Harvest of Hope: Reforming Adventism for Today

A Prayer for Forgiveness

2008-05-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Almighty and Merciful God,we the followers of Your beloved Son and our Savior Jesus Christ bow our hearts and bend our knees as we come before You.

Guiding and Comforting Holy Spirit of the Living God and Resurrected Lord come make us humble as we move to turn our eyes from the evil things of this existence.

Oh Lord, we cast down our idols of man-made traditions of homophobia that we have inherited from previous generations.

As we seek to love and embrace Your gay and lesbian children, please give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.

Let us not lift our traditions above loving one another. For all the wrong brought to our gay brothers and lesbian sisters in Your Holy Name, have mercy on us and on the Adventist community of believers.

Heavenly Merciful Father have compassion on such a weak-minded generation. Help us to understand your leading through the findings of human sexuality research and guide us through the leading of Your Spirit through the ambiguity of human sexuality within Your Holy Scriptures.

Almighty God, let this be a generation that seeks. One that seeks Your face, Oh God of Redemption.

We bow our hearts and we bend our knees, asking the Holy Spirit to come make us humble as we turn our eyes from the evil things of human pride.

Receive our prayers as we cast down our idols of man-made traditions of homophobia. In Your Infinite Mercy and Grace, give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.

Let us not lift our traditions above loving one another.

God of Grace and Power give us clean hands and give us pure hearts.

Let us not lift our traditions above loving one another.

Jesus Christ, may we be a generation that seeks. Merciful God may we seek after Your face and find abundance in your Grace and Mercy. May Your unfailing love be our embrace to one another.

For the sake of Christ's sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on the whole world. For the edification of Your church and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Living God forgive us of our trespasses against Your homosexual children.

Teach us to love one another as You have created us. Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts. Show us to have unfailing love.

Almighty and Merciful God, let us not lift our traditions above loving one another.

For the edification of your church and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Living God forgive us of our trespasses against Your homosexual children and bring us to reconciliation, forgiveness, and unconditional, unfailing love toward one another.

May we look to the Lamb of God whose sacrifice on the Holy Cross has made all of His Children lovable. All of humanity reconciled unto God.

Almighty God, we marvel at what Grace and Wonder. We come unto You claiming the Power of the Cross of Jesus and humbly asking forgiveness for the wrong we have done homosexuals.

In Christ's Holy & Blessed Name, for the sake of Your Church on Earth and for all of humanity we pray.

Amen.

Sexism & American Politics: The Destruction of Hillary's Campaign

2008-05-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Memories of Italia: Acqualagna

2008-05-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

It was a small town in Acqualagna, Italy where our NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) group visited local truffle farmers. Our forty-member group entered the small home, which appeared quite simple to my American standards, yet appeared to be appreciated by the small family of farmers. The home was sparsely decorated yet appeared to be full of love and the aroma of something cooking, no doubt some delicious Italian cuisine.

We were invited to tour the fields which were more like a forested area to “hunt” for truffles. The weather was damp with rain on the horizon as we listened to a broken English explanation of how to find truffles. I shared a laugh with a friend remembering that most of the students on the trip thought that the truffles we would be hunting were chocolates . . . I could only imagine what had gone through their heads.

When we returned to our guests home, the farmer and wife invited us to taste their homemade wine. It was strong bodied and smelled like leather and wood and as I recall the experience, I’m not sure where the farmer had poured us glasses. The conversation I had—through our translator and with what little Italian I knew—focused on living in Acqualagna. I was impressed by the contentment and gratification that these people had for their life work and their home.

I was humbled by the tranquility that they had found within the simple hills of Acqualagna, farming for truffles to make ends meet. They reminded me that success in life and a sense of self-worth is not based on accolades, material possessions, or economic value rather that we can find joy and happiness in life’s simple joys.

For those interested, the Mycological Society of San Francisco provides the following information on truffles:

The term "truffle" as commonly used refers to members of the genera Tuber and Terfezia. There are many other kinds of subterranean fungi, "false truffles," which outwardly resemble the ones we eat. They are far more common than the ones that are collected for food, and some are poisonous.

Truffles are round, warty, and irregular in shape and vary from the size of a walnut to that of a man's fist. The season for most truffles falls between September and May.

The mention of truffles conjures up images of the expensive French black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) from the Périgord region of southwest France, used in making pâté de foie gras, or the renowned odorous white truffle (Tuber magnatum) of Alba, in the Piedmont district of Italy.

Since the times of the Greeks and Romans these fungi have been used in Europe as delicacies, as aphrodisiacs, and as medicines. They are among the most expensive of the world's natural foods, often commanding as much as $250 to $450 per pound.

Book Review: Unleash the Dream

2008-05-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

Reading Unleash the Dream inspired and challenged me to envision how Adventism can again represent an “ever-changing, on-the-edge, Holy Spirit-led movement.” It posed the question of how our denomination can move toward a twenty-first century Adventist Christianity that will incorporate new theological concepts, radical ideas of evangelism, bold community service-oriented ministries, and an enhanced sense of community—being the church and not simply attending church.

At 142 pages with twelve authors, edited by Andy Nash, the book is both inspiring and thought-provoking. A must read for Adventists seeking a relevant faith in the twenty-first century.

From the back of the book:

Wake up—everything just changed. Cell phones and the Internet are just the tip of a wave that has shifted society’s values and transformed how we relate to each other. The Adventist Church is in the thick of it.

Unleash the Dream challenges Adventism to stay relevant in a revolutionary world. A dozen young adults tackle issues that strike at the heart of Adventism. Some give practical advice for reinvigorating our church’s mission. Others call for institutional reshaping. All urge us to tune ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s rhythm so we can reach a world desperate for good news.

Unleash the Dream will open your eyes to critical issues and situations that beg for change, decisive action, and creative enthusiasm. And it will thrill you to be part of a God-ordained movement of such promise, potential, and power.

Gay Theology Without Apology

2008-05-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

It is time to be candid on the whole matter of homosexuality and Christian community.

Many individuals think that they have the answers (as if those answers were readily accessible) to the many questions that homosexuality and Christian community ask of us today, but to be honest, no one person (or church, for that matter) unequivocally knows what the Holy Scriptures have to say on the matter—if anything.

There is no definitive answer within Scripture that leads to a conclusive assessment that God condemns homosexuality, the sexual orientation–any other assessment than that lacks intellectual integrity and clearly stems not from biblical hermeneutics grounded in God’s grace and love for humanity, but bigotry. Such a stance is bigoted precisely because there is no conclusive evidence–biblical or extra-biblical–to defend the position that homosexuality, as understood today, is a choice. Scientific research has provided the church and society with the fact of the connection between human sexuality and biology. The question that scientists and sex researchers are asking is no longer if homosexuality (or heterosexuality) is biological, what is being researched is to what degree it is biological, genetic, or influenced by interaction with the environment. It is a prejudice for churches, theologians, ministers, so-called academics, and lay persons to hold that homosexuals cannot be “truly” Christian because of their sexual orientation.

As Christians we have a tremendously rich biblical tradition of a Christ who closed the gap between those the “religious” found acceptable and the outcasts in society. Scripture illustrates a Jesus who ministered to the outcasts of society. His birth to Mary is a wonderful sign that illustrates that God is willing to use the outcasts of society, the lowly, and the ostracized to be his divine vessels.

One can observe this same principle in the life of the Apostle Paul with his struggle with the issue of women in the church–a cultural matter that greatly affected the church. The life of Martin Luther and his struggles with anti-Semitism which was a product of his place in time also demonstrates this principle. For Adventists, Ellen White with her struggles, along with the early leaders, to properly understand the guidelines and procedures of publishing and copyright laws with the high production demands of a fledgling denomination. How great, then, is it that we serve a God who doesn’t rely on the opinions of the so-called religious of society.

Understanding the ambiguity inherent with the issue of homosexuality and Christian community it can only boggle the mind when one attempts to understand why Christians seems so obsessed with homosexuality–one might rightly understand this as a projection of America’s puritan views on sexuality in general and not the exclusive views of the Christian church. This overemphasis of homosexuality is quite apparent in Christianity as a whole and even within our very own church–it can be observed more recently with the frenzy that the Federal Marriage Amendment that failed to pass both houses of Congress.

Unfortunately the lack of compassion on the part of the Adventist Church toward homosexuals can best be illustrated by the failing of the General Conference to formally recognize the Adventist GLBT outreach ministry, the Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International. Additionally, those individuals within the membership of our church, most infamously Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, who advocate the unequivocal position that homosexuality is a sin ought to be ashamed of what has been published under their name and fellow Adventists ought very rightly not respect those who articulate such a position of arrogance and project their own homophobia.

The inaction of the leadership of the General Conference to provide productive guidance and dialogue on the issue of homosexuality and Christian community is a sad truth that can only serve to embarrass. Our church’s history of exclusion with regards to our GLBT Adventists and the pain and suffering that our denomination’s ex-gay ministries has caused so many only further illustrates the need for productive guidance and thoughtful dialogue on the matter. Seeing the torment in the lives of so many GLBT Adventists and counting the deaths of those who opted to not only leave the church but end their lives because of the inaction of the church. Such a history can only serve to eternally shame those of us who ought have acted on behalf of our GLBT brothers and sisters and should have countered the besmirched image of God’s character that our church projected.

When you have known people who have been ostracized by the church because of their sexuality, when you have homosexuals who are family, when you have homosexual friends, professors, teachers, ministers, police officers, firemen, doctors, loved ones, etc. it is not so easy to pronounce the judgment of God on their eternity. In fact, it is a transparent position of arrogance to deprive God of his judgment and place ecclesiastical authority in the hands of prideful men.

It is far too often the case that fellow professed Christians are the people that make us most ashamed to be a member of the Christian church and such is also the case with our membership in the Adventist denomination; I am painfully reminded of what Christ must have felt when encountering the religious in his day - the pomposity, arrogance, abhorrence, trite quotation of Scripture to promote oppression and injustice. Understanding the God of those who advocate the sin of homosexuality, one would ponder how anyone could not agree with Christopher Hitchen’s title that, “God is Not Great.” Indeed such a God is most emphatically not great or even worthy of any worship, praise, or adoration.

Such a God as that ought be scorned, ridiculed, and placed in contempt for the unloving, void-of-grace, and hateful being that he would have to be to hold the position of the sin of homosexuality. This would be the God of those who advocate the sin of homosexuality instead of admitting the inherent ambiguity of the matter and trying to dialogue to come to a greater understanding.

I’m simply tired of the niceties. I’m through with permitting conservative Christians to be “the only Christians” who love God and follow after his will, but most of all I’m not going to allow my church to be destroyed by the ideological allegiances to bigoted, close-minded, conservatism. Many Adventists and Christians can tolerate when these fellow Christians question our Christian credentials because of our inclusion of homosexuals, but let us not be silent and placidly sit by and permit those same Christians to dare question the dignity of GLBT Christians in the eyes of God. Enough is enough, it must end here!

For too many of our brothers and sisters have come to this church for help, assistance, guidance, and love to only find excommunication, ignorance, closed doors, bigotry, platitudes such as “love the sinner, hate the sin,” and have been driven away by the very institution whose sole purpose is to exist to fill the very need that these people have – the void of love and acceptance in relation to their God-given dignity as homosexuals.

To quote a recent post on this site by ‘Gay Adventist,’ “It’s not just about Bible verses or scientific findings – it’s about people, lest we forget. And above any quote or scientific report I choose to value the lives and dignity of people – following the example of my Lord.”

