?
http://www.worldslastchance.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Female_Arm_Wrestling http://www.worldslastchance.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47
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| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 216 Registered: 11-2005 |
Ah, Ha ... http://www.worldslastchance.com/en/following_the_Bible_only.html
Are these people really serious? | ||
| Lindylou Registered user Username: Lindylou Post Number: 141 Registered: 1-2005  |
The contortions of this reasoning are amazing. It is rather funny that they say they are people who take the Bible as their only rule, but when they say that the seal of God is the Sabbath and use Rev.7 as their proof text - they don't make any sense at all! It is a mystery to me how sincere people get so messed up. And I'm not pointing fingers, because I've been sincerely messed up too! It would appear as if the biggest culprit is PRIDE. We all want to feel SPECIAL. And these fringe religious groups provide that sense - it is a variation on the "gang" attraction. | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 217 Registered: 11-2005 |
Lindylou -- I think you are right. It must be pride. I look at this site, for example, and think, "How can anyone take these people seriously?" I envision some crackpot putting this site together. Why stuff on alpacas, arm wrestling, and everything else -- wrapped up with Great Controversy. Perhaps in the "Time of Trouble" we will need both?  I attended a Sabbath School class with my wife this morning at a SDA church that she wanted to go to. It was one that we had not attended in quite some time. I almost had to burst out laughing at how earnestly a couple of the older participants were desperately trying to apply Ellen White's "inspiration" to a study of the Holy Spirit. Yes -- "The Holy Spirit" was kind of an influence that God used to take the place of His Son -- not really anything tangible, etc. And then they were trying to factor in the early and latter rain + investigative judgement. It was more entertaining than attending a fiction presentation at the local library. And yet they would never for a moment admit that this disinformation came from the "Spirit of Nonsense". After all, there are banners, etc, everywhere in church proclaiming that we should "look to Jesus". That just started me thinking a related thought I would be interested in your opinion on. We are taught that Satan tempted Adam and Eve with the logic that if they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that they would be wise as gods -- something like that. People who can't read the Bible without consulting Ellen White to see what she has to say on every Bible passage, to me, fall in the same group. I think you are right, when you say it is a matter of pride. But what do we then do with Adam and Eve -- who had not yet sinned, and also had God as their personal teacher. Were they just naive? Gilbert | ||
| Lindylou Registered user Username: Lindylou Post Number: 144 Registered: 1-2005 |
It seems to me that they weren't really tempted until the Devil came along with words that got them thinking about that thing called "specialness"! If Lucifer- a mighty angel of heaven could fall to pride, why not Adam and Eve? It is a mystery why Adam and Eve and Lucifer for that matter, would ever do anything to jeopordize what they had. But the appeal to Eve was if she ate of the fruit, she would be very special - as wise as the gods. So I guess I can easily understand what it was that appealed to Eve. Altho, it is a mystery that that desire was within an unfallen being. And yes..... I think that any religious group - be it Mormons, Jehovah's Witness's, and most especially SDA's = who believe that they have the "truth" and that all others must come to them - they are the ultimate showcase for pride - the desire within each of us to be unique and special somehow. Back in the 80's, when I was involved in a very fanatical SDA fringe group, a couple of our members would get "visions" of heaven. Angels were seen surrounding us - the scenes of heaven were viewed with vivid description. And on a few occasions, certain members of our group would get a personal message from "God." It gave us a wonderful sense of feeling very special to God. But it was all a lie!! I feel as if my SDA upbringing and something in my personality that makes me willing to stand against the majority- made me susceptible to that. It was hard to finally realize that we had been deceived, while being so sincere in our desire to be "good" and show our love to God. But that was just it - I didn't get it then that there was NOTHING I could do to make God love me more - or to make my path to heaven more direct. The gospel makes EVERYONE special and the same! It breaks down castes, classes, gender, ethnicity, ect... And there is no room for any one group to feel above another. When we understand the gospel of Grace, we realize that we are nothing without God, but that all humans have value because of God. There's no more desire to try and do something to be special in God's eyes. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 3717 Registered: 12-2003  |
Linda, what an interesting insight. Your take on the seduction of being "special" is so true. Thanks for sharing your own experience. I've also thought about the fact that Satan enticed Eve to alayze God's command to her. He asked her questions, "Did God say to you, don't eat or you will die?", etc. Then he challenged her with his "objective proof" that the fruit was good. She succumbed to the tempation to analyze God's word to her instead of simply choosing to trust what He said without analyzing why or why not she should trust Him. She KNEW Him; her analysis could not yield more faith or trust. The temptation to respect our own intellectual analysis over trusting God's word is powerful and probably nearly universal. Not that we should not analyze! But faith in God's word has to be our foundation, or we become our own authority. And of course, being an "authority" makes us feel special! Colleen | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 223 Registered: 11-2005 |
As I reflect on the way we have been taught the story of the downfall of Adam and Eve, I find it interesting how Eve gets all the blame -- even today. Ellen White even goes so far as to change what the Bible says about Adam being "with" her at the time, to stating that she wandered away and then had to find him after she was tempted! And that is what is in the SDA Bible Story books too -- complete with a picture of Eve all by herself. Since the Bible states that he was "with" her at the time of the temptation, he could have very easily said "No! This is not a good thing!". Adam, instead of being portrayed as "weak-kneed" and timidly allowing Eve to make a fatal choice, is always portrayed as loving her so much that out of love to her, he sinned too. I remember in Sabbath School class speculating that if he had not eaten also, God could have created another wife for him. Perhaps I am just overly sensative to gender bias... Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 3719 Registered: 12-2003 |
Good point, Gilbert. It's interesting that while Eve gets our "blame", the Bible reckons sin through Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:22 states that in Adam all die, but in Christ all are made alive. Also Romans 5:14-17 attributes humanity's sin to Adam and even "credits" him with breaking God's command, thus bringing sin to humanity. It's true that Paul acknowledges Eve, not Adam was the one deceived, but he clarifies that Adam is the one bearing the responsibility for humanity's sin because of his own disobedience. Colleen | ||
| Lindylou Registered user Username: Lindylou Post Number: 145 Registered: 1-2005 |
I definitely agree with you Gilbert and Colleen. I should have said, both Adam and Eve. I was just lazy in my typing. I, too, have always felt that Eve got the bum rap in the blame game. Adam was standing right there and played the passive role - letting his wife appear to be the one making the bad decision. It happens much too often in many relationships, I hate to say!! But we don't need to go there! |
