| Author | Message | ||
| Butterfly_poette Registered user Username: Butterfly_poette Post Number: 45 Registered: 5-2011 |
I have been following the work of a few charities recently. None of them are SDA, but all are Christian. They do things to help people who are underprivileged. That's what God wants us to do. I have told some SDAs about them, and the question I often get is "Is it Adventist?". I say "No, but it's Christian". It seems they are more willing to be interested in charity if it's Adventist, but not if the organization is run by non-Adventists. Why does it matter? Why the exclusivism? Why the hestitation to get involved with things that aren't Adventist? When my sister was in high school, she thought of being an exchange student. It would be through the Rotary Club. She told some SDA friends about her plans, and she kept being asked "Is this an Adventist program?". In the end she didn't get picked. Yet why would it have been a problem for her to go to another country to hang around with *gasp* non-Adventists for a year? I was happy that a campmeeting I was at allowed Howard Lyman (The Mad Cowboy) to speak to us about veganism. Yet that man spoke about things the SDAs would agree with 100%. Anything to promote the idea that animal products are always bad. I know that many SDA parents out there who don't send their kids to non-SDA schooling often don't have their kids in things that aren't SDA. Some think that going to a secular camp for a week or two is great non-SDA socialization. When I was a kid my mother let my sister and I in Girl Scouts. My mother volunteered with it and was with us for every meeting. As soon as we were old enough, we joined Pathfinders. In high school, I finally went to public school. I didn't talk to people much. I was aloof because I was too afraid of doing something "wrong". Of course I could do no secular activity on Sabbath and I didn't know how to tell people I couldn't go. I also couldn't relate to people. I didn't know what to talk about. I was also trying to be such a great witness. But actually I couldn't witness. People thought I was stuck-up, snobbish, and they couldn't care less about what my religious beliefs were. I was so worried about not being a good-enough witness. I didn't wear jewelry because my mother thought people who wore such things would go to Hell. I was also thinking that any of my classmates may find the SDA church and would be told about jewelry by some people. The same with dancing. I was so afraid to dance. | ||
| Butterfly_poette Registered user Username: Butterfly_poette Post Number: 46 Registered: 5-2011 |
Anyways, I look back on my high school days with lots of disgust. I wish I was more open to people. I wish I was a friend to people who needed a friend. That would have been a better witness than someone who was so worried about violating traditional SDA lifestyle issues. While in Korea, I spent a lot of time with other SDA expatriates. There are MANY in Korea. There was little outreach done among them. I went to a big Sunday-keeping church called Jubilee for a little while. It was AWESOME! They had ministries for North Korean defectors and their families, Homeless Ministry, Orphan Ministry, etc. Lots of prayer meetings, Bible study groups, etc. So when I got away from SDAs for a while, I finally found great things to get involved in. | ||
| Rossbondreturns Registered user Username: Rossbondreturns Post Number: 215 Registered: 10-2009  |
That's one of the key things I've found too, I never wanted to DO anything much with my Adventism...certainly not share it...and I was a 3rd possibly 4th generation PK! Now the Lord has opened about a million different avenues for me to share my faith with people I don't even know...and others I won't even meet until that great Rapture Day! Praise the Lord how he saved us to the uttermost...and made us active in sharing our faith. | ||
| Butterfly_poette Registered user Username: Butterfly_poette Post Number: 48 Registered: 5-2011 |
I am not sure if I'll live in Korea or not, but if I do, I know where I'll be going to church. www.jubileeseoul.com Even as SDA I never wanted to invite people to SDA church because I was embarrassed by the lack of reverence in church, how the place was overrun by fanatics, and just how so many things were mismanaged. I invited an Irishman to church once. He came and left just as soon as the sermon was ended. People quickly started making fun of his accent. I wonder if he could hear them. The sermon was all on diet too. I was mortified. My friend was offended by it all and never came back. He goes to another church BTW. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 12754 Registered: 12-2003  |