Would that our church could adopt such a humble policy. Would that all of us – conservatives and liberals and moderates – concerned with the issue of homosexuality and Christian community within our church could follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Our Adventist Church must resolve the issues of gender inequality and sexuality discrimination within our church or this church shall find itself in the dustbin of history’s failed religious movements. Our church shall render itself irrelevant in the twenty-first century if it fails to acknowledge the basic human rights of people regardless of gender and sexuality. I prayerfully hope that our church can truly be the peculiar people that we so vehemently claim to be and be a church of grace-oriented inclusion, of godly love, of compassion and sensitivity, of tolerance for diversity, of the Gospel message, of a Christ risen for all of humanity.

This is truthfully our divine test. What shall history and God judge of our actions (or inaction) from the publication of “Christianity and Homosexuality . . . Some Seventh-day Adventist Perspectives” forth? May we allow God to guide us as we enter this our most sacred hour.

Reflections from the Holy Land: Peace & Palestine

2008-05-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Reflections from the Holy Land is a series of journal entries from my summer spent in Israel last year while excavating at Hazor.

Entry Five, Fourth Day, Jerusalem

It's almost unbearably hot out today but the heat is not what is bothering me—toady we are leaving Jerusalem for Hazor to begin excavations this summer. I thought to myself this past night, as the sun set over the ancient city of Jerusalem—the so-called city of peace—that Israel is a land with so much promise and yet equally so much sorrows. My last day in Jerusalem lead me to the markets to find something to buy as a reminder that I was here in the capital city that my Lord once knew and wept over.

After some interesting wrong turns in the ancient city and successfully—or so I thought—haggling with the merchant, I decided to purchase some Israeli-ware ceramics and tiles. It was at this time that I returned to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to offer another prayer, but I found the cold and damp sanctuary with tourists to be repressing my thoughts, I headed for the Western Wall to envision what the Temple Mount would have looked like in Christ’s day. It was there before praying Jews and mingling tourists that I looked upon the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock and realized the awesome power of faith on people.

That night I spent the hours before morning speaking with our hotel’s Palestinian concierge about Islam, Palestine, Christianity, Israel, Arabs, America, education, Jews, the Holy Land, and so much more. Speaking with him put a human face on the Palestinian people. Kousay was thoughtful, articulate but less hopeful about peace than I had been.

He spoke of the plight of the Palestinian people and really touched my heart about the humanitarian crisis—writing this now, I’m not sure what will be the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Having befriended both Israelis and Palestinians since being in Jerusalem it is yet an emotional topic for me to consider. It’s 7:30 AM in Jerusalem and I have to go to breakfast before we leave for the Dead Sea and off to Hazor. I know these thoughts will continue to trouble my mind as my time in Israel increases.

Sh'ma Yisra'el: Israel at 60

2008-05-08T04:20:00.001-07:00

Birthday celebrations should be jubilant, full of excitement for the future and reflection on the past. Yet Israel’s 60th-birthday comes at a time when the reality of peace seems like a distant dream drifting into the memory of her youth. When Israel should be relaxing and preparing for a real, tangible peace and promise, she is uncertain of what the future may bring.

While Israel ought to be spending this time of celebration in tranquility she finds herself marking her 60th-birthday much as she has lived everyday since 1948—persevering onward against all odds with the hope of a better tomorrow. The question lingers on the now collectively sixty-year-old mind of Israel, as it has in many times of uncertainty in our lives, as the celebration begins who will arrive for the party? Many European nations feel that Israel constitutes the greatest threat to world peace. Subsequently, United Nations conferences have met to label the nation as an “apartheid state.” Human Rights organizations issue statements ranging from sincere concern to outright condemnation of the current Israeli-Palestinian Crisis.

With all of the angst from world leaders and foreign nations Israel finds herself caught in the fray of it all. Hopeful for peace with her neighbors, Israel is also soberly aware of past conflicts and failed realizations of lasting peace. For Jews and non-Jews, living within and outside of Israel, vividly remembered is the bitter-sweet memory of the establishment of Israel after the horrific realities of the Holocaust. The previous and current generations of Israelis have not forgotten the seven wars fought as a nation, violent terrorist uprisings including two Intifadas, and failed attempts at peace.

The establishment of the nation of Israel (know in Hebrew as Eretz Yisrael) has been an endless struggle for coexistence between Israelis and neighboring Palestinians; at times with either side in the conflict less willing to make political concessions for the greater good and prosperity of future generations. These two groups of people have more in common than the present politics of division and superiority would let on and are left to wonder if peace shall ever thrive in the land of their ancestors.

Israel has proven herself able to survive the bloodshed and horrors that her victories have brought along with the tainted hope for a better tomorrow. The plight of the Palestinians and the concerns of neighboring Arab countries is a tangible reality. Palestinian Authorities have begun to democratize their people but the extremism incubated and nurtured by the past realities of land taken from ancestors and pressures from Israeli forces have complicated peace talks.

This 60th-birthday marks a time for thoughtful consideration on the part of the upcoming leaders in both the younger Israeli and Palestinian generations. Should this conflict ever come to a peaceful solution equitable for both parties involved it will have to be a solution that focuses on the future and not the past—albeit a western concept of political affairs, but the only hope for a real, tangible peace. While some nations may not arrive to celebrate Israel’s 60th-birthday, Israelis nonetheless preserve onward, much as they have in past times, with the underlying hope that the future will be more prosperous and equitable for future generations.

Adventist Forum Conference

2008-05-08T04:15:00.001-07:00

http://www.spectrummagazine.org/af

Ellen White & Adventist Christianity: Dr. Alden Thompson

2008-05-08T04:08:00.000-07:00

"Alden Thompson is currently professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla College. Since joining the School of Theology in 1970, he has been a full-time classroom teacher except for three notable interruptions From 1972 to 1974 he was on college-sponsored doctoral study leave at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland; during the1980-81 school year he was an exchange teacher at Marienh�he Seminary in Darmstadt, Germany; from 1986 to 1990, he served as WWC academic vice president. In 1990 he returned to full-time teaching in the School of Theology.

"An ordained minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Thompson is a graduate of Walla Walla College (BA 1965) and Andrews University (MA 1966; BD 1967). Before joining the faculty at WWC, he pastored in Southeastern California (1967-1970). In 1974 he received his PhD in Old Testament and Judaic Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His dissertation was published by Scholars Press in 1977.

"His primary interests are the Bible, especially the Old Testament, Ellen White studies, "Inspiration," and Adventist History. He writes frequently for Adventist publications. His "Sinai to Golgotha" series on the growth and development of Ellen White�s experience was published in the Adventist Review (December 1981). Published books include Who's Afraid of the Old Testament God? (Paternoster, 1988; Zondervan, 1989; Pacesetters, 2000, 2003); Inspiration: Hard Questions, Honest Answers (Review and Herald, 1991; also translated into German [1998] and Dutch [2002]); and Escape from the Flames: How Ellen White grew from fear to joy and helped me do it too (Pacific Press, 2005). He is available on a limited basis for speaking appointments and seminar presentations.

"In 1965 Thompson married Wanda Hoffman, a nurse (WWC 1965) turned artist (WWC 1993). They have two married daughters: Karin, living in Leominster, Massachusetts with her husband, Tom Wehtje; and Krista, living in Bassano del Grappa, in Northern Italy with her husband, Steve Smith."

(from http://people.wallawalla.edu/staff/thomal/)

Christianity & Sexuality: Dr. David Larson

2008-05-08T03:57:00.000-07:00

David R. Larson, DMin, PhD is a graduate of Claremont School of Theology (1973) and Claremont Graduate University (1982). He currently is the Professor of Christian Ethics and teaches classes in Theological and Philosophical Ethics and Biomedical Ethics at Loma Linda University.

Sciene & Faith: Dr. Richard Rice

2008-05-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

"T. Richard Rice (1944—) is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and author. He is a leading proponent of "open theism", a term he invented, which describes a controversial understanding of God. As of 2007 he is professor of theology and philosophy of religion at Loma Linda University in California.

"Rice introduced the term "open theism" in his 1980 book The Openness of God: The Relationship of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Free Will. The book was published by Seventh-day Adventist publisher Review and Herald, but proved controversial within the church and was not reprinted. Later, evangelical Clark Pinnock contacted Rice to convey his deep appreciation of the book, and gave it a positive review. It was republished by Pinnock's publisher Bethany House under the title God's Foreknowledge & Man's Free Will. In 1994, Rice and other theologians contributed to the book The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God, which was edited by Pinnock." (from Wikipedia.com)

In Defense of Families: Homosexuality & the Family of God

2008-05-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

Southern Adventist University sponsored a student panel discussion on homosexuality and Christian community. The event took place on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 in Lynn Wood Hall.

Student speakers included Matt Burdette, Jeremy Morrell, Shane Akerman, and Raymond Thompson. The event was organized by students with the support of the School of Social Work and Family Studies, History Department, and Campus Ministries.

The views presented do not reflect official views and statements of those of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or Southern Adventist University.

Ellen White: Paragon of Adventism

2008-05-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

The rise of fundamentalism within our denomination is troubling. Extremes from both ends of the ideological spectrum are robbing contemporary Adventism of the ability to grow and expand as a denomination. Often these sincere Christians, in their piety and zeal, fundamentally misunderstand how to apply Scripture to practical living and disallow the ability for God to lead through revelation in this present age. This is rarely intentional on the part of those who could be classified as fundamentalists, but is inevitably the consequences of such a mindset. Because the fundamentalist mindset in Adventism is focused on “defending truth” and not “seeking truth” it is incompatible with the North American rise of intellectual Adventism. In their eagerness to bring Adventism back to the “traditional faith of the founders,” these Christians fail to realize that in so doing they are refusing to follow where God is leading. They have become trapped within an extreme form of Adventism and only know it to be “true.” In “Christian Service” Ellen White addressed those who fail to follow God’s light, be they conservative or liberal, when she wrote,

“Accumulated light has shone upon God’s people, but many have neglected to follow the light, and for this reason they are in a state of great spiritual weakness.”

Some of my friends, themselves Theology and Religious Studies majors, and I were discussing the matter of Ellen White and her role in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The more moderate and conservative of our group, who are pursuing careers as theologians and pastors in the church, were quite dismissive of White’s writings. I was surprised that they could negate her role as a Messenger of the Lord and still consider themselves Adventists.

Try to imagine the scene. The liberal, avid reader of Borg, Armstrong, Spong, and Crossan, (proponent of “Process Theology,” and admirer of Theistic Evolution) was left to offer a defense of Ellen White. It was quite an interesting discussion that ensued between three Adventists attempting to reconcile Ellen White and Christianity.

While the following paragraphs are an attempt to summarize the conversation with my friends, while presenting my thoughts on Ellen White, it is by no means a comprehensive study on the subject. Nor is it a complete representation of the many conversations that developed from our questions regarding Ellen White.

One cannot begin to discuss Ellen G. White without addressing the fact that her writings and ministry, within Adventist Christianity, have often been greatly misunderstood. This is partly because of the element of fundamentalism present within Adventism. It is troubling that there are those within our denomination who would readily proof-text White’s writings to prove an argument as those who would quote the Holy Scriptures. This non-biblical literalism, when applied to the Scriptures, is just as detrimental to understanding biblical texts as it is when applied to the writings of Ellen White, or any author. Literalism must be regarded as yet another extremist child of fundamentalism. It extracts passages from their context and interprets them apart from their intended meaning. This is a form of intellectual hypocrisy, and is all too common among members within our denomination.

