| Author | Message | ||
| Nowhitehats Registered user Username: Nowhitehats Post Number: 79 Registered: 4-2010 |
Some of you may remember taking part in a survey that was conducted late in 2011. It was called "Former Seventh-day Adventist Perceptions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church". Here is an article written by Andy Nash published in a recent issue of the Adventist Review that discusses that survey. http://www.adventistreview.org/issue.php?issue=2013-1508&page=18 | ||
| Punababe808 Registered user Username: Punababe808 Post Number: 371 Registered: 4-2012 |
I read the article. It says towards the end when SDA 's study with formers they need to stick with the Bible. Well, if they stick with the Bible they will study themselves out. Also, anyway they want to spin it, the SDA church makes new members agree to its Fundamental 28,of which numerous of those 28 are paying homage to EGW and many more are their non Biblical rules. | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 2847 Registered: 5-2007  |
I was one of those who participated in this survey. If I would have been asked to participate shortly after my departure my answers would have been very different than how I responded to the survey because my reason for leaving the SDA system was totally different than why I eventually returned to embrace my Savior. When I left Adventism I had simply given up attempting being a perfect person and decided I might as well become a ‘happy sinner’ since I perceived that I was going to hell anyway and why bother being something I concluded I would never be. The issue of doctrine came into play as I was being introduced to sound biblically founded doctrine and suddenly realized my salvation was secure and that I would never be separated from the Lord. It was then that I initiated a personal study of Scripture to find out was wrong with my previous religious training. My point is that many people who leave the SDA system don’t know why the ‘system’ failed them. They don’t know Adventist doctrine is wrong because they don’t know biblical truth. In spite of their understood reason for leaving they don’t know good doctrine is foundational for a healthy and functional spiritual life. Those who conducted the survey clearly make the assumption that there is nothing wrong with their Adventist doctrine or that they are promoting a failed system of theology. They seem to have adopted the idea they just need to communicate better and things will ‘return to normal’. Fearless Phil | ||
| Punababe808 Registered user Username: Punababe808 Post Number: 373 Registered: 4-2012 |
Dear Phil, as a child were you raised SDA? | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 14346 Registered: 12-2003  |
Yes, Phil. I agree; I think your experience is true for many, and I agree with your analysis of those who conducted the survey. They have no idea that anything is wrong with the essential SDA doctrine. I have what I might term "mixed feelings" about Andy Nash. About ten years ago he left Adventism...at least he nearly left. For reasons I don't entirely understand, he went back into it. I have wondered if partly his return was influenced by employment options; he had left denominational employment and pursued an independent publishing venture, but a few years later, he had the opportunity to teach journalism at Southern Adventist University. (He tells about his questioning and his publishing venture in his book sold at the ABC. I can't remember the title right now; it came out a couple years ago or so...) He had been an assistant editor at the Adventist Review previously... Anyway, he put all his doctrinal questions and near-convictions to rest, somehow, and returned. I suspect he believes he can make a difference from within. Nevertheless, he is now heartily endorsing the SDA church, as his article reveals. We have communicated with him privately before...while he is polite, he remains staunch in his position. And yet...his article also reveals that typical SDA "attitude" that assumes an "understanding" that surpasses the "simplistic" attitude of us who leave... I don't mean to demean Andy in particular; I'm just saying that I see the typical SDA mindset there at the same time I see some personal cognitive dissonance around the edges... So again, I'm praying for him to be willing to examine the bottom line truthfully. Colleen | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 2848 Registered: 5-2007 |
Punababe808, Yes, you might want to read the 'our stories' section of this website where many of us have posted something of our SDA past: http://www.formeradventist.com/stories/index.html Fearless Phil | ||
| Lucybugg Registered user Username: Lucybugg Post Number: 323 Registered: 2-2007 |
I participated in the survey too. "For a myriad of reasons, many former Adventists seem to have serious misunderstandings of Adventist beliefs." The same old tired argument. I was a 4th generation sda....trust me...I KNOW what adventists believe. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 9970 Registered: 3-2004  |
I am a 2nd generation sda and went to sda schools first grade through graduation from LLU. Ohhh, spent first year of college in a community college. Could that have undone all my sda teaching??? NOT! Diana | ||
| Trans4mer Registered user Username: Trans4mer Post Number: 295 Registered: 9-2011  |
I left mostly because of the theology/doctrines but also as a close second, what I saw that it was doing to my family. What a 'mind messer' and ripper it can be to a family already with personalities of 'controllers'. I myself was in a second marriage and both my son and daughter had three failed marriages. Ignoring human nature? Surely not. But IMSO Adventism encourages a strong will and discipline. Weaker, dysfunctional Adventists I dare say all would agree, are often ostracized. Survival of the fittest of course. After all there are things that one MUST do, mustn't one? Dave Peckham, pastor of administration at the LSU church was who I contacted for my exit letter which I had to be very insistent about for months. The more coy he was the madder I became. I can understand an organization like theirs wanting to keep what they have, but do they know irritating it can be when we know they are being (as Dale put it) either deceitful or dishonest? Charles |