Butterfly, Adventists "need" people to be Adventists. It doesn't make any logical sense, but it's a powerful subliminal "control". Adventists learn early on that other Christians don't have all the truth and are deceived and out to deceive. We were taught, often in ways that we can't remember exactly, to fear Christians and the "fun" they have because they would pull us away from God and truth. So even if a non-SDA shares values with the Adventists, that shared "thing" becomes a bridge to reach out to them to become Adventists, not a bridge for them to find "common ground". The great controversy worldview that all Adventists are taught with their mother's milk results in their believing that everyone who is not Adventist is dangerous spiritually if you get too "close". So if you share "values", you have to set up boundaries so you don't let down your guard and get swept up into your shared interests and forget the "truth". Colleen | ||
| Angelcat Registered user Username: Angelcat Post Number: 336 Registered: 11-2008 |
Well, the SDA church doesn't want its young people finding out what they are taught about other churches isn't true. My parents thought the SDA church was WAY too worldy, but the one good thing with that is I never thought of it as the only true church. I was allowed to attend a charismatic youth group as a teen, and that's where I got saved. One of hte girls there attended an SDA school, but was very disappointed to discover that that didn't mean the kids were Christians. The local SDA church here is involved with a couple ecumenical charities...to raise their profile, of course. And the church is open, (to the members) as to why we are involved. I know what you mean about charities too. My folks didn't beleive the SDA church should be invlved with any kind charity...I guess EGW said that the Salvation Army was doing a great job (they are) and we should leave it to them. My favourite SDA pastor use to preach at a local mission. They had pastors from all different churches reach there, and he was quite a favourite I gather. Sadly, no mention was made of this in his obituary...only what he did as an Adventist. He loved the people he worked with at the mission...sad it wasn't mentioned. | ||
| Butterfly_poette Registered user Username: Butterfly_poette Post Number: 49 Registered: 5-2011 |
@Angelcat That is sad the SDA preacher wasn't given praise for what he did outside the SDA church. Yes, the SDA church felt like the "owned" him. @Colleen, yes. I grew up thinking SDAs were the epitome of real Christianity. Everyone else was confused. I was surprised to find so many Christians out there who were serious about Christ. @Rossbondreturns I do agree that being outside the SDA bubble does give us more opportunities to reach out to people. | ||
| Wiredog Registered user Username: Wiredog Post Number: 222 Registered: 8-2010  |
I its sad the extent of spirit of elitism that kids are exposed to very early one. I remember when I was in Seventh Grade attending San Antonio Junior Academy. One of my friends told me a story--I believe he was at a Christian Church for a wedding rehearsal and some of them here being some what disorderly for being inside a church and were told to tone it down. He told me he was thinking, "Why would it matter how we behaved in there, they [the Sunday church] were a false religion anyway, why should he care!" At the time I didn't have reason to disagree. I shared that story years late with other Adventist friends and was told, "Well we should behave even if it is a wrong religion how would we witness to them?" Sadly even as recent as the Summer of 2008 as an Adventist I remember driving by the sports complexes coming home from church Saturday. The lot was full of cars and kids were playing organized Soccer and Lacrosse. I remember telling my kids, "look at all those people you know why they are playing today? It's because they don't know the Truth. Man how wrong I was in my Spirit. The surprise was on me. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 9303 Registered: 3-2004  |
Ohhh, that spirit of elitism is one I had. Driving to and from the sda church in Las Vegas every Saturday I would pass this BIG church. As I drove past it I would tell myself,"those poor people do not know about the sabbath" and add to that "I could never go to a church that big". Well, I am glad God has a sense of humor b/c when I left adventism to follow Jesus that BIG church is the one He told me to attend. I am smiling to myself as I think of that day.] Diana L | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 1508 Registered: 12-2007 |
Diana, LOL, you found out that "those poor people" might not know about the "Sabbath" but they know Jesus Christ  Yes, I believe God does indeed have a sense of humor | ||
| Grace1958_f Registered user Username: Grace1958_f Post Number: 78 Registered: 3-2011 |
Great story, Diana L. |