It is my belief that reading any passage with a specific predisposition will only serve to affirm that opinion, insofar as the individual reading the passage cannot conceive of any alternative interpretation or application of that text. This leads to misguided principles of study, biblical hermeneutics, interpretation, and application of literary passages. Theologians have often written that, “The Bible can be used to support or condemn anything if one is willing to set aside sound principles of hermeneutics, textual context, and interpretive application.” This is equally true of the writings of Ellen White. Adventists have, from the time of God’s revelation to our fledging denomination, been poor stewards of White’s writings. Our denomination has misunderstood the “greater picture” with respect to our denominational heritage and the larger history of Christianity.

One of Adventism’s major contributions to Christian thought (the idea of progressive revelation, called “Present Truth” by Adventists) is often neglected or simply misapplied by our fundamentalist members. Adventism dictates that it is, by its very nature and understanding of revelation, a progressive denomination, or at least, it should be theologically. Unfortunately, because Adventist administrators and theologians have aligned the denomination with Evangelical Christianity, extremist conservatism has greatly influenced the laity of the church. Due to the influences of fundamentalism, Adventism has remained theologically restrained and locked in an unhealthy, often ill-informed, dogmatic rendering of our Twenty-eight Fundamental Beliefs for some greater notion of “Traditional Adventism,” which is neither traditional nor Adventist. Ellen White no more inhibits our growth as Adventist Christians than John Wesley for Methodists, Martin Luther for Lutherans, or John Calvin for Calvinists.

The idea that Ellen White, in contrast to her contemporaries, was somehow a conservative (or as some would insist a “liberal”) is not supported by Adventist history. She held beliefs that were more progressive for her time and also beliefs that were conservative. As her understanding increased, so her beliefs grew and became more inclusive to reflect her personal growth. It is in the sense that Ellen White was able to adapt and grow throughout her life that she is considered “progressive” not because her views today represent what Progressive Adventists believe today. Fritz Guy writes, “Ellen White, for example, consistently used the words “conservative” and “conservatism” with a distinctly negative connotation, referring to excessive caution, a lack of venturesomeness, and a concern for popular approval, in theological as well as practical contexts. Words she associated with “conservative” included “compromising,” “concession,” “narrow,” “old,” “please the people,” “policy men,” “satisfied,” “self-centered,” and “superficial(1).” Progressive Adventists need to rescue Ellen White from the fundamentalists within our denomination. She rightly embodies within our Adventist identity as “Progressive Christians,” not as part of an agenda of fundamentalism which has become pervasive throughout Adventism.

Adventists have misused the ministry of Ellen White, and her writings, to attack and redefine the very ethos of Adventism: Progressive Revelation. Throughout the entirety of Scripture, there is a portrayal of a loving, Almighty Creator who earnestly seeks to be understood by a rebellious people and to re-establish His governance in the hearts of mankind. Scripture also recounts the history of a rebellious people that earnestly seeks to understand their Almighty Creator through His divine loving nature, and to reconcile themselves by trusting His governance. The beauty of the Scriptures, indeed the very holiness that renders it to be the Word of God, comes precisely from this narrative, not some fundamentalist notion of “word inspiration.” What a testament it truly is that the God who is willing to risk being misunderstood is truly a God of Divine Love who desires that we might ultimately understand him better (2). Ellen White encourages our earnest study of Scriptures and community dialogue when she wrote that, “Men rest satisfied with the light already received from God’s Word, and discourage any further investigation of the Scriptures. They become conservative, and seek to avoid discussion (3).” Ellen White understood that God wants to dialogue with people. She knew that more than wanting a dogmatic faith, God desires a people willing to grow and expand in understanding.

In her ministry to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ellen White attempts to give witness to a God who desires for people to understand Him better. A God who is willing to work within our humanity and a God that understands our shortcomings, yet is still able to use us for His purpose of salvation. Truly, this is a God that exhibits a capacity for ultimate love. We, as Adventists, must understand the historic role of prophets within this framework of God’s character to truly appreciate Ellen White within our denomination. There are three primary traits concerning prophets that affect their mission.

1. Prophets are human.

This suggests that Ellen White, rather than a source of ultimate truth, is fallible and must be afforded the ability to have her own human free will apart from the will of God. It is true that prophets often commit themselves and their lives in service to God and His purpose for their life, but it is equally true that God allows us to make mistakes along the way. He even allows us to “be human.” That is precisely why He is a God of Divine Love—being both Just and Merciful always.

2. Prophets are contemporary.

This means that Ellen White, rather than an inerrant source of reference for all time, should be understood within the time-period in which she is writing. The issues she addresses are mostly relevant to Adventist Christians in the nineteenth-century, not those in the twenty-first century. This does not suggest that her writings are no longer relevant to Adventists. Rather, this means that we can no longer read her writings “out-of-context” and apply the words she addressed to Adventists in nineteenth-century America to the twenty-first-century global Adventist Community. It requires us to understand the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church through the study of our history as a denomination and interpret how that heritage impacts us today. By understanding Ellen White’s writings within their original context, one is better able to apply these biblical principles to situations which she may not have addressed directly.

3. Prophets are God’s means of communication.

Ellen White, rather than a prophet for all of Christianity, should be properly understood within her role in Adventism. God chose to begin a dialogue with the believers of a movement that would become known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Lord of the Universe beckons us, “Come let us reason together.” (4) As a movement, Adventism has had a profound experience with God, one that affects our basic identity as Adventist Christians. Our history as a church has become so tightly interwoven with the ministry of Ellen White that to separate one from the other is to completely destroy the very fabric of Adventism. God used Ellen White as a messenger, a prophet for the early Adventist denomination, to offer guidance and direction to our movement. He began the conversation with Ellen White, but it is imperative that all Adventist Christians endeavor to continue that dialogue.

With these three primary traits, Adventists can come to appreciate the ministry of Ellen White by more fully understanding her limitations as a prophet, contemporaneous role within the Adventist movement, and God’s continued dialogue with Adventist Christianity. Prophets are not infallible nor are prophets theologians.

Ellen White is fallible. And while she is factually inaccurate on many issues that she addresses, she remains sound and reliable in the application of biblical principles. Ellen White was not a theologian. She does not define Adventist theology. If she does, then our denomination has no claim to Christianity, but is more rightfully defined as a cult. It is interesting to note that although Ellen White was not a theologian, she brought our denomination theologically closer to Christian orthodoxy(5). This is yet another great testament to her conviction to serve God and how God used her within our midst. She offered words of inspiration to Adventists, for all of us to always be thinking about and investigating their faith, writing, “Allow no one to be brains for you; allow no one to do your thinking, your investigating, and your praying(6).” Some examples of Ellen White bringing Adventists to a more orthodox Christianity can be observed within her thoughts concerning the doctrine of the Trinity, understanding of the Atonement, her concept of the New Birth, and issues surrounding the Close of Probation or “Shut Door” theory.

The “Great Controversy” vision, received in March 1858, that developed into the five-volume “Conflict of the Ages” series, offers a case in point of Adventism’s concept of progressive revelation and how Ellen White “changed” or evolved in understanding as time and knowledge progressed. Julius Nam writes, “White may have seen a comprehensive vision on the great controversy in 1858, but as time passes, her understanding of this vision grows and expands—aided by growing spiritual wisdom, deeper understanding of Scripture, input from others around her, reading others’ works and incorporating them in her own writings, and probably some significant, signature experiences such as the 1888 General Conference session. Her view of God shifts dramatically from a stern, impassive judge to a loving, longsuffering parent(7).”

Three “Threads of Truth,” woven throughout Scripture, are the History of Redemption, the Great Controversy theme, and the Principle of Divine Love. Ellen White’s writings have helped to illuminate and expound upon these truths. Without Ellen White, our denomination’s understandings of these three themes, (“Threads of Truth,”) within the Bible would be greatly diminished. While she was indeed no theologian, her “theology,” if one might call it that, compliments that of Scripture. She wrote of Adventists and our mission, “You are not to shut yourselves up to yourselves, and be content because you have been blessed with knowledge of the truth. Who brought the truth to you? Who showed the light of the Word of God to you? God has not given you His light to be placed under a bushel(8).” I wonder how we allow some in our denomination to place God’s progressive revelation under a bushel?

Personally, Ellen White’s life story, her mission, writings, preaching, and travels are all part and parcel of an inspiring Christian testimony centering on a woman after the very heart of God—a woman who struggles to lead a movement to an understanding that more closely reflects a loving Creator God who desires, above all else, a loving relationship between Him and His people. Her story is our story. She is the quintessential Adventist, our paragon. Her life demonstrates an understanding of progressive revelation. Her writing illustrates a woman who desired conversation and dialogue, not debate and consensus. She writes of God’s expectations,

“Greater light shines upon us than shone upon our fathers. We cannot be accepted or honored of God in rendering the same service, or doing the same works, that our fathers did. In order to be accepted and blessed of God as they were, we must imitate their faithfulness and zeal—improve our light as they improved theirs, and do as they would have done had they lived in our day. We must walk in the light which shines upon us, otherwise that light will become darkness(9).”

She reflects the ethos of Adventism to the Christian world—progression. Her life and work, ironically, do not match that of the fundamentalists who often quote her to belittle intellectualism, offend progressive thinking, and cry “Heresy!” to any new idea not explicitly advocated by their personal notion of “Traditional Adventism.”

Our Almighty Father began His conversation with the Adventist Movement through Ellen White. He has not stopped that conversation and requests further dialogue with all of us. We are to understand and appreciate, and in so doing, build upon the work of Ellen White and our early Adventist founders. WE are to reflect an Adventism of the twenty-first century: one that knows within its heart that “God is still speaking.”

In conclusion, in a post about Ellen White it would only be fitting and appropriate to allow her to "speak" for herself. Concerning Adventist’s understanding of Scripture and ideas, Ellen White wrote,

“There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation(10).”

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1.“Theologically Thinking” by Friz Guy.
2.“The God Who Risks Being Misunderstood” article in ‘Spectrum’ by Ray Roennfeldt.
3.“Testimonies for the Church” vol. 4 by Ellen G. White.
4.Isaiah 1:18.
5.“Fundamentals of Christian Education” by Ellen G. White.
6.“Change: The Adventist Constant” blog post on http://progressiveadventism.com/ by Julius Nam.
7.“Ellen White: The Embodiment of Change” post on http://progressiveadventism.com/ by Julius Nam.
8.‘Review & Herald’ article in August 14, 1888 by Ellen G. White.
9.“Testimonies for the Church” vol. 1 by Ellen G. White.
10.“Counsels to Writers & Editors” by Ellen G. White.

The Imperative of Jesus: Higher Ground

2008-05-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

On Sabbath April 22, 2008, Southern Adventist University students, faculty, and community members from Adventist Peace Fellowship, Amnesty International, College Democrats, and Adventist Forum joined a peace march in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. That Thursday in the student newspaper, 'The Accent,' there was an article titled "Iraq War is God's will; Respect all human authority." This blog post is another view of God.

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"Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:44-45

Christians understand Jesus as the fullest revelation of God’s character. It is through the lenses of Christ that we understand the whole of Scripture. Jesus the prophet, healer, teacher, the good news, lover of life, and the glory of God: Jesus, who shows the whole world how God’s grace is accessible to everyone.

Matthew 5:38-48 provides the theological framework of Christ’s imperative, calling us to higher ground. Three primary texts from Matthew reveal the heart of this message. This is a message needed more today than ever before as so-called Christian nations wage war in the name of a God who sent his only Son to instruct us on how to be blessed peacemakers.

"As you know, we once were told “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” but I tell you: Do not react violently against one who is evil (vs. 38-39)."

Jesus denies the right to engage in violent self-defense when an “evil-doer” violates your humanity. Often we feel a sense of entitlement when we are wronged; our human nature gets the better of us and drives us to seek our “pound of flesh.” Simply because someone wrongs us does not give us the right to return violence for violence. God certainly does not give us the right to do so. God knows that we have the power to fight back, but God doesn’t allow us the right to submit to the inclinations of evil. Jesus follows the prophet Amos in calling us away from the imitation of committing evil: “Seek good and not evil, that you may live…Hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate (Amos 5:14-15)."

In response to evil, passivity is not what God requires of us. In fact, throughout Scripture God call us to be proactive “fighting evil,” however, he requires us to use different “weapons.” We are called to resist the enemy without showing enmity. God’s message through Jesus is clear: the imperative of higher-ground spirituality.

"As you know, we once were told, “You are to love your neighbor and to hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies (vs. 33-34)."

To follow Christ is to follow the message that He has given us and to allow that message and the life of Jesus to influence and dictate our every action. Jesus teaches us that conventional love is not enough. He instructs us that the love we are to show our enemies is not about them, but rather that it is about God..

Moses taught that the essence of the moral life was to love God with one’s whole being and energy. In so doing, loving God means loving our neighbor. Jesus builds upon the Mosaic continuum and completes it. The “neighbor” also includes our enemies—all those who seek to harm us. It is precisely through loving our enemies that we are able to break the cycle of evil and all of its influence over us. It is only through God’s grace that we can “turn the other cheek” and feel and see as God does. Through the teachings of Christ, we are called to be as generous in grace as God is generous: without limits.

"God causes the sun to rise on both the bad and the good and sends rain to fall on both the just and the unjust (vs. 45)."

We are called to love our enemies because just like us, they are also the recipients of God’s grace. His rain readily falls upon them as it does on us. God challenges us with an invitation to live a better life and—through God Almighty—plant our feet firmly on higher ground.

Progressive Adventism Credimus

2008-05-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

We believe in the natural constant of change over time.
Guided by traditions & inspired by our founders before us,
we lift up each other and those around us,
engaging doctrines and challenging community in growth.

We believe that genuine dialogue leads to understanding,
that consensus is often guided by human pride and
we seek not the things of this earth but of those in heaven above.

We believe that the Divine inspires all through His Spirit.
Claiming our Adventist heritage of Present Truth,
we celebrate a Christianity of inclusion and tolerance,
relating the Divine through our interactions communally and individually.

We believe that love, as taught by Jesus, is the highest of Divine Principles,
the fruit of which bears out in our interactions with each other.
We seek to understand various cultures not simply pronounce judgment.

We believe that together, in communion with God, we have been called
to a higher purpose, “testing all things and holding fast to that which is good.”
Through our forums and publications we advocate for change,
not for the sake of popularity but for revelation and understanding.

We believe that God is still speaking and guiding us today,
that the church should not put a period where God has placed a comma.
We seek to enter into a divine covenant with God, making known His will.

We believe that progression is at the heart of God’s revelation,
that He wills for His children to utilize the minds He has given them.
We believe that in affirming our traditions we have yet a responsibility
to creatively integrate our knowledge and faith.

We believe these things because He believes in our ability,
for He has given all of us the capacity to reason and challenges us to use it.
He is forever the inspiration of and the answer to our questions.

God or Something Like It

2007-11-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

"Who or what is God?" It's a question all of us have asked, heard, or attempted to answer. To attempt to understand the Divine is a journey of a lifetime. It's filled with great joy, moments of ecstasy and excitement, perplexing confusion, agonizing angst, emotional pain, and extreme humility. Many cultures and societies have different faith traditions that attempt to explain the Divine through myth, poetry, prose, prophets, gurus, spiritual leaders, religious ritual and practice as well as statements of belief or professions of faith.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share many conceptual ideas about God. All three religions stem from the same Abrahamic faith. Sometimes in our own search and attempt to understand God, we forget that our faith is not the only group of seekers. Many prophets have come to us, some misguided, some outright strange, others blissfully inspiring, and yet although the Divine can be seen to varying degrees in their lives, answers are not what their messages bring. Buddha, Moses, Shiva, Mohammad, White, and the Dalai Lama all share many teachings about the Divine and each has his and her own understanding within context to their historical time and cultural norms within the society they lived.

I have noticed in university that we can too often get hung up on specifics. Topics such as jewelry, women and the church, vegetarianism, homosexuality, the Sabbath, and others can become volatile and key, salvific issues in the eyes of some earnest, albeit zealous, believers. I have found in my studies and walk with the Lord that there is much human influence and presupposition in these matters. One must first tackle the understanding of Holy Scripture and Divine Inspiration before these topics can be addressed.

Holy Scripture comprises some of the more important documents of mankind's existence. It can justly be stated that more than any other book the Bible has inspired and permeated much of our common world culture and life. Yet it must be asked, "how did this document come to be?" "what are the ways in which God inspires and directs people?" The Holy Scriptures are a book that depicts the Divine struggle of a loving God that strives to be understood by His people and a rebellious, stubborn people that struggle to understand their God. This is the beautiful essence of Scripture - the dramatic story of the Dive expressed in the human; of which Christ is the apex and glory in the whole matter, the "Jewel in the Lotus," to borrow a Buddhist, "Om Mani Padme Hum"). Understanding Scripture in this manner one can come to notice the threefold nature of the themes of the Bible. God is love, The Great Redemptive Plan of Salvation, and the Atonement for Sin are, in my understanding, important thematic expressions found from Genesis to Revelation.

Mankind's struggle to understand the three of these and to apply the divinely-inspired concepts to personal life are also explicit within the pages of this "Sacred Text." Sacred not because of this notion of infallibility, but because of the beauty of a God that risks misunderstanding; that takes the Divine - which is awesome, ultimate beauty, without blemish, etc. - and translates it into the Human - which is broken, rebellious, confused, fallen. This is the beautiful act throughout all of Divine Scripture - that God would place the task of communicating His message through feeble minds. In this act God takes the Infinite - the very nature and being of the Divine - and expresses it in the Finite - human language. In this can be seen God's greatest struggle and act of Divine Trust.

Understanding that God doesn't inspire verbal, verbatim texts of Scripture, rather that He inspires thematically is essential to gathering the greater meaning of Holy Scripture. Far from dismissing Scripture as irrelevant, it provides that earnest seekers of Divine Wisdom - or The Way - must commit them to a deep, thorough lifetime of study. The original languages of the Bible must be understood or comprehended on a basic level, the historical context of the time period that each book was written, the author's life and limitations in understanding must be taken into account, the threefold thematic truths of Scripture must be searched for throughout each chapter and book, geography, and various other aspects must be applied before one begins the task of interpretation and application to practical life.

Each author of the Bible and prophet understood God within the context of their time; it is true that some in this present age and past ages have come to radical, even innovational understanding of the Divine, however, these biblical principles came through earnest study and humility of a teachable spirit, not a dogmatic faith. Literalism is not a biblical principal, but a method of control that some within fundamentalist factions within the church employ to consolidate power. The principle within Scripture and taught by the rabbis and early Christians is continual seeking for understanding: a humble approach to Holy Scripture. The biblical principle - and cherished Adventist contribution to Christendom - of "Present Truth;" or better stated, the idea that God meets people where they are, can be seen when the Divine inspires (and in so doing, transforms) a murderer, an adulterer, the uneducated, the prideful, and the broken to be his Vessels of Divine Love and Compassion.

God is not this being that refuses to attempt to understand us - for He knows us better than we know ourselves. He wants to have an intimate, loving relationship that leads us into service in Divine Love for our fellow human. God's goal is to express His love for us and to be understood by His people, this is the work of a lifetime. Literalism is not biblical. The fruits of what comprises the driving-thought of literalism can be seen throughout the suffering of mankind: Genocides, Holocausts, Inquisitions, Wars, Poverty, and Oppression.

God is not a literalist - He understands that there are cultural elements to our religious practices. Such topics as jewelry, women and the church, vegetarianism, homosexuality, and the Sabbath are cultural phenomena. Jewelry is not sinful, the principle is whether this becomes an idol or takes the place of other important aspects of life and wholeness. Does one buy expensive adornments instead of paying bills, feeding their children, or giving to the Body of Christ? That is the key component to the "jewelry question."

The texts used in Scripture for the purpose of excluding women from ministry are contextual to the time period, it is not a principle of Scripture. The principle is a church structure, not a gender exclusive policy that holds men are "holier" in the eyes of God.

Vegetarianism is not a principle, the principle is eating healthy, wholesome foods that promote good heath and wellness.

The issue of homophobia in Scripture is not a Divine principle, but a cultural misunderstanding of sexuality that persists to this day. People fail to see the Spirit of the Living God directing and guiding our scientific research and discoveries regarding sexuality and sexual orientation.

The list of "should and should not" of Sabbath observance is not a principle, giving a day to the Lord and resting is the principle.

In these examples we can see how God meets people in their time and culture; that He is a God who truly risks being misunderstood (and has, historically, been misunderstood by people of faith). "Who or what is God?" This is a question we must always ask. We should never be satisfied at our answers or our collective church statements of faith - this whole thing is a journey of a lifetime, one that we experience corporately and individually. Let us strive to humble ourselves and not make interpretation an idol before the Lord. In many matters we should let God be God and concern ourselves not with lists of a who's who in the Book of Life, but in interpersonal relationships. "By this you will know that they are my people, if they have love for one another." Understanding that religion is a cultural phenomenon and religious customs and practices are differnt is the first step in the right direction to a United Body in Christ.

On Biblical Authority

2007-10-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

This is an adaptation of a response made on Spectrum Magazine's Blog on 'Vessels of Dine Love: Adventist and the Dalai Lama' about inspiration, the Bible, and biblical authority of Ellen White.

"It seems that there are still Christians who see all the world as either black or white: one is either of the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan.” - Elain Nelson

She makes a great point. In Christian philosophy, just as in life, things are not as easily compartmentalized as we would like them to be. This notion of either with Satan or God is a product of the Church of the Dark Ages – an age stripped of Reason, Enlightenment, or an educated populace. Such proclamations as Luther’s ["...you are either with the Kingdom of Chirst of of Satan..."] seem to be based on a much too conservative, exclusionist theology. Lest one forget that Luther was not without his flaws as a human being, albeit inspired by the Spirit of the Lord, he was, just as Ellen White and Paul were . . . HUMAN.

Luther struggled with an understanding of how the Jews fit into the great scheme of Christian Community – he failed with that struggle, opting at times for stances that were blatantly anti-Semitic. While with respects to Ellen White, she lacked a full understanding of publishing regulations and did not have the foresight to guide and direct Adventists as to the purpose of her writings – writings of a human, led by God, but not dictated through verbal inspiration by God.

Ellen, as Luther, failed in respects to this matter as can best be attested to by the countless amounts of time, money, clarification, and, most sadly, the amount of former-Adventists who would be "fellowshipping" with us today had they been better educated on the role of Ellen White in the Adventist Church. Finally, Paul, too, is not without his faults. Paul struggled with woman’s issues in the church. He failed at understanding God’s full intent to include ALL of his blessed children into the call of ministry, women included.

Most Mainstream Protestant Churches have realized Paul’s shortcomings; Adventism, as we sadly know, has not. Additionally there is much scholarship by the Rev. John Shelby Spong and former Jesuit Priest John J. McNeill that Paul might have been struggling with a homosexual orientation himself, indicating only more so his humanity and maybe even shedding some greater light on such a volatile issue as Homosexuality and Christian Community. Fore more information please see, http://www.pactsnetwork.org/grace/docs/Spong%20-%20The%20Church's%20Dance%20in%20the%2021st%20Century%20-%20Part%203.htm

Understanding that Luther, White, and Paul were all human – faults emphatically included - and did, in fact, interject their own human understanding – whether or not they admit it – into their writings is precisely the reason why we are directed in Holy Scripture to test all things, even Scripture itself. Rev. John Shelby Spong wrote an incredibly important book for Christianity to consider The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible’s Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love. In it Spong discusses this very issue of inspiration and the Bible.

While it is true that there are scant Ellen White quotes that mention “Oriental religions,” it is my belief that Sister White is, quite frankly, well above her perception level; having no recorded material chronicling that she had given serious study to what she dubs as “Oriental religions” she lacks any intellectual credibility on the issue and one need to take that into account before they marry themselves to her statements on such.

Whit respects to the Dalai Lama – the topic of this article – I cannot, for one second, submit to the idea that he is with the “Kingdom of Satan.” I join Elain in her proclamation that, “For one, I refuse to accept that limited concept. People are NOT either all good or all evil but a combination of both good and evil.” Like I stated in the article, such statements are the product of ignorance of the core philosophy of Buddhism and are neither productive in fostering a religious community of tolerance and understanding (I believe an inspired directive by God) nor exhibit manners in which Christ would have his followers interact with their fellow human.

Matters of spirituality, theology, tradition, religion, and culture are not as simplistic as some Christians would like to make them.

What worries me is that we have this notion that God is only working in Christianity. What of the Jews, then? I find myself immediately asking. Or for that matter, what of the billion of adherents to Islam?; both faiths – Islam and Judaism – which stem out of our common Abrahamic traditions have so much in common with each other and Christianity. Such a view, I believe, is ultimately fundamentally flawed. How can it be that we serve such an awesome and majestic Creator that is so dull when it comes to religious expression? Look outside your window at the environment you live in – take note of the difference in people, nature (the trees, flowers, grass, sand, oceans, lakes, streams), the clouds above. We serve an amazing God of creativity! Why then must he be so boring when it comes to religion?

I have long heard the argument that the plurality of our religious experience here on earth is due to the influence of the devil. God has no creative ability – Christianity, that’s all, folks. Satan has Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, etc. God has Christianity. The comparison is quite sad if this is indeed the case that God only resides within Christianity.

I pleasantly reject that notion of exclusionist theology and what I refer to as the kindergartenesque “my God is better than you god argument.” We must understand the immense influences that culture, geography, language, and history place on religious traditions. Christianity is quite diverse within its folds. There is not “one true church.” Many claim that there their tradition is the “One True Church,” even our own church, but history has shown us the bloodshed, depravity, and brokenness that such a proclamation begets. Rather within Christianity there are many denominations precisely because God meets people where they are at – this is axiomatic within the Scriptures and extra-Biblical references and accounts.

God works with us; the Bible is a blessed document not because EVERY word is divinely inspired or dictated by God, but rather because this document dramatically portrays a loving creator-God who earnestly struggles to be understood by His people and a rebellious, anxious people who earnestly struggle to understand God. That is what makes the Bible such a beautiful and cherished document. It is not the proclamations against this or that or the mythological stories, historic accounts, miraculous deeds, poetic prose of the Psalms, - these add to the biblical narrative, yes, indeed, but by no means are any of these in and of themselves reasons to cherish the Scriptures or to call them ‘holy.’

Coming back to the Dalai Lama and Adventism. There is much that can be learned from Buddhism and Christianity. Much scholarly work has been done by Dr. Marcus J. Borg (‘Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings’) and Thich Nhat Hanh (‘Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers’ and ‘Living Buddha, Living Christ’) that has shown the connections and parallels between Buddha and Christ. We must be able to separate (as the Dalai Lama told us on Monday) religious traditions and faith.

The Dalai Lama does not believe that Christ was God (in the Christian theological sense) he believes he was a great teacher and manifestation of the Divine, but God, no. My beliefs of the Buddha are that he was a great teacher and manifestation of the Divine, but God, no. So how can the Dalai Lama and I work together to bring our faith communities into kind-hearted fellowship? That is a key question you must ask yourselves.

I ultimately believe that God manifests himself in many faith traditions. Whether or not the Dalai Lama is going to “be saved” or what that concept even means, I care not for. God is awesome enough as a Creator, let us have faith that he is awesome enough as a Savior – and let us leave matters of salvation to Him. What I am concerned with is the brokenness of humanity. This is my primary and deepest concern.

I live today as a follower of Christ’s message; a message of hope, tolerance, compassion, and inclusion. My great question to myself and other is how can we be vessels of Divine Love and Compassion? I think to start to that effect we must put draconian, anachronistic ideas of theology and salvation aside – stop making idols of dogma and creeds. After doing this we need to come to a place within our spiritual experience to see the Divine expressed in all things. With these understandings, I believe, we can then begin to fellowship as Followers of Christ and not simply adherents to some 28 “Fundamental” Beliefs.

I see the Dalai Lama as a force of good in the world and for that He is to be commended and respected. What his afterlife is going to entail I cannot claim to fully know or even comprehend. I hope that he will be among those who say to Christ, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' and what peace and joy will fill my heart as Christ responds to the Dalai Lama, “'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Vessels of Divine Love and Compassion: Adventism & the Dalai Lama

2007-10-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

"Let us cultivate love and compassion, both of which give true meaning to life. This is the religion I preach, more so than Buddhism itself. It is simple. Its temple is the heart. Its teaching is love and compassion. Its moral values are loving and respecting others, whoever they may be. Whether one is a layperson or a monastic, we have no other option if we wish to survive in this world" – His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

On Monday, October 22, 2007 along with ten-thousand plus other people twenty students from Southern Adventist University (SAU) attended the “public talk” of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. These twenty students were members of SAU Amnesty International and College Democrats of Southern and I was their leader. It was my idea to attend the Emory University hosted event. I thought that Southern’s students might gain some insight from this humble Buddhist monk that has advocated so vehemently the causes of world peace and nonviolence resistance to the oppression of Communist China on the people of Tibet.

After all, the Dalai Lama is a Nobel Peace Laureate, recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, and a Distinguished Presidential Professor at Emory University. I naïvely thought to myself that no one could possibly be against a message of tolerance, understanding, compassion, and peace. I knew from history that Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and Jesus Christ of Nazareth all had their “protesters,” but this was the twenty-first century, an age that claims to understand the harvest of hate. Harvests chillingly exemplified in the horrors of the Holocaust, tragedy of the Armenian Genocide, terrors of Rwanda, tragic aftermath of the War in Iraq, and the current Genocide in Darfur.

It had been my belief that this generation was going to hold themselves to the exclamation of the previous generation of “never again.” Never again will genocide go unchallenged - as can be seen in the support around the globe for the immediate deployment of a hybrid U.N. and African Union peace-keepers into Darfur, Sudan and northern Chad due to the efforts of student-lead movements and organizations; never again will war be a solution to our diplomatic problems - as can be seen in the unprecedented world-wide protests to the war in Iraq; never again will our society be complacent in the affairs of the world but become involved and concerned about the interconnectedness of the world around us. This was the zeitgeist of my generation and I believed of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Imagine then how surprised I was when members of my generation as well as professors told me that the Dalai Lama was an agent of the devil. I was completely shocked and almost baffled – I write almost, because after all this is a church that has yet to accept scientific research in the area of human sexuality or which openly refuses to fully value women by barring them from ordained ministry, but I digress. Still I had hoped that in the matter of world peace and nonviolence resistance that the Adventist Church might find a confidant in the Dalai Lama. That our church having advocated for healthy living practices of wholeness, open conscientious objection to war, having had prominent Adventists involved in the American antislavery movement, ect. logic would suggest that the ethos of Adventism was more in tune with my generation than other denominations. Instead I found that there was a majority at Southern who viewed the Dalai Lama as an agent of evil.

It has been my experience that when such convoluted statements as “he is an agent of the devil” or “one driven by evil forces” that these are the product of ignorance or intolerance. When pressed on their knowledge of Buddhism most of those who had stated the Dalai Lama’s allegiances to Satan were, indeed, ignorant of what Buddhism was and what it is not. This is not atypical of Adventists, but unfortunately the norm and sadly the mainstream for the church.

There is this fear in the Adventist Church that some of my friend’s expressed. They said that it is best typified as a strong caution and willful ignorance of other faith traditions other than our own. This worries me greatly as a growing church. The notion that at a colligate institution of “higher learning” that one would be dissuaded from attending a lecture on peace by someone no affiliated with the Adventist Church or of a different faith tradition is astounding. It is my sincere belief that this incident is indicative of a greater insecurity that Adventists have with respects to other faiths.

I cannot help but imagine what our church would look like would that our church members were those “peculiar people” written about in the Spirit of Prophecy; would that our membership was so filled with the love of God for man that we had such a Godly-insatiable desire for the nourishment of mankind through interpersonal relationships.

As for me, I can read the words of the Dalai Lama, "let us cultivate love and compassion,” - what I believe is the very essence of God - and connect instantly on a spiritual level. Those who attended the public talk expressed that, “It is such an awesome feeling to be able to put aside religious differences - labels, whether they be Christian, Buddhist - I like to put it this way when discussing my faith, "I'm a believer in a Higher Power - greater than my existence, yet interconnected with my being - and a follower of 'The Way,' manifested in many faith traditions.”

I fully understand that this comes off as "New Age" to some and I'm, quite frankly, openly and unabashedly alright with that. I believe that our understanding of God must grow and constantly evolve. Living life with a stagnant view of God only produces, at best, bitter Christians or, at worst, broken atheists. God inspired the biblical author to write, "My ways are not your ways." It is interesting to recall that Christ continually challenged the contemporary view of God and the "religious community" in his day.

With respects to the Adventist Church and the greater Christian Community, I have observed that, too often, it is unfortunately the so-called “religious” that typifies a faith tradition; this is an unfortunate axiom because it limits the expression of a particular faith to its most conservative and fundamentalist elements - our religious communities are much more diverse than that, Adventism emphatically included. I asked members of our Democrats and Amnesty group attending the Dalai Lama’s lecture to ask themselves, “What it means to be an Adventist?” It is important to have these questions in the back of our minds and to have an answer for them should a question arise within ourselves or provoked by others.

Yet the answer to that quest must be different for everyone. For me, it means "cultivating love and compassion." I let my temple be my heart - welcoming the Spirit of the Lord to dwell within me and God to work through me, i.e. having and upholding "morale values [of] loving and respecting others, whoever they may be." This includes the "outcasts" of society - homosexuals, women, nonbelievers, believers of other faiths, AIDS victims, the poor, those who have a different "non-orthodox theology" than ours, etc. When Jesus ministered to the people, he widened the inclusion of his ministry and outreach.

Christ included the outcasts of society - his moral values were centered on loving and respecting others. His life dramatically portrayed the Divine Love and Compassion that God has for humanity. May we as a church community learn to respect and love the "outcasts of Adventism." May we cherish the spiritual wisdom of other faith traditions and may we strive to be vessels that express the Divine Love and Compassion that our Lord has for all of humanity.

Shabbat Shalom: Southern שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם

2007-09-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

Ever since traveling to Israel and opening the Shabbat with my Jewish friends I have been fascinated with the theology, faith, religious practices, and culture of Judaism. I believe that Christians have lost much of our wonderful Jewish heritage. In some respects our Jesus is not the Jewish Jesus of Scriptures, but rather the Christian Jesus of tradition.

On the campus of Southern my friends and I welcome in the Shabbat the traditional Jewish way - with a few modifications. We all bring some food and prepare a Shabbat feast, bless the Shabbat candles, recite Kiddish, a prayer over wine (we will mostly use grape juice) sanctifying Shabbat, recite the usual prayer for eating bread over two loaves of challah, and pray and wash our hands. We usually do this at least one hour before sunset to properly observe the tradition and to be on time for vespers. It is interesting to note that in Jewish literature, poetry and music, Shabbat is described as a bride or queen, as in the popular Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi Likrat Kallah (come, my beloved, to meet the [Sabbath] bride). It is said "more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel."

Welcoming in the Shabbat in this manner helps to bring together our community, show our reverence towards God and His Commandments, gives us an opportunity to relax from our stress-filled lives as college students, and prepare us to worship and honour God with our whole being. This celebration of Shabbat by Adventists - in the tradition of the Jews - is not as uncommon as some think. I have had many of my friends share with me similar practices that their family or friends of the family have partaken.

Personally welcoming in the Shabbat in this way helps me to realize heaven in the present moment, not waiting for some distant reward or destination, but rather to live in the wonderful moment that God has given us. Shabbat Shalom. שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם

Homosexual Ministers - Gay Theology Without Apology

2007-09-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

It is a controversial topic, especially within our church. Homosexuality is one of the last issues where bigotry and hatred is tolerated by the so-called religious. The retired Rev. John Shelby Spong of the Episcopal Church of America spoke at a recent convention saying,

"The Church is a strange institution that’s not always honest. I had to overcome the religion of my childhood to become a practicing clergyman. Christianity seems to have the need to have a victim. Jews, heretics, witches, scientists, people of color, women and now gays, every generation in the church has its victims. We always have to pass that victimization on to another. We need to get over that guilt message that you are so evil that Jesus had to die on the cross for you."

This is a very interesting point that need further study and contemplation by Christians. I believe that Rev. Spong is onto something here; it would appear that homosexuals have become the present victim of the religious. This is such a troubling fact. Homosexual men and women have been with the "church" since its inception. This notion that homosexuals are amoral or irreligious is purely based on ignorance and bigotry - such cannot be the fruits of a Christianity centered on Divine Love and Compassion.

Within the Episcopal Church of America the Right Reverend Bishop Gene Cannon Robinson was ordained as the first openly-gay bishop. It is interesting to note the backlash that the Episcopal community around the world sent the church in America. And the World Anglican Community is no the only denomination struggling with this - almost all of Christendom is obsessed with homosexuality. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has launched a study into human sexuality, the Presbyterian Church recently lifted its exclusion of homosexuals from the ministry, the Pope projected more bigotry and intolerance (which is typical of Benedict) with his statement that questioned the "masculinity" of homosexual men, and the Adventist Church refuses to address the issue with the proper consideration it deserves, instead opting to issue a "statement" on the matter - way to be a "peculiar people and "lead."

Although Adventism isn't free from its share of homosexual ministers. One example is Ron Oden. Oden who made history in November 2003 when he became the first openly gay African-American man elected mayor of an American city is also an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister; yet there are few Adventists that are aware of this fact. I find this quite interesting; true, Ron Oden left the religious life to pursue a career in politics, his ministerial credentials remain valid from what I can gather.

Meditations On Living

2007-09-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting devotional book that I picked up recently 365 Dalai Lama: Daily Advice from the Heart written by His Holiness The Dalai Lama that speaks volumes to my spiritual relationship with God. One interesting entry reads,

"Let us cultivate love and compassion, both of which give true meaning to life. This is the religion I preach, more so than Buddhism itself. It is simple. Its temple is the heart. Its teaching is love and compassion. Its moral values are loving and respecting others, whoever they may be. Whether one is a layperson or a monastic, we have no other option if we wish to survive in this world" (Dalai Lama p. 9).

In this passage, with my Christian-influenced understanding of God, I can read the words "let us cultivate love and compassion" what I believe is the very essence of God, and connect instantly on a spiritual level with the Dalai Lama and what he is writing. It is such an awesome feeling to be able to put aside religious differences - labels, whether they be Christian, Buddhist - I like to put it this way when discussing my faith, "I'm a believer in a Higher Power - greater than my existence, yet interconnected with my being - and a follower of 'The Way,' manifested in many faith traditions."

This comes off as "New Age" to some and I'm, quite frankly, fine with that. I believe that our understanding of God must grow and constantly evolve. Living life with a stagnant view of God only produces, at best, bitter Christians or, at worst, broken atheists. God inspires the biblical author to write, "My ways are not your ways." It is interesting to recall that Christ continually challenged the contemporary view of God and the "religious community" in his day.

I have observed that, too often, it is unfortunately the so-called religious community that typifies a faith tradition; this is a sad fact, I believe, because it limits the expression of a particular faith to its most conservative and fundamentalist elements - our religious communities are much more diverse than that, Adventism emphatically included. What does it mean to be an Adventist?

The answer to that quest must be different for everyone. For me, it means "cultivating love and compassion." I let my temple be my heart - welcoming the Spirit of the Lord to dwell within me and God to work through me, i.e. having and upholding "morale values [of] loving and respecting others, whoever they may be." This includes the "outcasts" of society - homosexuals, women, nonbelievers, believers of other faiths, AIDS victims, the poor, those who have a different "non-orthodox theology" than ours, ect. When Jesus ministered to the people, he widened the inclusion of his ministry and outreach.

Christ included the outcasts of society - his moral values were centered on loving and respecting others. His life dramatically portrayed the Divine Love and Compassion that God has for humanity. May we as a church community learn to respect and love the "outcasts of Adventism." May we cherish the spiritual wisdom of other faith traditions. May we be vessels to express the Divine Love and Compassion that our Lord had for humanity.

Save Darfur - A Modern-day Genocide

2007-09-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

This is a reprint of an opinion article written for Southern's 'Accent' newspaper, published in March and part of a speech given at Emory University.

Images of starving men, women, children, their skin tightly clinging to their bones; mass graves of nameless bodies, camps where thousands, forced from their homes, occupy and live in the constant shadow of fear – one cannot help but be reminded of 1940s Europe and images of the Nazi Holocaust, but the images of those who suffer are not Jews, but Black Arabs of Darfur, and this is not 1940s Europe, but 2007 Sudan. “Never again.” was the cry of humanity after the Holocaust - a massive genocide taking the lives of Jews, Roma Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, conscientious objectors, and the mentally disabled. Since that time what has “Never Again” meant to the countless victims of the Armenian, Kurdish, Rwandan, or now Darfur genocide?

Our generation has been taught to “learn the lessons of the Holocaust,” lessons that demand our action when we know of genocide. In our lifetime we have lived through ethnic cleansing in Serbia, the annihilation of the Kurdish people of Iraq, and, more recently, the genocide in Rwanda. Learning from the fallings of previous generations to act on behalf of the millions who perished in those human atrocities and prevent further terror, our generation faces a similar trial of human will. We are confronted with the first genocide of the twenty-first century – Darfur, Sudan.

The conflict in Darfur is multifarious and complex, but that does not mean we are helpless to aid those affected by this genocide or that we are unable to prevent further atrocities. The Darfur region, about the size of Texas, is home to racially mixed tribes of settled peasants, who identify as African, and nomadic herders, who identify as Arab. The majority of people in both groups are Muslim. The history of neglect by the Khartoum-based government has left people throughout Sudan poor and voiceless and has caused conflict throughout the country. In February 2003, frustrated by adverse poverty, famine, drought, and continual neglect by the government, two Darfurian rebel groups launched an uprising against the government.

The Sudanese government responded with a scorched-earth campaign, enlisting the help of a militia of Arab nomadic tribes in the region against innocent civilians who lived in Darfur. These militia forces, sometimes referred to as the Janjaweed and the Sudanese military have used rape, displacement, organized starvation, and mass murder to kill 450,000 and displace 2.5million. Violence, disease, and displacement continue to kill hundreds of innocent Darfurians every day. Some of the victims have escaped to the neighboring country of Chad, but most are trapped inside Darfur. Thousands die each month from the effects of inadequate food, water, heath care, and shelter in a harsh desert environment. All are afraid to return home because the countryside is not safe.

The generation that lived through the Holocaust answered for their compliancy to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, “Had we only known.” Well, my friends, WE KNOW, so what will be our response to the genocide in Darfur. Gandhi once spoke, “All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of the others.” When the government of Sudan failed to do what government primarily exists to do, protect their citizen, we must respond by uniting against genocide and boldly declaring, “Not On Our Watch!” The people of Darfur are helpless to change their plight; we must be their voice in this conflict, we must demand action on the part of the international community.

Southern’s campus is responding to the genocide in Darfur by raising awareness and rallying students, faculty, and community members to action. Students have formed a chapter of STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur) and have planed activities and events that will help raise awareness. I would encourage you to become involved with STAND and to log onto http://www.savedarfur.org/ to learn more about this genocide and how you can make a difference. Our generation has proven itself unwilling to join the ranks of past generations who have fallen so often on the wrong side of history. We realize our importance in the international community and unite with students across the globe in demanding prompt action by the international community. We take a stand not only for the 450,000 that have died, but for the 100 that have died today, and for the hundred that will die tomorrow. We are the voices of the people of Darfur. As Isaiah wrote may we, “learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and plead the widow’s cause.”

The Trial of Matt Stevens

2007-09-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

What strikes a personal chord with me are some of the implications that this decision has for the University and the religious philosophy of Adventism. To begin with, there are several concerns that I have with a denomination that is fearful of change or the very mention of differencing points of view or a discussion of "beliefs." Beliefs, which are by their very definition a personal matter need not denominations to place parameters or constraints; in Christianity, in general, one can read the collected sayings of Christ preserved in the Gospel accounts to view the many statements made against a dogmatic faith, such as that of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and in Adventism, in particular, one can look to the writings of James White to see such a standpoint articulated. As with most faith traditions, Seventh-day Adventism has its better points as a Christian denomination, such points as an emphasis on education, healthful living, conscientious objection to violence and war, strong fellowship, sense of community volunteerism, and the separation of church and state; however, there are the "struggles of Adventism" and Adventists – most dramatically portrayed in the thousands of members who leave the denomination yearly.

One can note that mainstream, progressive churches such as Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and others do not have the problem of retention that the Adventist Church and other literalist, conservative churches have; while they do struggle with common issues such as women and the priesthood, issues of sexuality, struggles between liberalism and conservatism, modern morals and war, the secularization of the twenty-first century, how to dialogue and coexist, peacefully, with other faith traditions (denominations) and points of view, the institution of marriage, and the separation of church and state, to name a few.

While there are some contentions that I have with the philosophy of conservatism as applied to religious views and the study of theology, conservatism on the whole is quite respectable; rather it is the fundamentalists who hijack these seemingly "concrete" views of their faith and reject the history of progress within their faith tradition. No successful – success being a relative term, defined here as the positive influence impacted in the lives of the believer and the community at large, as well as, the interaction between different faith groups and opinions – faith tradition has gone without change in their history; Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and others have all had their own forms of "reformations," "revivals," "religious epiphanies," and such; while most of these terms are employed, more commonly, in Christianity (reformation, revival, ect.) the general mise-en-scène applies. Adventism while seemingly religiously progressive in certain areas is at its very core a fundamentalist faith tradition. As such there are limitations to the progress that Adventism will make, unless it revises and diversifies its outlook on faith and its active role in Christianity.

With respect to theology, Adventism holds a "remnant position" of their role in Christendom and appoints itself as the "one true, unadulterated" faith tradition in Christianity – a position that is held by other denominations; among them are believers in the Catholic, Baptist, Mormon, and Jehovah's Witness tradition. Remnant theology is exclusionist in orthodox practice and as such cannot, quite frankly, be respected or tolerated in the Universal Body of Believers. Unfortunately such traditions that adhere to this "remnant theology" yield themselves to doctrines that tend to ostracizes believers of different faiths and manifest a theology that promotes exclusionist practices. It is from declarations of ostensible supremacy implied or directed at other denominations that the Adventist Church's claims must be reasoned to be unconstructive to the greater fellowship of Christians or believers in general.

Adventists are not alone in receiving this criticism; the aforementioned denominations that share these views of ecclesiastical supremacy are criticized for such views. It saddens me that some elements and factions within the church of my youth would seem like dividers instead of unifiers in the faith of Christ and thus heed the mission of Christianity – which is commonly understood as the expression of Divine Love in the lives of all of humanity, portrayed, most magnificently in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Jesus Christ wouldn't tote-the-line of orthodoxy in his day, not because he wasn't an agreeable religious leader, but rather because his mission dealt with the manifestation of Divine Love in human form for all of the Cosmos. As such his views were not taken well by the establishment, which by definition must maintain a level of conservative ideals, due to the nature of administration of the State Faith. Such a faith needs to be protected; one might say defended from other views that may place into question the dogmas of the church. In reference to the Protestant Reformation the same is true of the relations between the Holy See and Martin Luther. Parallels can be drawn, in principle, to history's account of Luther's struggles with the Catholic Church; or in Adventism with the relationship between William Miller and the Baptist faith or the Harmon family and the Methodist church. Not that you (Matt Stevens) are in any comparison or comparable to Christ, Luther, Miller, or E.G.W. Rather the underlying principle of unity, in your case, Campus Ministry to the Adventist Church and Southern Adventist University.

Understanding all of the pervious points put into perspective in lieu of your recent dismissal from Campus Ministries directs me to following conclusions. I'm not fully aware of the situation revolving around the dismissal of Scott Fogg for which I am saddened. As per you situation, I'm sorry that Campus Ministries has chosen to dismiss you. Your particular views of Christianity are not completely compatible with the "Adventist Message" and because of your clear passion and connection with the student body at SAU you became a "spiritual liability" for the campus administration. Southern's duty (in their conservative understanding of the matter) as an Adventist institution is to maintain the "orthodox" beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Unfortunately had this incident occurred at a liberal, progressive university within our denomination such as La Sierra, Andrews, or Newbold matters would be different. As this door has closed, be reminded that there is a whole array of other "doors" that are open to you – even at Southern.

It is my hope that you will continue to be an integral part of Campaign 5x7 and maybe be part of an independent group study program. May the peace of our loving God be with you and comfort you in this trying time in your life.

Homosexuality and Adventist Community

2007-03-16T23:33:00.001-07:00

"For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."- Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Catholic Hymn

Christianity is more than the sum of its parts. It is more than the denominations that separate and divide, more than Papal edicts, more than doctrines, and traditions. Christianity is a religious philosophy as much as it is a way of life. The Christian seeks to live a life modeled after the great moral teachings of Jesus Christ. For Christians, Christ is the center of their religious experience – being both divine Creator and loving Savior. It is through the Christian's testimony that others are made aware of the love of Christ and God; that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life is the undertone of the great redemptive act.

While attending university at a "Christian" institution, I have encountered such hate and bigotry toward homosexuals that, at times, it is hard to emotionally bear. As a follower of the great moral teachings of Christ and the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, I have understood God to be a God of love. All of Scripture points to a God of love, a God of inclusion, a God of compassion, and most of all a God who cares about His earthly children. 1 John 4:16 states, "And we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." Ergo God is love. Why then do we who serve such a God, one of love, have so much hate toward our GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered) brothers and sisters in Christ? When will Christians understand that God is love? When will Adventists lead the Christian community, as the remnant and chosen that they claim to be, to a love-centered approach to homosexuality and homosexuals?

Rev. Desmond Tutu writes, "We struggled against apartheid because we were being blamed and made to suffer for something we could do nothing about. It is the same with homosexuality. The orientation is a given, not a matter of choice. It would be crazy for someone to choose to be gay, given the homophobia that is present." Yet even the words of this convicted man of God fall on willfully deaf ears. John continues to write in verse seventeen of chapter three, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Some Christians feel that it is their divinely appointed duty to hate "faggots," such is the claim on the website www.godhatesfags.com. Apparently Matthew Shepard's death wasn't a wakeup call to the Christian community and neither is the countless suicides and hate crimes that take place everyday across this sin-stricken planet of ours. When GLBT teens end their lives in an emotional struggle for acceptance – whether for societal, religious, or familiar reasons – there is something to be asked of Christians, when they are often the individuals to provoke such actions. "Have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Byrne Fone in Homophobia: a history (I wish such a book need not have been written) writes, "Homophobia is the last acceptable prejudice in an age when racial and ethnic bigotry are viewed with distaste, hatred of homosexuals remain rife." Christ spoke, "By this you will know that they are my people if they posses and act upon their hatred of homosexuals." No! Our loving Savior spoke, "By this you will know that they are my people, if they have LOVE for one another." The Black-Eyed Peas, a musical group asked the poignant question in one of their songs, "Where is the love?" I pose that same question to the Christian community in general and the Adventist community in particular. One of the founders of Adventism, Ellen White, wrote in Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 7,

Seventh-day Adventists have been chosen by God as a peculiar people, separate from the world. By the great cleaver of truth He has cut them out from the quarry of the world and brought them into connection with Himself. He has made them His representatives and has called them to be ambassadors for Him in the last work of salvation. The greatest wealth of truth ever entrusted to mortals, the most solemn and fearful warnings ever sent by God to man, have been committed to them to be given to the world."

I believe that Seventh-day Adventists have been called to be a peculiar people. A people who display the love of Christ for all of humanity and who proclaim the dignity of all of God's children, GLBT persons included. It is therefore the duty of Adventists (for as it is written, "to whom much is given, much is required," and much has been given to the Adventist Church) to lead Christendom in Christ-like love. When professed Christians, such as Pat Robertson, speak with biblical authority and divine appointment and say such things as, "When lawlessness is abroad in the land, the same thing will happen here that happened in Nazi Germany. Many of those people involved in Adolph Hitler were Satanists. Many of them were homosexuals. The two things seem to go together," we must rebuke it as hate-speech and unchristian ranting.

Such language is the same kind that empowered those who killed Matthew Shepard, the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur, the "ethnic cleansings" in Bosnia, the Holocaust, apartheid, slavery, the oppression of women, and religious fanatics. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, writes that, "It is unfair for homosexuals to be rejected by society. We cannot place them on the same level as criminals." I concur with that opinion whole-heartedly. When we sanction any one group to be separated and able to be hated we do ourselves a great harm regardless if we are a part of that ostracized group. John 4:8 reads, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." The Rev. Dr. John Shelby Spong writes,

I think that we have in recent years entered a "New Dark Age" in the Western world. It is marked by the rise of religious systems that seek to build security by encouraging prejudice against a designated victim....the homosexual has become the religious hysteria of our day. This kind of behavior is always a response to fear and to a rapidly changing world. Security-providing religion, which always requires a victim, is like a drug that carries us over the rough places of life. It is certainly not the wave of the Christian future.

We don't choose to be white or black, male or female, left-handed or right-handed, gay or straight. We awaken in each instance to the reality of what we are. Nothing external to our humanity activates our self-understanding. It simply is. Alcohol distorts life for the alcoholic. Homosexuality does not distort the life of the gay person. Your pastor's understanding is simply one more version of the idea that homosexuality is a sickness or addiction that needs to be cured if possible and if not possible, it needs to be suppressed. Wholeness never came to anyone who tried to suppress his or her deepest identity.

More Christians need to read Spong's book The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love.

I am trying very desperately to remain a Christian in this environment. My love for humanity and my belief that man is, at his core, essentially good is being tested. I cannot help but cry out to God to "have mercy on us and on the whole world." That the Lord may have mercy on those who persecute homosexuals, that He may lead them to His love. It is my belief to "take a chance on God" and believe that a God of love would not punish someone for simply loving another human being and committing him/herself to that person. If we demote God to such a state as those who advocate His condemnation on homosexuals do, we lose a great deal of what and who God truly is – love. "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

I shall remain an ambassador for Christ as Ellen White writes. I will continue to live a life that promotes and upholds the dignity of all of God's children, regardless of sex, creed, sexuality, race, orientation, religion, and nationality. God is love, and I seek to be like Christ who was God, therefore I must love and live a life of love. I can be comforted to know that I am not alone on this journey, for Christ states, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." And I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It is my hope that Christians head Christ's direction in Luke 6:36-38, "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." I pray for the day when my GLBT brothers and sisters will have their human dignity recognized by the Christian community; a day when we can fellowship together and be one in the body of Christ.

"Eternal Father I offer You, the Body and the Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Adventist Doctrine Reconsidered

2007-03-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

The fundamental tenets of Protestantism as I understand them are as follows: a rejection that tradition alone supercedes biblical teachings, a belief that all doctrinal teachings come from sola scripura, that the Pope, contrary to Catholic teachings, is not Christ's vicar on this earth and is, just as you and I are, fallible, that the Jewish Torah and Christian Gospels with the New Testament writings constitute the "Word of God," and that Christ is our sole advocate and means of salvation; no man, institution, works, or doctrine can lead to salvation, only Christ. Seventh-day Adventist, I believe, pick up the progression of the philosophies of Protestantism from the sixteenth-century in the nineteenth-century. Adventist's beliefs constitute a progression of Protestant biblical thoughts on religion and theology. The Adventist movement has added a great deal to Christianity as a larger philosophy and in a completely opposite vein has also frustrated believers and distanced Christians from their Heavenly Father and loving Saviour.

Adventism Reconsidered is not a renunciation of Adventist beliefs as much as it is a rebuke of alleged and self-proclaimed "Christian Adventists." I will tackle some highly contested and debated theological issues, but my primary focus is to challenge my fellow Adventists to act like the Christ they claim to follow after. I understand that these are harsh words and statements like this make one quite unpopular, but I am not concerned about my popularity as much as the future of my beloved church; I desperately want to see the church of my youth, that taught me of the great love of Christ for the world, make progress and grow into a denomination of healthy, loving Christians eager to heal humanity as the hands and body of the Living Christ within us.

Here I will go through each "Fundamental Belief" and briefly discuss which statements assist in alienating progressive Adventist believers and which parts I find not compatible with the philosophies of Christianity and the great moral teachings of Christ. Sections in bold will indicate direct wording that I will comment on in green text. Belief statements that are without contention, on my part, will be intentionally omitted.

1. Holy Scriptures:
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. While I believe that the Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit, there are clear injections of the author's and compilers biases and prejudices. It is my conviction that God, in His infinite wisdom, permitted man to define and grasp the Almighty in contemporary terms that the people of the time of authorship could understand. This is evident in symbolic language, customs, practices, and beliefs that do not stem from a God of love, but from a church structure centered on control and organization. It is through this politicking and selective authorship that "texts of hate" can be found throughout Scripture. Examples of such passages can be seen with the condolence of slavery or deep racial tensions between Jews and non-Jews, sexist practices, portions of Scripture invoking a more hateful and vengeful version of the loving God at the core of the Christian philosophy, homophobic edicts, and beliefs and practices contrary to what research and scientific knowledge has proven anachronistic. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history. (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:12.)

14. Unity in the Body of Christ:
The church is one body with many members, called from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. In Christ we are a new creation; distinctions of race, culture, learning, and nationality, and differences between high and low, rich and poor, male and female, must not be divisive among us. It would be appropriate to add that heterosexual, bisexual, transgendered, homosexual, and asexual are all one in the Body of Christ. We are all equal in Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another; we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation. Through the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures we share the same faith and hope, and reach out in one witness to all. This unity has its source in the oneness of the triune God, who has adopted us as His children. (Rom. 12:4, 5; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Matt. 28:19, 20; Ps. 133:1; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17; Acts 17:26, 27; Gal. 3:27, 29; Col. 3:10-15; Eph. 4:14-16; 4:1-6; John 17:20-23.)

17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries:
God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts which each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity. Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who apportions to each member as He wills, the gifts provide all abilities and ministries needed by the church to fulfill its divinely ordained functions. According to the Scriptures, these gifts include such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching, administration, reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing service and charity for the help and encouragement of people. Some members are called of God and endowed by the Spirit for functions recognized by the church in pastoral, evangelistic, apostolic, and teaching ministries particularly needed to equip the members for service, to build up the church to spiritual maturity, and to foster unity of the faith and knowledge of God. This includes WOMEN and HOMOSEXUALS. When members employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God's varied grace, the church is protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine, grows with a growth that is from God, and is built up in faith and love. (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:9-11, 27, 28; Eph. 4:8, 11-16; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10, 11.)

18. The Gift of Prophecy:
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen. G. White . As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested. The writings of Ellen G. White have served to enrich and strengthen my Christian experience. I believe that Ellen White had the gift of prophecy, but do not believe that EVERYTHING she had to write was inspired. Her writings are not to be used for doctrine or as a replacement to biblical, theological understandings on the nature of God. Her writings are not to be used as a litmus test for "true Christians" and are not to be used for disputing arguments by a "thus saith Ellen White." She is not the last word on faith, God, theology, spirituality, life, ect., but is an additional Christian source whereby we can be lead to a deeper faith experience with Christ. The writings of Martin Luther, I believe were inspired by the impetus of the Holy Spirit, however not everything Luther wrote was a "thus saith the Lord" on the matter. Max Lucado is an inspirational Christian author and I believe is lead by the Spirit, he might not be a "prophet," but is a man that is lead by the same Sprit of the prophets of old. It is time that a new, practical approach must be made to Ellen White and the Adventist church. Adventism's doctrines stand without Ellen White and so does one's spiritual life with Christ, similarly exist free of Ellen White quotes and literature. Adventists do a disservice to their understanding of God when they limit their reading to the writings of Ellen White exclusively. This is a terrible practice and, in my view, lazy and complacent. We must always explore, further define, question and seek out answers, these things are a life journey and so too is an experience and relationship with Christ. (Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10.)

22. Christian Behavior:
We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the principles of heaven. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit. It also means that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Going to see and enjoy films, theatre, sports games, ect. are not "evil" things. Celebrating our God-created humanity and the creativeness that God instilled in each and every one of us is a healthy activity and in and of itself morally neutral. If these things begin to replace Christ in one's life then there is an issue at stake. Furthermore one need not worry about "outward adornments" so much, makeup is not wrong, jewelry is not bad or of the "Devil"; these beliefs are silly at best and just plain stupid at worst. "Christians" who make such a fuss as to what is "appropriate" to wear need to, quite frankly, GROW UP and realize what experiencing a genuine relationship with Christ is all about, it is NOT about telling others what to and what not to wear, that's offensive and quite arrogant and Christ was neither, get the picture? Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness. (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 John 2:6; Eph. 5:1-21; Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:5; 6:14-7:1; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 10:31; Lev. 11:1-47; 3 John 2.)

23. Marriage and the Family:
Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the Christian a marriage commitment is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only between partners who share a common faith. Marriage is a public and spiritual affirmation of the commitment between two people to love and honour each other for the entirety of their lives. Marriage and, more importantly, love know no gender boundaries. There exists a Christian love that lesbian women and gay men have for persons of the same gender and this should be respected by the church and social communities. Such is also the case between persons of two different faiths or no faith at all, both can have and share a loving relationship that edifies one another and strengthens their commitment to each other. Mutual love, honor, respect, and responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and His church. Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. To believe this is to make marriage a tyrannical institution whereby men and women are forced to stay with their partner for the rest of their lives regardless of what complications and problems may arise. This is an unchristian teaching and has no significance in the Body of Christ which chooses to understand and accept the fact that people make mistakes, even with marriage. Although some family relationships may fall short of the ideal, marriage partners who fully commit themselves to each other in Christ may achieve loving unity through the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture of the church. God blesses the family and intends that its members shall assist each other toward complete maturity. Parents are to bring up their children to love and obey the Lord. By their example and their words they are to teach them that Christ is a loving disciplinarian, ever tender and caring, who wants them to become members of His body, the family of God. Increasing family closeness is one of the earmarks of the final gospel message. (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:3-9; John 2:1-11; 2 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:21-33; Matt. 5:31, 32; Mark 10:11, 12; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11; Ex. 20:12; Eph. 6:1-4; Deut. 6:5-9; Prov. 22:6; Mal. 4:5

What Jesus Meant & Why Christians Fail to Follow Christ

2007-03-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Jesus didn't come to start a new religion. He was not a Christian, nor would he be one today. Isn’t it interesting that the religion that claims so violently to follow after Christ, the "Prince of Peace," shares only a name with him. Values, commitments, theology, politics, and the such that typifies Christianity bear not the mark of God, but that of man.

It irks me to see that so-called Christians are perceived by other believers of faith traditions to be the very embodiment of Christianity, for they are not. It is interesting how vastly different the Christ of the Gospels is to the Christ portrayed by the evangelical community and radical Religious Right.

For some reason I cannot see Christ calling upon the likes of Pope Benedict XVI, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, or George W. Bush to be his disciples; disciples of a message of compassion, tolerance, peace, and love. How can it be that these fundamentalists have highjacked our beloved Savior? When did moderate and liberal, so-called Progressive Christians, loose Christ to these fanatics?

Christ has been captured by the Religious Right, which for the most part is neither. When was hate such an honoured tradition? Christ spoke, "I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly!" How does a "Christian" bombing an abortion clinic accomplish that? How is a "Christian nation" following Christ by bombing the nation of Iraq and killing thousands of innocence, is that what Christ meant by "life more abundantly?" Or what of fanatics who bar religious service to men and women who refuse to remain celibate, is that "life more abundant?" Better still, what of barring women from the ministry, is that a part of Christ's message? Sometimes I wonder what Christ the Religious Right and evangelical community read about.

Every Christian knows that “God hates fags,” immigrants, liberals, ‘secular’ music, dancing, Jews, Muslims, Al Franken, the Clintons, Democrats, basically everyone other than the Religious Right. When did this happen?

When did God register as a conservative Republican? When did love stop being at the core of our message as Christians? It is truly a shameful time in the history of Christendom when Christians have become the persecutors they so diligently tried to escape in the early history of the church. There is a Catholic Hymn the Divine Chaplet of Mercy that goes, “For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” And I hope that God would have mercy and those of us who have permitted this maligned, polluted version of Christ’s message to be the definition of Christianity. There is much work to be done to restore Christianity to the faith of Jesus. May we seek to rescue Jesus from the prisons of the doctrine of hate of the Religious Right.

A New Generation of Adventist Youth - LOVE

2007-03-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

Seventh-day Adventists are a special people; I have come to know this from being a part of this vibrant faith community. At times Adventists can be taken by fundamentalism and literalism, but most Adventists, at least such is the case with my friends, live a more practical Christianity. My generation of Adventism is more progressive than previous ones. We do not accept the traditions of the church, but rather test all things and hold fast to that which is good. It is our position that, as is the case in Adventist heritage, in particular, and the Christian movement in general, we should always be progressing forward to a better understanding of God and His role in our lives.

This generation is not focused on church dogma, manmade doctrines, or conference traditions, but seeks to hearken back to a more tangible, genuine Christianity spoken of by Christ. He is our great moral teacher and our focus is on a relationship with Him and the Father. Our Christianity is not exclusive, but inclusive for all peoples, regardless of anything that might separate believers.

Too often have oppression and exclusion been represented through acts of hate in Christendom. Whether this is through acts of intolerance, bigotry, racisms, sexism, homophobia, exclusionist theology, close-mindedness, brash conservatism, ignorance, or any of their various deviants – we aim for a higher goal, a more nobler goal, one that seeks Christ and His church, not that of man. Man has limitations in his church; his church is based on control, indoctrination, and built upon the intolerance of mankind’s feeble minds. This generation refuses to join previous generations who have so often been on the wrong side of history. Science is not an enemy of the church, faith, or truth, but another means at reaching ultimate truth and understanding; as science improves on understanding the world that we live in, so too must Christianity reflect those Divine insights and Spirit-lead discoveries.

I love being a part of a faith community that incorporates a strong sense of family and closeness, but I refuse to be a religious exclusionist. I proclaim to Gospel of Christ to all peoples. My church is one centered on love, not doctrines; Christ is the test of our faith and our relationship with God, not our adherence to the doctrines of the church. Doctrines will change as the education of believers improves as time progresses, but Christ is always and forever; our doctrines may fail, our traditions may change, leaders may come and go and their plans and initiatives with them, but Christ will always remain. He must be central to our spiritual experience. Exclusive religion continues to promote division and inaction in the Body of Christ. Too often do our battles over dress policies, women’s ordination, the God-given dignity of GLBTI Christians, worship styles, or other wasteful issues to fight over take center stage.

Christ loves us no matter what we wear; individualism need not be suppressed, men and women are beautiful creatures and are fully capable of dress that reflects their conformability with the beautiful body that God has given them. Women are just as able and willing to serve as are men, God directs the blessing, who are we to put limitations on what means he uses? GLBTI Christians are Christian and loved and saved by the same Savior that died for you and me; they deserve nothing less than our deepest love and acceptance into the fold of God. Worship styles reflect cultures, ages, spiritual heritage, and traditions not holiness or righteousness. These are not issues focused on Christ, these are issues focused on mankind, our rules, our traditions, what we believe is acceptable. God doesn’t see things like we do, He is accepting, He is loving, He is inclusive, He is worshiped in many ways, let Him lead. We must humble ourselves and let God take over.

These are some thoughts I have about the church that I have grown up in and loved for so many years. This is the church that I care about and seek nothing more than a continual improvement in the ability to affect positive change is the lives of our fellow humans through Jesus Christ – that is our mission, that is the Gospel, LOVE. One word, LOVE. May we live LOVE. May we practice LOVE. May we preach LOVE. May we be a church of LOVE.